Deutsche Bahn event keynote
Address on strategy
by the CEO of the Deutsche Bahn Group Rüdiger Grube
Just a few years ago, I visualized the strategy called DB2020. At the time, Deutsche Bahn was facing an important event to announce corrections of the company's course. Its then-CEO Rüdiger Grube summoned over a thousand managers in Berlin. My team at Golden Section Graphics was assigned to create his keynote.
Our assignment was clear: to create a premium presentation, part of which would visualize data and processes from the first phase of the strategy DB2020 to show what the DB group had already accomplished and to produce an understanding of the initial difficulties. Another part was planned to explain how the strategy must be adjusted and what the prospect for the future is. To do this, we were expected to use the whole spectrum of infographic storytelling tools from simple yet effective diagrams up to demonstrative 2D and 3D cinematic sequences.
Data-based narrative sought to automatically lead the audience to the recognition that course correction would be both necessary and beneficial to all.
Together with the speechwriting team at DB, we defined the storyline and created the storyboard. This would become the base for our production plan. This planning phase was crucial. This was the moment we could examine our dramaturgy and find and test ideas on the visual language. An animatic helped our project partners experience the cinematic moments of the keynote.
It's the person on stage whose performance will inspire the audience. Our primary task is to amplify its effect.
We involved the CEO in this process, went together through the presentation, and adjusted it. We needed to keep the timing as flexible as possible without losing tension. Meanwhile, I settled the technical details: Mac or PC, Powerpoint or Keynote, room size, audience size, screen size, resolution, distance to the audience, presenter’s location on stage, sound, etc. Finally, the plan was set – this was the point of no return.
My team, mostly information designers with different skill sets and specializations, was ready to start. I summoned two colleagues highly skilled in 2D data visualization and illustration, one 3D information designer to do modeling and animation work, and two motion designers who used to work in infographic productions. At this moment, we had less than three weeks to get everything done – producing over 60 scenes of diagrams, illustrations, animated 2D and 3 sequences, building the final presentation file, running tests and making corrections and adjustments.
Defining and securing the quality of our visual language would accompany the audience through the keynote and my team through the tense production period.
During the production process, I realized that some younger designers and new team members weren’t experienced enough in producing content of this amount and complexity. It was essential to stabilize everyone to increase their reliability. For that, together, we identified all the tasks and put time labels on them. Our process became noticeably more transparent, and my team’s confidence grew. Thus, we completed everything in good time.
I learned the value of motivation through a sense of responsibility and confidence through transparency.
Team:
Jaroslaw Kaschtalinski creative director
Nick Oelschlägel information designer / 3D artist
Henning Trenkamp information designer / illustrator
Annick Ehmann information designer / illustrator
Reto Weiss information designer / motion designer
Ian Hutchinson freelance motion designer
Deutsche Bahn event keynote
Address on strategy
by the CEO of the Deutsche Bahn Group Rüdiger Grube
Just a few years ago, I visualized the strategy called DB2020. At the time, Deutsche Bahn was facing an important event to announce corrections of the company's course. Its then-CEO Rüdiger Grube summoned over a thousand managers in Berlin. My team at Golden Section Graphics was assigned to create his keynote.
Our assignment was clear: to create a premium presentation, part of which would visualize data and processes from the first phase of the strategy DB2020 to show what the DB group had already accomplished and to produce an understanding of the initial difficulties. Another part was planned to explain how the strategy must be adjusted and what the prospect for the future is. To do this, we were expected to use the whole spectrum of infographic storytelling tools from simple yet effective diagrams up to demonstrative 2D and 3D cinematic sequences.
Data-based narrative sought to automatically lead the audience to the recognition that course correction would be both necessary and beneficial to all.
Together with the speechwriting team at DB, we defined the storyline and created the storyboard. This would become the base for our production plan. This planning phase was crucial. This was the moment we could examine our dramaturgy and find and test ideas on the visual language. An animatic helped our project partners experience the cinematic moments of the keynote.
It's the person on stage whose performance will inspire the audience. Our primary task is to amplify its effect.
We involved the CEO in this process, went together through the presentation, and adjusted it. We needed to keep the timing as flexible as possible without losing tension. Meanwhile, I settled the technical details: Mac or PC, Powerpoint or Keynote, room size, audience size, screen size, resolution, distance to the audience, presenter’s location on stage, sound, etc. Finally, the plan was set – this was the point of no return.
My team, mostly information designers with different skill sets and specializations, was ready to start. I summoned two colleagues highly skilled in 2D data visualization and illustration, one 3D information designer to do modeling and animation work, and two motion designers who used to work in infographic productions. At this moment, we had less than three weeks to get everything done – producing over 60 scenes of diagrams, illustrations, animated 2D and 3 sequences, building the final presentation file, running tests and making corrections and adjustments.
Defining and securing the quality of our visual language would accompany the audience through the keynote and my team through the tense production period.
During the production process, I realized that some younger designers and new team members weren’t experienced enough in producing content of this amount and complexity. It was essential to stabilize everyone to increase their reliability. For that, together, we identified all the tasks and put time labels on them. Our process became noticeably more transparent, and my team’s confidence grew. Thus, we completed everything in good time.
I learned the value of motivation through a sense of responsibility and confidence through transparency.
Team:
Jaroslaw Kaschtalinski creative director
Nick Oelschlägel information designer / 3D artist
Henning Trenkamp information designer / illustrator
Annick Ehmann information designer / illustrator
Reto Weiss information designer / motion designer
Ian Hutchinson freelance motion designer