Eight years ago, a talented young art director working at Switch came in to the partner’s office saying, “It’s not you, it’s me” and left us for what he dreamed would be the uncomplicated land of New Zealand.  He left a huge legacy and pretty much the best departure note we’ve ever received:  ”For the endless dental appointments, the busted legs, type that’s too small, websites that are too big, desks that didn’t fit [he's 6.7"], all heated idea discussions, snowman costumes, hyperlinks, teatime discussions and those f#%king timesheets. Thank you.”

Well, as they say in the movies, “He’s … baaaaaaaaaack.”

The partners are extremely pleased to announce our latest hire: May we (re) introduce Chris Waind, Creative Director at Switch United.

Our multi-talented ‘new’ recruit will provide strategic and creative oversight to our team. He brings over 15 years of experience in the design and advertising industry in Canada and abroad. Manchester-born, he’s graced Myriad Creative in London, Blast Radius in Vancouver, and The Church in Wellington, New Zealand with his wit, wisdom, and impressive scope of work.

A graphic designer and illustrator by training, Chris’ work encompasses film, photography, collage and traditional fine art as adjunct to his work in digital.  Which is probably why he’s won a whole whack of accolades at the Webby Awards, Best Awards, and World Viral Awards, and in publications including Italian Vogue and ProDesign magazine.

When asked, ‘Why Chris?’ partner Catherine Winckler couldn’t think of a simple reason except that ever since he’s left, two employees have refused to drink tea again in protest, and no one else has been able to fit, quite literally, into his chair. Besides, she says, “In the curious and exploratory transmedia world of Switch United, no one could be curious-er or more talented than Chris.” Reason enough to bring out the Twinings.

Could you survive stranded in the frigid Canadian Arctic? Our team at Switch United wants to see if you have what it takes to get out of the cold.

Of course, having strong “ice frogging” skills will help, as will remembering the basics from Flight Simulator. Both will be put to the test in Arctic Air Adventure, a new online game set in the Canadian North and starring the main characters from CBC’s hit show, Arctic Air.

Switch United developed the game in collaboration with CBC and producer Omni Film Productions. The three-part journey is designed as a graphic novel, and takes users through a series of adventures as the show’s main characters. Challenges include leaping between ice flows, hunting with a slingshot, and flying with a broken propeller. For most, the first attempt will end in an Arctic ice bath, a crash landing in a damaged Cessna, or a combination of the two.

Throughout the game, users are treated to the lively banter of main characters Krista and Bobby. For Switch, the opportunity to work directly with the show’s ‘writer’s room’ to bring authenticity to the voices of the characters, was a precedent we’d love to see mirrored in work to come. When digital meets broadcast at the creative level, the story is just that much deeper from one platform to the next. We encourage our readers to watch the show on XXXX nights, and to play the game on CBC’s website at cbc.ca/arcticair/games.

A collaboration of award-winning documentary filmmaker Nettie Wild, Creative Director Jeremy Mendes, and photographer Shannon Mendes, South Hill Inside Stories was envisioned as a unique ‘web documentary’ that would not only document the residents of a vibrant, culturally diverse community in southeast Vancouver but help the residents themselves get to know one another and share their stories about home, identity, and belonging.

Switch United was proud to be involved in this innovative storytelling project, designing the interface for an interactive online experience that allows visitors to explore residents’ stories through ‘sound slides’ featuring a series of photographs accompanied by first-person audio narratives.

The website opens to a street scene dotted with images of actual homes and businesses in the South Hill neighbourhood. We layered patterns, colour, and black-and-white images of houses and storefronts to create a ‘collage’ effect that reflects the cultural patchwork of the neighbourhood. Web visitors can move back and forth along the street, clicking on houses and people to access the various stories, from that of Nasrin Jamalzadah who tells the harrowing story of life in her native Afghanistan to her escape to Canada to that of Fraser Street tailor Ben Kwan who nearly starved as a child in Japanese-occupied China before fleeing to Hong Kong and emigrating to Canada.

Debuted earlier this month at the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library, Inside Stories is a work in progress as Nettie Wild hopes to update it with more personal stories from South Hill residents. Switch sends a big congrats to Nettie, Jeremy, and Shannon on their creative re-imagining of the traditional documentary through a web-based experience that breaks down barriers through shared stories.

Well, one of our favourite clients is daring to do just that. Award-winning producer, director, and writer Leigh Badgely has set out on a year’s sabbatical, taking on interesting projects globally.

To accompany Leigh on her ‘working travels,’ we designed and developed a new website that conveys her love of storytelling, showcases her portfolio of important documentaries and hit TV shows, and her emerging interest in transmedia projects that involve print, film, TV, and digital platforms.

A design inspired by maps and travel stickers hints at some of Leigh’s favourite places in the world, while the blog lets Leigh share her ‘road stories’ with friends and colleagues around the globe.

We wish Leigh all the best as she shares her inspiring ‘anything is possible’ philosophy with new clients and storytelling projects focused on making a difference in the world.

Announced today at Merging Media, ‘Air Hunt’ is a collaboration of Switch United and Pug Pharm Productions, a Canadian leader in gamification and social engagement. Together, our teams ‘gamified’ the entire Ice Pilots website, enabling fans to play and win prizes all season long by collecting show-themed virtual items and connecting with one another.

Each week a new ‘Air Hunt’ theme is introduced, and players have one week to search for theme-related cargo items hidden throughout the site and complete a gameboard for a chance to win fantastic Ice Pilots prize packs and the grand prize of a trip to Yellowknife.

The virtual scavenger hunt also allows players to build customized gameboards, earn cargo by playing a flying mini-game, and expand their social networks by connecting with other players who collect the same items. Launched last week, the site is already buzzing with activity as more and more fans join the coolest scavenger hunt in the North!

It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since we began working with Omni Film and History Television on Ice Pilots’ multi-platform strategy (‘time flying’ and all that). From an interactive storymap for Season 1 to mobile web and Social TV for Season 2, it’s been an unforgettable creative ride. And, things continue to heat up for Season 3, scheduled to air October 12^th.  Stay tuned for a custom Ice Pilots social game that puts you in the cockpit…coming soon to www.icepilots.com.

We were honoured by a recent visit by His Excellency Amin Abu Hassira, General Delegate of Palestine to Canada (7th from left). A guest of our friend and client Adri Hamael, His Excellency toured the studio and viewed some of our current projects including one for Adri’s not-for-profit society, One Team United Soccer Society.

Gone are the days when watching TV was a passive, solitary activity. For Season 2, Ice Pilots NWT introduces Social TV -  a fun, new way to interact with the show on your computer or smartphone while it’s broadcast. Each week, viewers can log in to Social TV where they can answer opinion-based questions about the episode, add a comment, and see how other fans across the country answered the same questions. It’s a chance to get more involved with the show, and share the experience with other fans – all while the program is airing. Plus, participants will get exclusive Ice Pilots NWT videos just for playing along.

Social TV requires participants log in to Facebook, and integrating with the social networking site was one of our biggest challenges during development. For each answer submitted on Social TV, we wanted to pull in Facebook data to show how responses broke down according to gender, age, and location. It took some doing (and more than a few headaches) but viewers will be able to see how different fan demographics answered each question. But more than stats, Social TV is about sharing the TV viewing experience, and letting the Ice Pilots community know how you feel about what’s happening on the show. To try it out, go to Ice Pilots NWT on your mobile phone or on the Web and click on Social TV. Watching the boob tube will never be the same.