Bringing Sustainability to Life Through Animation
Bumbuku Creatives developed a short 2D animation for HorizonDECADES, an EU-funded project exploring sustainable chemical production through Deep-Eutectic Solvents (DESs). Our role was to transform a complex scientific topic into a clear and accessible visual story, helping the DECADES team communicate their mission to broader audiences.
CLIENT – LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITY HANNOVER / HorizonDECADES PROJECT
Explaining invisible chemical processes in a visually engaging way posed both technical and creative challenges. We needed to simplify highly abstract science without distorting the message, all while keeping the animation under two minutes and understandable to non-expert viewers.
Creating a concise, visually clean animation that introduces DESs as a breakthrough in green chemistry. Framed around the environmental cost of everyday materials, the video links the scientific mission of DECADES to the broader goal of transforming chemical industries.
Framing DESs as a real-world solution for cleaner chemistry, the animation helped DECADES communicate its relevance beyond academia. It supported outreach and aligned the project with key UN Sustainable Development Goals: Industry (9), Consumption (12), and Climate Action (13).
The DECADES project is a four-year EU-funded research initiative focused on making the chemical industry more sustainable through the use of Deep-Eutectic Solvents (DESs). These alternative solvents offer a less toxic, more environmentally responsible path forward for biotechnological processes—but are largely unknown outside of specialist circles. DECADES needed a way to make their work visible, understandable, and relevant to broader audiences.
Bumbuku Creatives was brought in to create a short animated film that could introduce the project, its mission, and the promise of DESs in under two minutes. One of the main challenges was the abstract nature of the subject matter: DESs and catalytic processes happen at the molecular level and have no natural visuals. Rather than force literal representations, we leaned on visual metaphor, clarity, and pacing to explain the problem and the innovation at stake.
The DECADES project is a four-year EU-funded research initiative focused on making the chemical industry more sustainable through the use of Deep-Eutectic Solvents (DESs). These alternative solvents offer a less toxic, more environmentally responsible path forward for biotechnological processes—but are largely unknown outside of specialist circles. DECADES needed a way to make their work visible, understandable, and relevant to broader audiences.
Bumbuku Creatives was brought in to create a short animated film that could introduce the project, its mission, and the promise of DESs in under two minutes. One of the main challenges was the abstract nature of the subject matter: DESs and catalytic processes happen at the molecular level and have no natural visuals. Rather than force literal representations, we leaned on visual metaphor, clarity, and pacing to explain the problem and the innovation at stake.
The animation begins with a question—“Did you know everything we use has a hidden cost?”—to position the chemical industry’s environmental impact in everyday terms. From there, it leads viewers into the world of DESs and the role of DECADES in researching them as a scalable solution. The goal wasn’t to overwhelm, but to frame complex science in a way that feels relevant, urgent, and hopeful.
To support the animation, we also designed two complementary posters. One serves as a visual summary of the DECADES project—highlighting its core concepts, environmental goals, and methodology. The second poster introduces DESs themselves, using illustration and simplified explanations to support communication at events and presentations. Both posters were created to be reused across different platforms, serving as practical, versatile tools for the DECADES team.
The animation begins with a question—“Did you know everything we use has a hidden cost?”—to position the chemical industry’s environmental impact in everyday terms. From there, it leads viewers into the world of DESs and the role of DECADES in researching them as a scalable solution. The goal wasn’t to overwhelm, but to frame complex science in a way that feels relevant, urgent, and hopeful.
To support the animation, we also designed two complementary posters. One serves as a visual summary of the DECADES project—highlighting its core concepts, environmental goals, and methodology. The second poster introduces DESs themselves, using illustration and simplified explanations to support communication at events and presentations. Both posters were created to be reused across different platforms, serving as practical, versatile tools for the DECADES team.
The final package—animation + posters—gave the DECADES team an accessible, visually engaging way to share their work across stakeholder meetings, scientific events, and public outreach channels. It reinforced the project’s positioning not only within the scientific community but also within global sustainability efforts.
This collaboration demonstrated how thoughtful storytelling and design can support projects that might otherwise remain too technical to gain visibility. For Bumbuku, it was a reminder of how much good science needs good storytelling to move forward.
The final package—animation + posters—gave the DECADES team an accessible, visually engaging way to share their work across stakeholder meetings, scientific events, and public outreach channels. It reinforced the project’s positioning not only within the scientific community but also within global sustainability efforts.
This collaboration demonstrated how thoughtful storytelling and design can support projects that might otherwise remain too technical to gain visibility. For Bumbuku, it was a reminder of how much good science needs good storytelling to move forward.
Did you know that everything we use has a hidden cost? The chemical industry plays a major role in our daily lives, but its sustainability can be improved. Through innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship, the DECADES project is paving the way for a greener future.
This project contributes to 3 SDGs and as Bumbuku we are trilled to be part of these goals.
