[061222] Shiftcontrol was asked to design and build an interactive chat-based tv-channel for Al Aan, a rapidly growing Dubai based broadcaster. The new channel targeted young women in the arabic world, and would facilitate a fun, relevant and interactive platform - an innovative combination of information an entertainment - the first of it's kind in the region.

The channel was implemented using viz[rt] technology, and will soon be available on regional satellite.

The design was based on inspirational work by Norwegian design company Bleed, seeking to conceive a bridge between the minimalist nordic and vivid arabic style (read: Gold, Purple and Ornaments) - resulting in a fuchsia saturated universe with animated growing flowers, weaving in and out - drawing up the interface elements in natural order.

The screen-layout typologies required rethinking: While arabic is read right-to-left, fundamentally changing the parameters for readability and location of modules in the layout.

Besides the chat functionality, and a permanent news/weather box, this channel had to be devised as a very dynamic system, leaving it open to: video streams, info screens, interactive games and applications. Giving the possibility to develop content separately - we are currently discussing a SMS based game for the "lower third" - stay tuned for updates.

Norwegian 'Active Loop Television' provided the underlaying technical platform and acted as the middle man towards the client.

Curious?
For more info on this project, please contact founding partner Jørgen Skogmo, +45 23 25 49 97, office@shiftcontrol.dk