Aer Studios, the creative technology firm based near Bath, has won a major tech sector award for its groundbreaking immersive experience workplace e-training tool.
The gamification project, called The Data Escape Room, landed the BIMA Award in recognition of its industry-first, innovative design.
Designed to enhance data literacy among professionals through an engaging and interactive escape room format, the learning experience is aimed at fostering collaboration and critical thinking in a challenging and entertaining environment.
It replaces standard eLearning with a real-time, multiplayer, remote session where participants use data literacy skills to solve problems and ‘escape’ from imaginative challenges and scenarios.
The Data Escape Room has so far trained more than 400 people, clocking up 1,200-plus hours of learning, with organisations using it reporting a substantial increase in data literacy.
Now Box-based Aer Studios will have to wait until the BIMA Awards ceremony in London on 21 November to find out whether it has been awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold and in which category.
Established in 1985, the BIMA Awards are the UK’s longest-running tech awards. They recognise great strides made by big and small businesses in the British digital sector.
Aer Studios managing director Tom Harber said the agency was “incredibly honoured” to receive the award.
“This recognition underscores our commitment to producing meaningful digital experiences and impactful solutions that master aesthetic appeal, technical execution, and interactivity,” he added.
“We believe that data literacy is vital for the workforce of the future, and The Data Escape Room is at the forefront of this revolution. It brings together the best of Aer Studios’ creative craft and technical rigour."
The Data Escape Room head of product Phil Greenwood said the tool had made a significant impact to its customers and the way they thought about and use data.
“Staff who have taken part are more confident in how they use data and have demonstrated greater levels of scrutiny and challenge,” he added.
“We have also seen learners apply the lessons from their experience to change the measures they use to be more outcome-focused and improve the way they visualise and present data outputs.”
Aer Studios describes itself as being on a mission is to create meaningful digital experiences that have a positive impact on people and planet.
Its partners with leading brands in the public and private sectors and has clients ranging from Warner Media, Cartoon Network and the BBC to Dogs Trust, Diabetes UK and Gov.UK.
In July it became one of only seven agencies to win a coveted place on the BBC’s digital design roster following a hotly contested pitch involving many of the world’s best user UX (user experience) and design agencies.
For the next four years it will work in close collaboration with the BBC UX&D team across its entire digital estate, with a focus on young audiences and learning.
