Powering the Future of Australia

Bringing the GenCost report to life through clear, accessible communication so Australians can understand the pathways ahead.

Client & Context

CSIRO engaged Redboat to create an accessible explanation of the GenCost report, a nationally significant analysis comparing the costs of electricity generation and storage technologies. The report informs government, industry, and the public, but its technical nature and political sensitivity make it difficult to communicate clearly. CSIRO required a neutral, trustworthy animation to support briefings, presentations, and public releases.

Challenge

GenCost includes complex modelling, economic assumptions, and cost projections that are easily misunderstood or misinterpreted. The challenge was to simplify key concepts without compromising scientific accuracy.

Specific objectives included:

Explaining capital cost, levelised cost, and firming in clear, simple language.
Presenting information in a calm, factual, and apolitical tone.
Supporting CSIRO’s role as an independent authority in a contested national conversation.
Providing flexible content suitable for media, stakeholders, and social channels.

Redboat’s Approach

Redboat worked closely with CSIRO’s economists and science communicators to unpack the technical modelling and identify areas where audiences typically struggle. Through a detailed discovery process, we mapped risks, clarified sensitivities, and shaped a script that balanced precision with simplicity. A lifecycle approach guided the process from story structure to final visual design, with multiple expert reviews ensuring the framing remained neutral and evidence based.

The solution

Redboat delivered a concise explainer animation that introduces the purpose of GenCost, outlines the major cost concepts, and shows how technologies are compared over time. Clean, neutral visuals helped maintain objectivity while making abstract ideas easy to follow. The animation was produced in landscape, square, and vertical formats, with additional GIFs for social media and stakeholder use.

Results & Impact

The animation provided CSIRO with a clear, reliable way to introduce GenCost across multiple platforms. It made complex concepts far easier for leaders, industry groups, and media to grasp, strengthening CSIRO’s ability to communicate in a consistent and confident way. Early feedback indicated the animation reduced confusion and improved understanding among non technical audiences.

Why it matters

Energy is one of Australia’s most important and contested policy areas, and public understanding directly influences national decision making. By making the GenCost report accessible, Redboat helped improve the quality of conversation about Australia’s energy future.

The project:

Increased understanding of how energy costs are assessed.
Reduced the risk of misinterpretation in political or media contexts.
Strengthened CSIRO’s role as a trusted, independent voice in the energy transition.
Delivered scalable content that can support ongoing educational and stakeholder engagement.