Capabilities

Projects

About

We are a trusted technology partner for startups, agencies and corporate clients. We build prototype-, MVP- and product-grade solutions in the area of web, mobile, Mixed Reality, Machine Learning and Blockchain.

Le Polish Bureau

We help startups, brands, and agencies by efficiently delivering software solutions that stand out both <u>creatively</u> and <u>technically</u>.

We build prototype-, MVP- and product-grade solutions in the area of web, mobile, XR, AI, Metaverse, and Web3.

We offer a complete package including strategy, creative, design, implementation, deployment, quality assurance, and maintenance, but we are also happy to consult in parts of the process.

Featured Projects

Our passion for experimental user interfaces and our drive to discover new and improved ways of utilizing technology compelled us to envision how a personal voice communicator could function and appear on Apple Vision Pro.

We initiated the project by analyzing the current functionality of voice messaging. The primary applications that support voice messaging features include WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.

However, due to the vastly different nature of the circumstances in which a mobile communicator is used compared to the Apple Vision Pro headset, we had to think completely outside the box.

The headset is typically operated at home and when there is sufficient time available for its use. Starting with a blank slate, we held a single goal in mind: utilizing the spatial interface and a comfortable at-home setting to conceive and develop a genuinely intimate, personal voice communicator that would forge a closer connection between two individuals.

This is when the concept of Closer was conceived—a spatial communicator designed for intimacy, aiming to bring people closer even when they are physically apart.

Our ambition was to employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) to visualize the semantic meaning of the received audio message and immerse the listener in the intended thoughts of the sender during the recording of the note.

We aimed to provide the user with a simple yet intuitive interface to navigate the app. The dashboard view utilizes a side tab bar for switching between the inbox and the recording mode. The UI is streamlined to a minimum, avoiding unnecessary obstruction of the user's view.

Capitalizing on the advantages of incorporating a third spatial dimension, we crafted an intuitive and straightforward recording interface. An audio orb responds to the user's microphone input, providing visual confirmation that the sound is being captured.

Our aspiration was to forge an intensely personal and intimate connection between the sender and the receiver. Here's how we brought this vision to life:

Received messages, while fundamentally recorded audio, undergo analysis by AI and are transcribed into text. Subsequently, the AI generates a spherical image that encapsulates the message's content.

This visual representation is then transformed into a three-dimensional bubble, enabling the recipient to gain an immediate 'sense' of the message's essence.

When a message is played back, we immerse the user in an AI-generated representation of the message's content. For instance, below Agnes is sharing a dream she had, vividly describing her experience of walking through a bustling street in India. The other image shows isImmersion mode for another message—this time from Mike—where he notifies his intention to visit for a dinner with his wife.

While implementing Closer, we dedicated significant attention to micro-animations, enriching the user experience.

We devised a spatial icon in accordance with the visionOS guidelines, causing it to emerge when the user gazes upon it.

The icon's visuals encompass several concepts. The white shapes can be interpreted as the letters 'C', aligning with the app's name, 'Closer.' They are also mirrored, symbolizing two users situated on opposite sides of the app. When combined, the shape at the intersection of the 'C's resembles an eye. Lastly, the 'C' shapes signify the immersion mode, encircling the user in a span of 180 or even 360 degrees.

We developed the application using Xcode Beta, Swift, and SwiftUI.

We designed and animated 3D components, such as the bubble representation of the message, using custom shaders and shader graphs in Reality Composer Pro.

On the backend, we established an auto-scaling infrastructure on the Google Cloud Platform, incorporating a Google Cloud Run service to host our backend API. Whenever a voice message was sent, it was routed through this backend to undergo transcription into text using Google Cloud Speech to Text. Subsequently, we utilized OpenAI's ChatGPT API to analyze the message's semantic content and distill key concepts articulated by the user. We then tasked ChatGPT with transforming these concepts into descriptive scenes. Lastly, we fed these descriptions into Blockade Labs' AI-powered Skybox generator to produce immersive 360-degree scenes.

Get in touch to discuss the possibility of launching your brand on Apple Vision Pro today at
**vision@lepolishbureau.com**

Closer 

Apple Vision Pro  AI-powered voice communicator

Closer

Product

Consumer Electronics

Entertainment

Technology

[**Wol**](https://meetwol.com/) is mixed reality prototype experience we developed in partnership with [Liquid City](https://liquid.city/) and [Niantic](https://nianticlabs.com/). It features an AI-enabled owl who joins you in your space through an AR portal, opening a door to the redwood forest and engaging in natural conversation about the forest ecosystem.


