Digital developer awarded for earthquake app

News release

18 December 2012: Auckland, NZ

Digital developer awarded for ‘visually stunning’ earthquake app

Creator of Share an Idea site scoops up another Microsoft award

NV Interactive is rounding out 2012 on a high note, after being recognised as a winner in Microsoft’s Humanising Data competition - just months after a historic double win at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year awards for both Web Development and Citizenship.

NV Interactive’s app for the University of Canterbury’s CEISMIC project offers users an opportunity to explore Internet archives and data collected from the catastrophic earthquakes in Canterbury in 2010 and 2011; an invaluable tool for both those who experienced the earthquakes and those who want to undertake research on the subject.

Microsoft challenged designers in the competition to create Windows 8 apps that would make data beautiful, real and fun for New Zealanders.

NV Interactive’s app offers both engagement and information

Matt Pickering, Managing Director of NV Interactive, says, “The NV Interactive team are absolutely delighted to have won the Humanising Data competition for the University of Canterbury CEISMIC app, a project destined to become the official Canterbury Earthquake Digital Archive.”

Will Morris, Digital Strategist at NV Interactive, says that the Humanising Data award, hot on the heels of NV’s double win at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner of the Year awards in July, showcases the company’s unique approach to crafting digital experiences.

“The Humanising Data contest was a solid opportunity for our team to engage with complex data from the CEISMIC project and turn that material into something meaningful, engaging and informative for users. Being available for free on the Windows Store means it is accessible too.

Our experience creating the Share an Idea site was a strong foundation for us to build on with the CEISMIC app, and to be recognised with another award is a wonderful way to end a stellar year”.

Microsoft judges’ praise for CEISMIC app

The CEISMIC app was praised by Microsoft judges for being easy to use, visually stunning and informative. Will Morris says that the award highlights NV Interactive’s approach of providing world class platforms for everyone.

Judges were impressed with the depth of data that could be accessed through CEISMIC, which included a combination of video, photography, audio and documents relating to the earthquakes.

-Ends-

For more information on NV Interactive’s CEISMIC app, or to interview one of the NV team about their 2012 Microsoft awards, please contact Mikela Dennison at The Clarity Business on 021 2946741 or mikela@theclaritybusiness.co.nz

Background for editors:

• The CEISMIC Digital Archive is a collection of video, audio, documents and images related to the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes.

• The CEISMIC project gathers research material about the quakes to be shared with researchers around the world in a bid to learn as much as possible from the devastating events.

• University of Canterbury’s CEISMIC project is destined to become the official Canterbury Earthquake Digital Archive.

• The CEISMIC project was one of several earthquake response initiatives by NV Interactive that led to the company securing the unprecedented double Partner of the Year win at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Awards for Web Development and Citizenship.

• NV Interactive were also behind the award winning Share an Idea website that created a platform for Cantabrians to voice their views and consult on what the region should look like after the rebuild, which resulted in over 106,000 ideas being generated in just two months.

• NV Interactive was one of the first companies in the world to release a Windows 8 app live into the new Windows Store

• Read more about CEISMIC and the other winners in the Microsoft Humanising Data competition here

About NV Interactive: NV Interactive’s work includes digital branding, information architecture and user experience design as well as web and mobile development, app development and online marketing.

NV works with some of the biggest names and they’ve helped small companies grow into big deals.

Each project is different, but NV Interactive’s approach is proven and the results speak for themselves.

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