We wanted to help people feel connected to their loved ones during the holidays - no matter where in the world they may be. We needed a simple, memorable experience. The insight was that we may not be under the same roof with loved ones over the holidays, but we are all under the same sky. “Written in the Stars” is a mobile-first messaging site created to share greetings, quite literally, written in the sky.
By visiting http://stars.akqa.com on an iOS device, you can write and send your message via SMS, email or social media. Recipients explore the sky to reveal the message in the stars, guided through the experience by visual prompts and audio cues from an interactive soundtrack created by Massive Attack. Constellations form letters made of digital stardust, revealed based on each device's orientation and location, so every message is truly original.
Built using several HTML5 API’s – Web Audio, Canvas, and Device Orientation – the entire experience lives in a mobile web browser, so there are no extra steps or app downloads required. To create a more robust experience, a 360° night sky was created and optimized for mobile web browsers. Via the gyroscope and accelerometer, a user’s device orientation directly affects both audio and visual components of the experience.
Among numerous messages sent, there were two marriage proposals. Matches made in heavens indeed.