Niantic is a leading developer of AR games and applications constantly innovating and expanding its portfolio of games and technologies. To showcase the potential of AR and [8th Wall’s](https://www.8thwall.com/) most powerful feature, [Metaversal Deployment](https://www.8thwall.com/blog/post/59297774102/introducing-reality-engine-8th-wall-webar-moves-beyond-the-smartphone), we brought to life a mixed reality prototype experience called [**Wol**](https://meetwol.com/).  




Wol joins you in your space through an AR portal which opens a door to the redwood forest. As an AI-enabled owl, Wol is ready to have a natural conversation about the forest and its ecosystem. It can be accessed in the browser on the Meta Quest Pro headset or an iOS or Android smartphone, no installation required.







The Wol experience was created to showcase 8th Wall's Metaversal Deployment feature, which empowers developers to create content once and deploy it across various devices, giving it the widest possible reach. The AI-enabled character, Wol, was created using Inworld, the developer platform for AI characters. The [Inworld](https://inworld.ai/) Engine incorporates various machine learning and character AI models, replicating human gestures, speech, safety, emotion, and memory. This technology has been integrated with 8th Wall to power Wol’s distinct personality and contextual awareness and proved crucial for performance optimization. Additionally, by leveraging the websockets capability of Inworld, we achieved ultra-low latency, ensuring conversations happen almost in real time.



Wol's interactive 3D world is the impressive result of a powerful collaboration between 8th Wall and ThreeJS. 8th Wall uses JavaScript and WebGL to incorporate a special engine called Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), optimized for real-time Augmented Reality (AR) experiences in web browsers. ThreeJS simplifies WebGL complexities, allowing smooth operation across modern browsers, mobile devices, and seamless integration with web pages. Additionally, Spatial Audio from ThreeJS enhances immersion, providing users with a surround-sound-like experience.



To manage the sequence of user experiences effectively, we developed a custom "timeline" using TypeScript, ensuring reliability and stability through static typing and type inference.

For handling complex synchronization of application events, we utilized the Zustand library, optimizing communication between different elements and improving overall performance.

In creating scalable individual views, React was invaluable. By leveraging components and hooks, we achieved reusable, stateful logic. Code-splitting further improved performance and resulted in a clean, efficient codebase and a captivating user experience.


- 8thWall Cloud Editor
- InWorld AI
- React
- Zustand
- Three JS


Together with Liquid City and Niantic, our team has developed a first-of-its-kind web experience, combining mixed reality, GenAI, and 8th Wall's Metaversal Deployment. 




**Visit [meetWol.com](https://meetwol.com/) to embark on your woodland experience.**



- Reach out to us if you are interested in developing an AR experience of the future:

[office@lepolishbureau.com](mailto:office@lepolishbureau.com)

Niantic: Wol 

Wol is a mixed-reality prototype experience featuring an AI-enabled owl we created in collaboration with Liquid City and Niantic. 

Niantic: Meet Wol 

Wol is a mixed-reality prototype experience featuring an AI-enabled owl we created in collaboration with Liquid City and Niantic.

Niantic

Liquid City

Prototype

Education

"I think that a new kind of experience has just been born." - Wojciech Walkusz, Project Manager, Le Polish Bureau

To celebrate the audiobook series "[Far Cry 6: Rise of the Revolution](https://www.audible.com/pd/Far-Cry-Audiobook/B0BBMV99R6)," narrated by Giancarlo Esposito, [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv), [Audible](https://www.audible.com), and Le Polish Bureau collaborated to create an immersive escape room experience. It was brought to life through Twitch live streams hosted by influencers, and filled with mind-bending puzzles. Through our innovative approach and dedicated technological solutions, we were able to actively engage the audience, turning them into active participants.

The primary goal of the project was to generate awareness of the Far Cry 6 story among a new audience while maintaining engagement with existing players through a deep dive into the character backgrounds that influenced the game. Given Twitch's prominent position as the premier live streaming platform dedicated to video game streaming, we needed to ensure that the visual quality of the experience as well as its interactivity and stability prove equally unrivalled.

Twitch invited five popular influencers who actively stream on the platform. While they were aware that a digital escape room game would be part of the stream, they were not given the opportunity to solve the puzzles in advance. Additionally, we asked the streamers to keep their viewers in suspense until the actual streaming moment, only revealing the surprise escape room experience on the designated dates. This approach resulted in five distinct and captivating streams played on Twitch, hosted by [CompletedMate](https://www.twitch.tv/completeditmate), [Yogscast](https://www.twitch.tv/yogscast), [Jericho](https://www.twitch.tv/jericho), [Anna Chess](https://www.twitch.tv/anna_chess), and [ItsHafu](https://www.twitch.tv/itshafu). 



