01 / DATA
Live earthquake data
Current earthquake information is brought into a purpose-built interface rather than sending viewers between unrelated services.
IceQuakes / Custom digital platform
Live earthquake monitoring, built from the ground up.
A purpose-built monitoring interface created for Volcoholics to make live Iceland earthquake activity clearer, faster to read and useful during continuous coverage.
The problem
Generic maps were not built for the job.
Volcoholics needed a monitoring view designed around the way Iceland is actually watched during periods of increased seismic activity.
The aim was not to add technology for the sake of it. The map needed to make current earthquake activity easy to understand at a glance, remain useful during long live-monitoring sessions and fit naturally into the wider Volcoholics platform.
The build
One interface, built around live information.
02 / MAP
Custom mapping
The map presentation and self-hosted map tiles were developed to give the project control over appearance, coverage and readability.
03 / CONTEXT
Location logic
Events are presented with useful local context so viewers can understand where activity is occurring without having to interpret raw coordinates.
04 / MONITOR
Operational tools
Latest-event highlighting, swarm information and monitoring-focused interface decisions support continuous use during active periods.
Why custom?
Built to do a job, not decorate a portfolio.
An off-the-shelf embed would have been easier. It would also have meant accepting someone else’s layout, priorities and limitations.
IceQuakes is an example of the other side of BuiltSocial: knowing when an existing tool is enough, and knowing when a project genuinely benefits from something purpose-built.
The same thinking applies on much smaller projects too. The best solution might be a custom stock manager, an automated workflow or one awkward recurring task finally made simple.
What BuiltSocial delivered
A monitoring tool with a real job to do.
Live earthquake dataCustom mapping interfaceSelf-hosted map tilesLocation labellingLatest-event highlightingSwarm informationResponsive interface24/7 monitoring use
Need something that doesn’t come off the shelf?
Sometimes the useful bit needs building. Tell me what the problem is and we’ll work out the simplest sensible way to solve it.