50 years of Expresso, 50 years of Portuguese and world history.
As the senior designer responsible for the UX, UI, and 3D visual space of the "Expresso 50 Anos" metaverse, my goal was to create an immersive digital experience that allows visitors to journey through five decades of news that shaped both Portugal and the world. This project was a key part of Expresso's 50th anniversary celebrations, where the metaverse served as a digital extension of the newspaper's traveling exhibition.
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Key Features
For the "Expresso 50 Anos" metaverse, I designed an immersive 3D visual space that serves as a digital exhibition, allowing users to explore five decades of history through the newspaper’s iconic covers. The experience is divided into five themed rooms, each representing a decade of Expresso’s history, showcasing the most significant front pages. These covers are interactive, allowing users to dive deeper into key stories, accompanied by audio narrations from Expresso journalists and background music that captures the essence of each era.At the heart of the space is a central amphitheater, designed for intuitive navigation between rooms.
The interface was crafted to be minimalistic yet functional, ensuring accessibility across multiple platforms, from computers to smartphones and VR headsets. I aimed to create a visually captivating yet user-friendly environment that reflects the innovative spirit of Expresso, while also making it easy for visitors to explore the content. The design brings together interactivity, education, and historical storytelling, tailored to serve the goals of the project—commemorating 50 years of journalism in a modern, engaging format.
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Other features
In addition to the core exhibition, I designed several key features to enhance the project’s objectives of celebrating Expresso’s 50 years in an engaging way. A virtual gallery at the entrance introduces users to Expresso’s history with curated photos and videos, setting the stage for deeper exploration. Audio narrations from journalists and era-specific music were integrated to bring the front pages to life, creating a more immersive and emotional experience.
The metaverse is optimized for cross-platform accessibility, ensuring that users can interact with the exhibition on any device, from computers to VR headsets. The central amphitheater, which I designed as a hub, provides intuitive access to each decade’s room, guiding users effortlessly through the experience. The UI was crafted to be clean and distraction-free, focusing on smooth exploration and interaction. These design elements were crucial in fulfilling the project’s goal of delivering an interactive, immersive journey through 50 years of Expresso’s impact on journalism and history.
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Why should you try it?
The metaverse offers a unique and immersive way to experience 50 years of history. Rather than simply reading about past events, users can interact with iconic front pages, listen to journalists recount key moments, and explore historical milestones in a visually rich 3D space. It’s more than just a digital exhibition—it’s an interactive journey through Portugal’s and the world’s major events, all brought to life through sound, visuals, and narrative.
Designed for accessibility across devices, it allows anyone to engage with the content, whether on a computer, smartphone, or through VR for a fully immersive experience. The user-friendly interface ensures seamless navigation, making it enjoyable for both casual visitors and history enthusiasts. By combining education, interactivity, and immersion, this metaverse stands out as a dynamic way to connect with Expresso’s legacy and explore journalism’s role who shaping history.
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Result
This project achieved remarkable engagement, with 2.7K visits to the event through augmented reality and Meta Quest headsets, primarily in select areas of Lisbon and at the Impresa office. This result highlights the success of combining immersive technology with historical storytelling. The use of AR and VR allowed visitors to fully experience the exhibition, providing a deeper connection to the content and making the event more memorable.
The strong turnout, especially in key locations like Lisbon and within the office of Expresso’s parent company, demonstrated how innovative formats like metaverse exhibitions can attract diverse audiences. It also showed the effectiveness of augmented reality in driving user interaction and engagement with cultural and historical content.