The narrative unfolded from the perspective of a rebel fighter assigned with infiltrating Anton Castillo's infamous office, searching for clues, uncovering his past, discovering secrets, and witnessing his rise to power. However, we wanted to ensure that the viewers didn't simply passively watch the streamers navigate through the exciting riddles. We aimed to actively involve them as players and encourage their engagement with the tasks at hand.

Central to the success of the escape room experience was the creation of great gameplay and intricate puzzles. The puzzles were thoughtfully designed to challenge the streamers' and audience's problem-solving skills and immerse them in the captivating world of Far Cry 6. Striking the right balance of difficulty was a significant challenge. We aimed for a live stream duration of 1.5 to 2 hours, ensuring that the puzzles were neither too difficult, causing frustration, nor too easy, leading to quick completion and unsatisfied viewers. 

To empower viewers as active players, we implemented technological changes and rebuilt tools. The first enhancement was **_the heat map extension_**, enabling viewers to interact by clicking on their screens. This generated visible marks for both streamers and other viewers. By capturing real-time data on the most clickable spots, we curated a ranking system that highlighted the top five points of interest. This innovative approach enabled streamers to embrace a collective decision-making process, guided by viewers' suggestions for their next actions, locations to explore, and uncovering hidden objects within the game.



Furthermore, we created a bespoke _**chat analysis tool**_ to address puzzles requiring specific word or number combinations. Streamers prompted viewers to input these combinations in the chat, and we analyzed its contents, displaying the results as percentages on the screen. This valuable information empowered streamers to make decisions based on the majority viewer score, enhancing the interactive experience.

Our project's most remarkable achievement was completing it within an impressively short development time of just 12 weeks. One of the key challenges we faced was ensuring a seamless broadcast experience for the streamers. We tackled the task of remotely configuring everything on the streamers' machines, providing comprehensive explanations of the procedures involved. During the live broadcasts, we offered continuous support and assistance to ensure a smooth and successful streaming experience.



To elevate the production quality, we harnessed _Unity_ technology, specifically the _High-Definition Render Pipeline_. It enabled us to leverage high-quality assets, resulting in a visually stunning experience. For instance, when recreating the throne room of the game's main character, we utilized an immersive 8K 360-degree video. However, due to the demanding nature of this video format, only a limited number of machines could handle it seamlessly. To overcome this challenge, we implemented an external tool called _AVProVideo_, which efficiently compressed the video while maintaining playback functionality. This strategic solution allowed us to deliver captivating 3D visuals that enhanced the overall immersive experience for our audience.

To achieve our technical vision, we employed a multi-layered video approach, embedding assets and puzzles within the primary video framework. Our primary tool for orchestrating this intricate setup was cinemachine, a powerful tool within the Unity engine that facilitated seamless transitions between different layers of content. Moreover, we incorporated 3D sound technology to intensify the immersion by simulating the sensation of being surrounded by guards and enemies. This created a gradual buildup of tension throughout the game, further enhancing the overall experience.




During the live streams, the final result was a seamless blending of various elements. We integrated the gameplay, multi-layered graphics panels, Twitch's official layout, branding, and advertisements. Additionally, we introduced interactive extensions that provided real-time feedback, responding to the viewers' activities. These interactive elements further heightened the engagement and allowed for a more dynamic and immersive experience for all participants.

- Unity Engine
- High-Definition Render Pipeline 
- AVProVideo
- Cinemachine
- Twitch Listener
- Heat Map Extension
- OBS Studio
- Streamlabs OBS
- Stream Deck (hardware)


LePB created a kind of the first interactive game, played only five times on the streaming service Twitch. Through the creative approach and technical solutions, we activated over **60,000 participants**  and turned them into active players. The average viewing time was over 1,5 hours, during which users were actively engaged in the solving of given tasks. Because of it, we initiated a new discussion about the future of streaming.

Far Cry 6 x Twitch: Interactive Escape Room Experience

To celebrate the audiobook series "Far Cry 6: Rise of the Revolution," Twitch, Ubisoft, and Le Polish Bureau collaborated to create an immersive escape room experience hosted by popular streamers.

Far Cry 6 x Twitch:  Interactive Escape Room Experience | Le Polish Bureau

Twitch

Audible

Commercial project

Culture

"We were able to seamlessly move and manipulate data between the old and new infrastructure and we achieved exceptional performance throughout the entire process." 
Tobiasz Dziubinski, Tech Lead, 
Le Polish Bureau

Le Polish Bureau partnered with **Superunion** and **Design Bridge** to develop a brand-new and completely redesigned [Design Bridge and Partners](https://www.designbridge.com/) company website as a result of a merger between the two companies. The primary objective was to create a website that perfectly reflected their shared design vision and goals. The project was launched across multiple markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Brazil, and China.


