Interactive Timeline Mannheim

The city of Mannheim in southwest Germany has set out on its way to implement the 17 development goals defined in the United Nations’ Sustainability Agenda and make a contribution for a fairer and more sustainable world. Together with the city’s council, citizens and political representatives have devised a mission statement to describe what the ideal Mannheim is supposed to look like in 2030.

Interactive multi-touch timeline presents transformation process

As partner for the development of interactive digital applications, Garamantis was commissioned with the realization of a customized multi-touch software in a corporate design. The result is an interactive timeline that continually follows and visualizes the transformation process and its milestones. It collects and presents the past achievements while at the same time showing the path yet to be travelled in the future. Therefore, this timeline plays an important part in the communication process of civic participation.

At the city’s New Year’s reception on 6 January 2019, hosted by Mayor Dr Peter Kurz, the multi-touch software was presented for the first time to a wider audience of around 9,000 people. The timeline was displayed on an Ultra HD multi-touch screen suspended from the ceiling, where it could be explored by several people at once. Past and future milestones are displayed on a timeline, and touching the timeline reveals related media content such as images, videos and text.

The timeline is as flexible and up-to-date as the transformation process itself. Using a web-based CMS, content and results can be uploaded and schedules and milestones updated at any time. The multi-touch software can also be used to add additional timelines, making it a useful universal presentation tool for other projects in the city.

Photos: Andreas Henn