Turning open data into open knowledge
Ensuring Open Data serves science in the long term.
Client
SIB - Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Field
Research & Science
Type
Communication Video / Explainer
Year
2023
Context
Open Science seeks to make scientific research and its outcomes accessible beyond academic circles. Within this movement, Open Data plays a foundational role, enabling knowledge to be shared, reused, and built upon over time.
The Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics wanted to communicate the importance of this ecosystem, and to shed light on the less visible work that ensures scientific data remains reliable, usable, and meaningful in the long term.
Challenge
The mechanisms behind Open Data — licensing, expert curation, interoperability, long-term maintenance — are essential, yet difficult to convey to a broad audience.
The challenge was to:
make abstract scientific processes intelligible and engaging
highlight the risks and limitations of poorly managed data
demonstrate why structured, curated information is key to scientific progress
Our approach
We developed a short motion film using cut-out photographic imagery, deliberately playful in tone.
By relying on visual contrasts and unexpected associations, the animation introduces a light, sometimes ironic perspective that helps underline the consequences of disorganized or unreliable information. This approach makes complex ideas more approachable, while reinforcing the underlying message.
Historical and scientific references — from astronomy to genomics — are woven into the narrative, illustrating how access to well-documented, reusable data has consistently enabled major scientific advances.
Results
The film delivers a clear takeaway: data becomes valuable only when it is curated, maintained, and made usable over time.
Through an accessible and distinctive visual language, the video supports SIB’s mission and positions the institute as a key contributor in transforming Open Data into lasting scientific knowledge — serving both research communities and society at large.
Credits
Conception: Marie Dangles & Maïa Berman (SIB Communications)
Script: Pablo Martin Torrado
Creative design: Julien Andrey
Animation: Freestudios team
Production: Freestudios