The backbone of the website along with key components was built on the basis of the existing Superunion.com site, originally developed by Le Polish Bureau. The challenge was to create a responsive, CMS-powered HTML5 microsite based on designs and brand guidelines provided by the Client. The website had to be fully responsive, cross-platform compatible, and accessible across multiple markets.

The website uses Strapi CMS, which is fully customised and tailored to the provided design and website structure, making it efficient and easy to use. Designed with responsiveness and cross-platform compatibility as top priorities, the website provides a seamless browsing experience across a wide range of devices and platforms. As the website is dedicated to multiple markets, it was important to focus on effortless translations update and editions ensuring a smooth experience for content managers. 


We decided to separate the frontend and backend layers. The approach we executed provided great flexibility in the website and allowed us to devise a fully customised interface. The frontend team has developed a cutting-edge, visually appealing, and engaging interface that seamlessly retrieves all content from the CMS instance via the API, presenting it to users. Thanks to this, content managers can introduce new content without affecting the visual aspects of the website. The great advantage of the system we engineered is around increasing the website's security because most often the front and backend are on separate servers. 


Overall, the key elements that translated into the success of the website are:
- the friendly and easy-to-use layout using the drop-and-down method, 
- a variety of fields for validating data ready to be used in e-mails, the login process, or the media (PDF, video, audio, graphics), 
- a flexible text editor for building various types of content on websites



Le Polish Bureau successfully collaborated with Design Bridge and Partners to create a modern and fully customised website that meets the requirements outlined by the client. The website is responsive, cross-platform compatible, and easy to use. The Strapi CMS used provides functionalities to drive best-in-class customer experience, and the separation of the front and backend increases the security of the website. 

Design Bridge and Partners

A brand-new Design Bridge and Partners website created as a result of Superunion and Design Bridge merger.

Design Bridge and Partners website | Le Polish Bureau

Le Polish Bureau partnered with Superunion and Design Bridge and Partners to develop a brand-new and completely redesigned Design Bridge and Partners company website as a result of a merger between the two companies.

Design Bridge

Superunion

Advertising

ADC Award

“We pushed the limits of what is possible on mobile web browsers, while keeping the experience fun and easy to use. A difficult but essential art.” Maciej Zasada, Le Polish Bureau Managing Director. 

Our team partnered with [Superunion Agency](https://www.superunion.com/) to create an immersive digital experience to celebrate the artistic and cultural heritage of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li, an iconic hospitality and retail destination in Chengdu, China.

The Temple was created in collaboration with a team of international artists and launched on WeChat as a virtual gallery and exhibition space to showcase their curated products, experiences, and works. It combines motion design, technology, and artistic expression to engage global audiences in a cutting-edge and innovative brand experience. It is designed to be a sanctuary for digital arts and self-expression, a place for infinite imagination and creativity, inspired by the ancient Daci Temple. 




It is divided into three distinct areas:  The House of Light, The Blossom Garden and The Infinity Tower. 

The different rooms within The Temple offer interactive experiences inspired by the rituals of the Daci Temple, including the release of a koi, interactive singing bowls, and water meditation. 

The idea of a spiritual home outside the boundaries of time and space inspires its creative concept. The Temple's design incorporates digital art elements influenced by surrealism and invites visitors to embark on a journey of self-discovery and transformation through its use of color, texture, and form. 

The main challenge was to create motion graphics easily accessible on any device, while maintaining an extremely interactive and immersive journey on the mobile web, including custom level-loading mechanisms to manage memory consumption and optimization of game and physics logic for better performance. We also implemented a screenshot functionality, that was created in Next.js. It integrates with our canvas where all experience goes. We have adjusted all covers for screenshots and connected both sites into one image on the frontend site.

We created this experience as an HTML5 microsite using WebGL, a plugin-free technology that allows for the creation of stunning 3D visuals within a browser. The art directory, UI design, and 3D design were also on our side for all the spaces. 

The challenge was to design a digital platform to showcase the contemporary experiences of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li and celebrate its cultural heritage and unrivalled reputation as a patron and collector of the arts. Inspired by this vision, we created The Temple, an immersive virtual experience and digital art space.

Superunion: Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li

An immersive digital experience created to celebrate the artistic and cultural heritage of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li, an iconic hospitality and retail destination in Chengdu, China.

