Overfishing is one of the most pressing environmental issues that humanity faces today. To raise awareness about this critical problem, we created an interactive online experience for the environmental organization Oceana.

Client
Oceana Europe
Industry
Public Sector and Non-Profit
Solution
Brand ExperienceWeb Special
Technology
3D / WebGLWeb
Services
Technical ConsultingUX DesignVisual DesignSoftware DevelopmentDevOpsProducing
Awards
Lovie AwardsGerman Design AwardWebby Awards

StopOverfishing makes overfishing visible and invites people to get involved.

Overfishing threatens our oceans.
Fish stocks are declining worldwide, and there was a need for a striking, easily accessible way to mobilize people. The goal was to create awareness and make individual engagement immediately visible and shareable.
Underwater scene in which a circling school of fish encloses the Oceana logo
An interactive web experience allows users to design their own fish, place it in a lively underwater world, and share their message directly via social media.
Every shared post adds a unique fish to the virtual ocean.
Smartphone screen of the fish creator: a low-poly hake with a form for adding your own fish

The Fish Creator is playfully designed and rewards contributions with a real-time generated fish that carries a personal message, thus anchoring individual engagement visibly in the ocean.

Every contribution becomes part of the swarm.
A service monitors hashtags in real-time and synchronizes new entries via a cloud solution, allowing all visitors to see simultaneously when the ocean grows and fills.
Live view of the ocean with a large swarm of user-generated fish and the counter of fish created so far
Low-poly aesthetics, vibrant colors, and natural swarm movements create an emotional connection without making the message feel technical or overloaded.
Design and movement make the topic tangible and inviting.
Concept sketch: hands holding a smartphone with a call to leave a message, next to a drawn school of fish

The process ranged from research to prototyping to launch; central ideas included playful participation, a visibly real-time ocean, and performantly rendered swarm movements, complemented by music and narrative details.

Technical finesse makes the experience scalable.
Through targeted performance optimizations, customized assets, and robust synchronization, smooth animations and a reliable live experience could be ensured across many devices, making the message credible.
Overlay of the experience with a message form, the low-poly swordfish and a selector for other species

Become part of the swarm and make a visible statement against overfishing.