Decimal’s immersive digital experience for Long Lead tells the contemplative tale of freediving

Occupying a unique editorial space, story studio and editorial journalists Long Lead produce and publish original stories; reporting on remarkable tales and collaborating with eminent writers, designers, filmmakers and photographers. Looking to bring a new endeavour to life, Long Lead turned to NYC-based design and technology studio Decimal to develop the interactive digital space for them to fully showcase the depth of the tale.

Titled ‘The Depths She’ll Reach,’ Long Lead worked with writer Xan Rice to tell the story of Alenka Artnik, opening up a conversation around mental health through her own suicidal intentions and inner turmoil. Having found herself grief-stricken and alone on a bridge in 2010, looking down at what could be, a decade on Artnik is now the world’s number one female freediver – continually setting and breaking her own records.

Alongside audio of Artnik herself discussing the matter, as well as Rice’s in-depth and poetic storytelling, filmmaker Daan Verhoeven cinematically follows Artnik on her record-breaking – single breath – plunge. With so much to consider and respond to, both respectfully and creatively, Decimal collaborated with designer and developer Jacky Myint to combine these multi-media pieces into a comprehensive exploration of mental health and elite athleticism.

Compelling and utterly immersive, the end result sees linear storytelling combined with thoughtful typographic know-how to create a delicate, powerful and, importantly, attentive experience. One that sees content in harmony with composition, and storytelling optimised through intuitive technical features – the interface of which finds its aesthetic and conceptual influence in the vertical ropes used in freediving.

Providing the practical grounding for the graphic success of the project is Decimal’s astute selection of typefaces; with the studio opting for CoType’s Aeonik in support of GT Super Display from Grilli Type. “We were looking for a display font that felt elegant, delicate and that had an optimistic voice to match the story's tone,” Decimal tell us, “we were interested in using a serif font that wasn't too rigid,” they add, finding constructional poetry between the typefaces curving forms and Arnik’s aquatic movements.

Decimal

Long Lead

The Depths She'll Reach