Our team partnered with Superunion Agency to create an immersive digital experience to celebrate the artistic and cultural heritage of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li, an iconic hospitality and retail destination in Chengdu, China.

Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li

The successful project for Salesforce started with our long-term partner GPJ approaching us with a request to create an interactive installation that would engage visitors and collect data on IT security practices in companies. About to premier at Salesforce Dreamforce '22 event, the project involved a challenging timeline and several technical unknowns.

This project was the perfect opportunity for us to showcase the power of our latest solution, Event5. The general idea behind Event5 is to create event software using web technologies, which allows for record production times while simultaneously reducing production costs. The solution requires only a web browser for hardware compatibility, de-risking on-site unknowns. Updates are deployed on-the-fly, as there is no need for native apps to be installed on event devices. What's more, remote testing and reviews allow for smoother and more confident production workflow between us and our clients, and need for on-site support is reduced or entirely eliminated.

Besides utilising a groundbreaking new workflow, we focused on making the questionnaire fun to use. To achieve this, we came up with a creative design and animation that led the user through a series of easy-to-answer questions.

Thanks to the approach we used, the questionnaire results and data insights were made available to the client instantly. The bespoke designed questionnaire collected valuable data on IT security practices in companies that attended the Salesforce Dreamforce '22 event. The data was then processed and aggregated, producing invaluable insights into the industry.

The event and the collaboration were handled smoothly thanks to a groundbreaking new approach of using web technologies to deliver software for event activations. Our Event5 workflow has proven to be a game changer when it comes to reliability, speed, and efficiency.

Salesforce Dreamforce

We partnered with GPJ to create an interactive installation for Salesforce Dreamforce '22 event. Our revolutionary solution, Event5, allowed us to deliver a bespoke designed and animated questionnaire in record time with no need for on-site support needed. Read the case study to find out more.

Salesforce Dreamforce | Le Polish Bureau

Thanks to Event5, our web-based event software pipeline, the questionnaire was delivered in a revolutionary time frame with no on-site support needed. The client was able to review work-in-progress results in their browser, and on-the-fly updates were deployed during the event.

Salesforce

“This activation was an absolute hit at the event, with an overwhelming response of over 500 entries. This has been our second successful implementation of the interactive questionnaire format for Salesforce, further strengthening our collaboration." Jacek Prosniak, Project Manager, Le Polish Bureau

The primary objective of the project was to create and implement an animated business IT security assessment questionnaire specifically for the Salesforce Dreamforce NYC event.

To ensure the reliability of the collected data, we integrated analytical tools that enabled us to generate informative charts. These charts not only displayed the results in a visually appealing manner but also provided cross-references to industry-specific outcomes. By presenting the data in this format, we aimed to facilitate a better understanding of security practices and vulnerabilities across different sectors.

The activation we developed was meticulously designed to captivate and engage users visually, while also providing them with an interactive experience. It offered a diverse range of questions related to company security, encompassing both single-answer options and ranking items. Through this comprehensive questionnaire, participants were able to express their perspectives on security matters effectively.

Tailored specifically for events, our activation serves as a prominent data collection platform, driving valuable insights. By utilizing QR codes displayed on out-of-home (OOH) screens, participants can easily access the activation, ensuring widespread engagement. The seamless integration of analytical tools guarantees the accuracy and quality of the collected data, enabling us to derive actionable insights.

- React.js
- Next.js
- Framer Motion
- Styled Components
- Lottie
- TypeScript
- Redux


This engaging and visually captivating activation successfully fulfilled its purpose of gathering data and insights on company security. It offered participants an opportunity to reflect on security measures, while the integration of analytical tools allowed us to present the data in a clear and meaningful way.

Salesforce Dreamforce NYC

Le Polish Bureau created and implemented an animated business IT security assessment questionnaire for the Salesforce Dreamsoft event.

Salesforce Dreamforce NYC | Le Polish Bureau

Our team partnered with Liquid City and Niantic to develop a prototype Augmented Reality experience for Niantic's Lightship Summit conference in San Francisco.

The app's goal was to serve as an inspirational demonstration of what real-world metaverse could look like, while providing tangible, useful, and fun functionality for the conference users to play with.

The event venue was over 100 meters long. It was split into several indoors section and a large terrace - all to be covered with augmentations.

We built the application in Unity and we used Niantic's ARDK to deliver next-gen AR functionality.

We wanted users to have the most seamless experience. One where they can walk across the entire venue without having to re-align the AR layer.

To achieve this, we took photogrammetry scans of multiple Points of Interest (POIs) spread uniformly across the entire site.

