Benjamin Royer

Siemens and FC Bayern Münich teamed up to produce a campaign where the former's technological excellence met the latter's skills on the pitch. Captured with state-of-the-art 360º microphones positioned at key locations in the stadium, the installation produced a data set which could geolocalise the ebbs and flows of the crowd's cheers.

Our task was to produce a website showcasing this tour de force, which would feature data-visualisations capacble of retranscribing the energies that were unleashed on the field.

The first step involved collecting inspiration, research and sketching broad concepts. The idea of an abstract representation of the stadium, using WebGL, formed naturally. The work then focused on seemlessly transitioning between one dataviz to the next.

Each piece of infographics was designed to surface a hidden facet of the match, and I was particularly interested in providing users with the feeling of physically manipulating an intricate puzzle.

A phase of rationalisation followed, organising the screens according to sections and user journeys. In parallel, the development on the various data-visualisations had started, allowing the team to get the right feel with their animations, transitions and interactions.

The final product followed the FC Bayern Münich for a full season, buiding up an archive of the energies unleashed by the supporters, not only within the stadium but also across the world.

Beyond the visualisation of sound rippling through the stadium, interesting insights can be gleaned by superimposing players' kicks and passes with the emotions of the crowd—which player elicits the most reaction, and which actions triggers a response.