This project demonstrates my ability to translate complex systems into clear communication, prioritize relevant information, and adapt explanations to a specific audience. It also showcases my skills as a content creator as I have created every graphics and animations presented in the videos and the photos come from my previous work at Arctic Adventure Tours. In conclusion, this project reflects an approach to communication that combines structure, scientific curiosity, practical understanding, and content creation skills.
Utfordring
This project is based on a real-life experience from my time working at Arctic Adventure Tours, where one of my tasks was to guide northern lights tours. Explaining how the northern lights work involves abstract concepts such as magnetic reconnection, particle density, and solar wind speed. While this topic is widely discussed, most explanations tend to fall into two extremes: either too simplified to be useful, or too technical to be easily understood.
This project explores how to translate a complex scientific phenomenon into a clear and accessible explanation for future northern light chasers. The challenge was to find the right balance between scientific accuracy, clarity, and practical usefulness. The goal was not only to explain how the phenomenon works, but also to help the audience understand how to interpret key parameters in real-world conditions.
Process
The final outcome is a short-form video designed to explain not only how the northern lights are formed, but how to read and interpret the phenomenon. The content focuses on clarity, logical structure, and relevance, using simple language while preserving key scientific principles.
I approached this as a communication problem rather than a purely creative or educational piece. The focus was on identifying which elements of the system actually matter for understanding aurora behavior, and structuring them in a way that builds progressively from basic concepts to applied interpretation.
A key decision was to move beyond the commonly used KP index, which is often misunderstood, and instead highlight parameters that are more relevant for interpreting aurora activity in northern regions. Concepts such as magnetic reconnection (through the Bz value) and real-time magnetic field disturbances (via magnetometer data) were introduced in a simplified but accurate way, allowing the viewer to connect theory with observation.
Marilee Goulet - Spesialist i visuell kommunikasjon 