Next, using Niantic ARDK's Virtual Positioning System (VPS), the phone would recognise where the user is within the venue, and would align the augmentations layer accordingly.

After the initial point of reference was established, users could walk and look wherever they wanted, while the system was continuously looking for other POIs in the background, re-aligning the AR layer witout the user even noticing it.

We used various optimisation techniques to ensure that the breadth of content and its physical scale don't overload the phones. This included a custom occlusion system, clever sound batching, and proximity-based interactions.

Thanks to the centimetre-precision tracking, we were able to provide useful spatial information to the user - from insights about what buildings they're looking at, to what beverages they can find on catering tables.

Because of the dynamic nature of a live event, we developed a CMS solution that allowed our team to reposition any 3D object on the fly, without rebuilding the app.

Another way in which the AR truly helped users navigate the event was a spatial timetable. Simply looking up, the users could see what keynotes are coming up, and by following the coloured lines they could find a way to the correct stage.

In order to unleash even more potential of Augmented Reality, our team developed a system for real-time collaborative stickers.

Users could choose one of three predefined shapes - a circle, an arrow, and a heart, and stick them anywhere on top of a real-world or AR surface. Once someone added a sticker, it became visible to all other users of the app, creating a truly shared experience.

Some of the use cases included providing feedback for what users loved most in the AR world (the heart sticker), or e.g. playing hide and seek by sticking arrows that point to a specific location.

To further enrich the feeling of a shared experience, we implemented a mechanism that synchronised the movement of a large "eel" across all user devices.

The eel was designed to fly across the entire venue. Thanks to the synchronisation, users who spotted the eel could literally point to it in real life and other people could simply move their phones to the same spot to join the shared eel-spotting.

Together with Liquid City and Niantic, our team has pushed Augmented Reality to its limits, learning a lot on the way. Reach out to us if you are interested in developing a large-scale Augmented Reality experience of the future:

[office@lepolishbureau.com](mailto:office@lepolishbureau.com)

Niantic Lightship Summit

A massive-scale prototype Augmented Reality experience powering Niantic's Lightship Summit 2022 event.

Niantic Lightship Summit '22 | Le Polish Bureau

We partnered with Liquid City and Niantic to deliver a prototype Augmented Reality experience for the Lightship Summit event in San Francisco.

2020 was a turbulent time for many businesses, challenging their organization’s security, flexibility, and reliability. 

This digital-first experience demonstrates how IBM can help businesses harness the full power of their IT infrastructure, so they can increase resiliency in a time of global disruption and prepare them for whatever comes next.

The client was looking to develop something that felt unique and distinct from all their other digital activations, from a look, feel and narrative perspective. The challenge was to push the look and feel as much as possible while still remaining within IBM’s well-defined and closely adhered-to design language. The end product pushes the brand into new territory while still remaining on-brand and in line with the larger family of digital activations.

Though the products and solutions are very tech-heavy, complex and technical (infrastructure solutions/servers/IT architecture), we wanted to appeal to the more human side of the products and brand, and connect with users on an emotional level. Which was the driving force behind the name and approach of ‘Backbone & Brains.’ 

The gem structure itself has a very organic, warm, ‘of the earth’ tactile quality while also feeling innovative and futuristic. The language and storytelling were also built to be conversational, casual, and free of buzzwords. The music and sound design also drive this sense of humanity. The editorial section provides more detailed, technical specs and education to complement the more abstract, high-level main experience. All pieces and parts work together to create a welcoming environment that builds intrigue rather than going for the hard sell. 

**Use of light/shadow/illumination**: The central avatar of the experience – “the gem” – is designed to represent two distinct but integrated elements (backbone/infrastructure and brains/expertise) that come together to support our audience’s business. There are some details and nuances that were employed in the experience to demonstrate the integration of these two parts. One standout feature/element is the use of illumination to represent the ‘brains’ at the core of the gem, which is a nod to the talented IBM consultants and experts who bring these products and capabilities to their audience. As the user interacts, they’ll see glimmers of light shining from the core and reflecting across the gem’s surfaces, showcasing this constant support of people–always there to help guide customers and answer any questions they have about these infrastructure solutions.


**Background textures and easter eggs**: Within the main experience, users can choose to explore all 3 products/solutions or just focus on specific ones. If they decide to explore all three, there is a detail right before they transition to the editorial section that reveals subtle textures of the product they selected up front within the background – a nod to the exterior details of each server and storage product. This is only visible to users who explore all three products within the main experience, as a way to transition them from the abstract 3D portion to the more concrete 2D ‘deep dive’ (featuring the actual products behind all these capabilities), so it is a bit of an easter egg moment.

