Finding Ctrl

Innovation foundation Nesta commissioned a book on the internet’s past and future. ToyFight explains how it brought it online with style

In a year that marks the 50th anniversary of the internet and the 30th of the World Wide Web, Nesta wanted to stimulate discussion of where things will go next. And so as part of the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative – the European Commission’s flagship programme working towards a more democratic, inclusive and resilient internet – it decided to put together an interactive ‘visions book’: a collection of essays, short stories, poetry and artworks taken from over 30 contributors from 15 countries and five continents.

For the design and development of the website (findingctrl.nesta.org.uk), Nesta turned to Manchester-based agency ToyFight. Here, the studio’s creative director and co-founder Leigh Whipday, along with lead developer Brad Arnett, discuss how they presented the multiple contributions online in a way that was as imaginative, ambitious and eye-catching as the ideas themselves.

What did Nesta want to achieve with this site?

LW: From an impact point of view, the client wanted the website to generate a substantial amount of media attention and views and so help steer the debate around the future of the internet in a more positive, hopeful direction.

What process do you follow when creating a site?

LW: We start with mood boards and written ideas. From there, we sometimes briefly sketch with pen and paper but usually we move into concept designs quickly. Unless it’s a complex website or app, we don’t tend to do wireframes. We’d rather get into prototyping or animatics sooner to see what’s working and what’s not.

What technologies did you use to build the site?