FIFA
Developing memorability and impact for FIFA’s Training Centre through motion
Background
FIFA launched the Training Centre in 2021, an innovative online platform that is available to football practitioners across the World.
The online academy has the most comprehensive library of technical football information from the sport’s leading experts and illustrates the international governing bodies efforts to raise the standard of the global game.
Technical staff including Sporting Directors, Heads of Academy, Coaching and Methodology are tasked with developing, evolving and implementing an identity with alignment on and off the field.
To match the objective of driving a club-wide identity and methodology across to their technical and playing staff, there is an opportunity to work more efficiently and effectively by leveraging digital to support process, delivery and adoption.
Brief & Goals
Around the World, coaches, educators and practitioners from grassroots, youth and elite visit FIFA’s Training Centre for inspiration, support and education across all formats of association football.
Currently, The FIFA Training Centre travel across the globe to capture and produce content in copy, film and audio formats. Seeking to push boundaries of the digital world by taking technical information to the next level, so content will not require filming training sessions, studio presentations or large resources, FIFA appointed Skylab to translate their brand design language into fluid animation.
Experts Unite
By combining Performance Analysis with visual storytelling, we started out by laying the foundations, working closely with the team at FIFA’s Training Centre throughout. We don’t have one “big reveal”, instead we keep in touch often, checking in and collaborating. This all starts with our discovery phase, and in particular, the initial kick-off we have together with everyone all in one place. This stage is critical when bridging technical sporting language with anything creative.
Our goal? Create slick animations that can be efficiently, accurately, and meaningfully understood.
Building A Strategy That Delivers
In the early stages, there’s often a need for foundational research to help us understand the humans we’re designing for.
A study released by the National Center for Biotechnology information found that learning from a continuous animation is more beneficial for expert players: they attained the higher level of performance with the same time on the immediate recall-test, needed lower number of repetitions, and invested less mental effort.
The use of animation to convey complex or technical messages is not merely an aesthetic choice, it is a crucial tool to impart information, particularly to athletes when learning tactical scenes of play.
Focused on Both Functionality & Good Looks
Our designer started by crafting an annotated design system which created a solid toolkit for our motion team. Beginning with good design principles ensures smooth implementation and consistency of brand execution; essential elements for projects that demand a substantial volume of assets.
Once the toolkit had been established, it was time to bring FIFA’s brand to life. This process began with our Performance Analyst & Strategist working together to interpret FIFAs scripts and technical content and transforming them into visual storyboards for our Motion Designer to use in line with the design toolkit.
Next, we refined the execution of movement styles through the production of a single animation – ensuring we’d set the industry benchmark.
This was our opportunity for experimentation, to push the boundaries of expectation and harness our unique skillset.
Once these crucial elements had been established, we we’re able to move into the rollout phase. Not to be treated as a conveyor belt of assets; each animation was meticulously crafted thanks to the unique harmony within the team & the collaboration with FIFAs Training Centre experts.
Outcomes
Increasing effectiveness in the learning journey.
Our Performance Analyst’s in-depth knowledge of the sport ensured elements such as body orientation, movement directions and speed of motion were realistic and that they would translate well to all types of learners established within the audience.
The new digital resources can be used alongside existing content and shared across multiple platforms, which saves time by simplifying information and increasing accessibility.
FIFA’s experts can now effectively present their intellect and key messages to their global football audience without requiring the resources to capture the delivery in a physical classroom or training field.
About Skylab
Skylab is a first-of-its-kind sports technology firm, offering tailored, market-leading performance analysis and bespoke web platforms to elite sporting clients. We revolutionise how elite sports teams and individuals interact, use, and visualise their data. By packaging performance analysis with industry-leading UX and bespoke software, partners will be able to make better decisions in Sport. Current clients include elite teams and organisations across Football, Athletics, Tennis, Boxing, Motorsport and more.
Our experience in digital and existence at the forefront of elite sport enables us to offer a unique solution that brings your vision and messages to life with motion design and our specialist division Skylab: Elite Sport Technology.
To find out more, contact ciaran.skinner@skylab.com or hello@skylab.com
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