To turn this ambitious vision and design into reality, we developed a responsive HTML5 experience hosted on auto-scaling IBM Cloud Foundry. The three-dimensional part featuring `the gem` was powered by WebGL and the Three.js framework, while the `deep dive` editorial content as well as general user interface were written in React and styled-components. The structure of the website, all copy, images and several configuration options are controlled by an underlying CMS developed with Strapi.

The web experience pushes the boundaries of what’s possible on the web in multiple ways. In order to push performance to the maximum, we used Next.js with incremental static regeneration (ISR). It made the initial page render of our CMS-driven website pretty much instantaneous while allowing for quick content edits and improved SEO.

The majority of the 3D visuals were generated programmatically. The `gem`, being the main character in the story and a basis for all three mini-games, used a single base 3D model exported as .glb from 3ds Max. All its shape variations were generated programmatically - we converted the model into a single BufferGeometry at runtime with fragments managed by GLSL shaders to animate its smaller pieces.

To achieve smooth 60 FPS rendering of all the effects and animations across a wide range of devices, we combined a large number of GLSL shaders into a single rendering pipeline, using a single canvas. We developed a post-processing pipeline consisting of 3 scenes and 5 EffectComposers. The first Scene and EffectComposer were responsible for the generative background with GLSL shaders for occlusion, saturation, brightness control, and lighting effects. The second Scene and EffectComposer handled strobe lights with GLSL shaders of glow and luminosity. Next scenes and composers handled tasks like blending other scenes, the `gem’s` volumetric lighting effects, mini-games rendering, animated gradients with noise and screen-space ambient occlusion (SSAA) to give extra sharpness to the final render.

Despite its highly creative and interactive style, the IBM: Backbone & Brains website's content is largely editable and configurable through a CMS.

Our team has implemented a bespoke solution based on [Strapi](http://strapi.io/) and has customized it to the project's needs.
Not only the copy, instructional prompts, and case studies were editable, but also technical aspects of the experience like supported device parameters, minimum frame rate, or browser versions required.

With the experience premiering at [IBM Think](https://www.ibm.com/events/think/), we needed to ensure that the hosting infrastructure can endure extreme traffic spikes. With that in mind, we have set up an autoscaling server on IBM Cloud Foundry. But we haven't stopped at the platform. We have also implemented Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) with [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) that allowed us to combine the benefits of server-side rendering for optimized SEO and quick loading times with the flexibility of live website control through the CMS.

At Le Polish Bureau we implement the *Infrastructure as Code* paradigm. Instead of manual server setup, we use [Terraform](https://www.terraform.io/) to spin it up from code and configuration committed to a git repository. Thanks to such an approach, not only we reduce the risk of human error, but we also improve security.

For example, the database password is generated randomly by Terraform and is set as a secret in Bitbucket Repository Variables, also by Terraform. This means that none of our developers ever see the password that allows for database access, while our Continuous Deployment pipeline is able to read it.

Furthermore, because all the infrastructure code and configuration is committed to git, the infrastructure as code approach allows us to revert breaking changes simply by rolling back to an earlier git commit.

Launched at IBM Think 2021 along with several other digital activations, the story and design/look and feel helped the activation stand out while remaining aligned to the larger IBM narrative around hybrid cloud.

**Results**:
- 84% engagement rate at Think 2021, exceeding IBM benchmark by 25%
- 84% completion rate at Think 2021, exceeding IBM benchmark by 34%
- This activation also had the longest average time spent, which was more than 3 minutes on the day of the live broadcast, over 2x the cumulative average of all activations.

Experience IBM: Backbone & Brains yourself:
[ibm.com/resources/activations/backbone-brains](https://www.ibm.com/resources/activations/backbone-brains)

IBM: Backbone & Brains

An interactive, audio-visual digital experience showcasing the beauty of a business operating at its peak, with the help of IBM IT Infrastructure solutions.

IBM: Backbone & Brains | Le Polish Bureau

Our team partnered with IBM and GPJ to design and develop an interactive, audio-visual digital experience showcasing the beauty of a business operating at its peak, with the help of IBM IT Infrastructure solutions.

Superunion approached us with a collaboration to create a new and completely redesigned global company website - superunion.com.

The project was launched in July 2022 across several markets: United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and China.

Superunion wanted to combine cutting-edge creativity with ease of use. This ambition is best demonstrated on the landing page which is visually divided into two parts - one being dedicated to organised information consumption, and the other one, a.k.a. "the dark side", to organic exploration.

The website remains clean, quick, and easy to navigate, while rewarding the user with omnipresent micro-interactions and UI animations.

