ESA – Solar Eclipses Platform Design & Web Experience
Client
ESA
Country
Europe
Year
2026
About the project
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain, FECYT, ONCE, and CCATE, commissioned Morpheon to design and build the outreach section of a digital platform dedicated to the Solar Eclipse Trio (2026–2028). These events will be among the most significant astronomical phenomena visible across the Iberian Peninsula in decades, attracting millions of observers. The goal was to create a platform that makes complex scientific content accessible, visual, and engaging for a wide audience.
Challenges & goals
The challenge was to translate complex astronomical data into a clear and engaging digital experience for a wide audience. The platform needed to balance institutional credibility with usability, while remaining performant, scalable, and easy to manage under high traffic peaks.
Testimonial
Challenges & goals
The challenge was to translate complex astronomical data into a clear and engaging digital experience for a wide audience. The platform needed to balance institutional credibility with usability, while remaining performant, scalable, and easy to manage under high traffic peaks.
Our solution
Brand Identity
A dedicated identity was created with logo, typography, and colour system designed for clarity, consistency, and digital use across all touchpoints.
UI/UX Design
The platform was designed in Figma with a strong focus on clarity and navigation. Complex content such as events, observation points, and educational materials was structured into intuitive, accessible flows.
Web App Development
We developed a responsive web platform integrating Google Maps API for geolocated observation points, along with user submission features for events and media. The architecture was built to remain efficient while supporting large-scale usage.
Infrastructure & DevOps
We implemented a scalable infrastructure designed to absorb high traffic peaks during major events. The setup includes optimised asset delivery, caching layers, and a clean deployment pipeline to ensure fast load times, stability, and consistent performance under load.
Performance & Security
We applied optimisation techniques including lazy loading, compression, and caching, alongside secure configurations such as SSL and controlled access layers.
Impact & results
A scalable platform ready to support millions of users during major astronomical events.
Creative direction
The direction behind this site starts from one powerful idea: turning an astronomical event into something emotional, almost ritualistic. Deep, dark tones paired with halos of light and subtle gradients recreate the actual feel of an eclipse, pulling the user into that atmosphere from the first scroll. A circular composition runs through the whole interface, not as decoration but as a direct nod to the solar phenomenon itself, tying the visual language together. The typography, spaced and elegant, adds to that sense of a historic, momentous event, keeping the tone scientific without losing accessibility. On the UX side, the site balances the educational with the inspirational, walking users from understanding the phenomenon to actually taking part (events, maps, observation), using micro-interactions and clear hierarchies that never break the aesthetic. Tools like the interactive map and calendar add real, practical value without stepping outside the visual identity. Altogether, the Trio of Eclipses is positioned as more than an astronomical event, it becomes a cultural, collective one, building anticipation and a genuine sense of community.