The entire website is made of modules - each developed in isolation using [Storybook](https://storybook.js.org/). The entire project consists of over 100 of those individually tested, responsive units.

A global agency website requires ultimate customisability and control. We implemented a bespoke CMS solution based on Strapi that allows our client to not only modify the content of existing pages, but also create completely new ones, as well as localise the content into multiple languages.

Our technical team has designed the architecture of the website with SEO in mind. Using Next.js with Server-Side Rendering (SSR), incremental static regeneration, and best HTML practices allowed us to achieve an unprecedented SEO score of 100%.

Our DevOps team has provided a state of the art auto-scaling hosting solution based on Google Cloud Platform that is capable of sustaining any traffic. Clever technical architecture where the data from the CMS is fetched at a constant-interval server-side and rendered into a static version of the website decouples traffic from CMS and database load, resulting in drastic hosting cost reduction.

Experience the website yourself at [superunion.com](https://superunion.com).

Superunion.com

New global site for Superunion developed in React, Next.js, and hosted on Google Cloud.

Superunion | Le Polish Bureau

We worked closely with Superunion to turn their design into a working version of their new global site.

On July 16th, 1969, millions of people gathered around their televisions to watch Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin take flight from Kennedy Space Center aboard Apollo 11. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic moon launch, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Foundation wanted to introduce today’s generation to President Kennedy’s vision for the space program and this pivotal moment in history. So, in partnership with Digitas, we created JFK Moonshot, an Augmented Reality app that enables people to experience the events surrounding the Apollo 11 mission in an immersive way.

JFK Moonshot is an Augmented Reality journey to the Moon and back, created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. - Jakub Jakubowski, Game Director, UNIT9

We built an interactive documentary app that let users learn about the Moon launch and re-live the Apollo 11 mission in Augmented Reality. Using the latest Augmented Reality technology on an enormous scale, we created a simulation of a life-size Saturn V, a replica of the rocket that launched Apollo 11 into space.

JFK Moonshot hit the app store on June 12th and was officially launched at a symposium at the JFK Space Summit a few weeks later. On July 16th, exactly 50 years to the day of the moon launch, users could experience a virtual Moon launch in the app and follow the spacecraft’s five-day journey from the Earth to the Moon from anywhere in the world.

We used latest [AR Kit](https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/) and [AR Core](https://developers.google.com/ar) tracking capabilities, both markerless and marker-based, to deliver highest quality Augmented Reality experience. 

Whether they remember watching the Moon launch or were learning about it for the first time, we made a historic event accessible to people of all ages. The app honored President Kennedy’s forward-thinking vision and rounded out a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Moonshot.

In the end, we introduced a new generation to an important moment in history using the latest and greatest technology—which was once just as unthinkable as putting a man on the Moon was 50 years ago.

Download links: [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/app/id1460242290#?platform=ipad) / [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jfk.moonshot)

JFK: Moonshot

JFK: Moonshot | Le Polish Bureau

We developed an AR application that allowed people to re-experience the moon landing live, all around the world. A combination of quality asset integration, game development, real-time multiplayer and educational app.

Digitas Boston

Bentley wanted to celebrate its 100th birthday by reflecting on a century of luxury excellence and looking ahead to the future.

So we partnered with UNIT9 and helped them create an interactive, mobile-first, interactive 3D website that showcased the car in it's purest visual form.

We smoothly combined the exterior with interior visualisation, allowing the user to instantly switch between their desired points of view.

The website was developer as mobile-first, ensuring that not only the car looks stunning and the animations are smooth on handheld devices, but also that the entire UX makes sense for smaller screens.

We have built the website in React and used [THREE.js](https://threejs.org/) as the 3D engine.

60 FPS, insane interactivity and fast loading combined with the looks of the Bentley concept car resulted in an unforgettable digital experience.

Bentley Centenary

Bentley Centenary | Le Polish Bureau

We collaborated with UNIT9 to create a website that represented a Bentley concept car as it is - beautifully stunning and smooth. And we did it across mobile, tablet and desktop.

Bentley

Automotive

It is our unique recipe in which we are a partner who can lead whilst adapting to your specific needs. A process that we have refined through working on creative projects with incredibly tight turnarounds and rapidly changing scopes, all with our characteristic agility, precision and reliability.

Process

Le Polish Bureau is a <a href="https://unit9.com" target="_blank">UNIT9</a> Company with its headquarters in Lodz, Poland.

We are a strong team of 30+ engineers and creatives with access to the rest of the Group's talent pool if needed.

Capabilities

Process

We follow a strict production process that results in quality, efficiency and transparency at every step.

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