about Client
Hydropolis: Water Knowledge Centre website
Hydropolis is a unique water knowledge centre that combines educational values with modern forms of exhibition. Hydropolis is also an exceptional example of the revitalization of a post-industrial facility. The exhibition devoted to water is located in a 19th century underground clean water reservoir.
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Project hours:
450-500
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Main technology:
WordPress
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Services:
Web design & development
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Intgrations:
Cesium Platform
Introduction
Hydropolis is a unique water knowledge centre that combines educational values with modern forms of exhibition. The exhibition devoted to water is located in a 19th century underground clean water reservoir. Sounds"nerdy"? Good. This is what we (the developers) call entertainment.
We have been working for Hydropolis since the very beginning of its existence. Our first project was completed in 2015. Four years after the launch of the first website, we were asked for a redesign. We are more than happy when our clients stay with us. So, in 2019 we were again involved in the Hydropolis web design project. The client wanted to keep up with the web trends and add some new information about the exhibition, which has grown enormously meanwhile.
The starting point for the project
In 2015 we delivered a quite simple website as, at that time, most of the attractions weren't known yet. To pair with the pictures of the exhibition interiors, we decided on a design that was rather dark, which turned out to be a good decision.
In 2019 the client decided to continue our work in that direction. We received a collection of beautiful photos of the exhibits and were asked to help in the visual presentation of the exhibition's highlights. The biggest challenge was to figure out which features on the website would be useful for visitors and how to visualise the beauty of the exhibition without revealing too much...
The goals and perspective at the start of the project:
- a fresh web design that reflects the exhibition's highlights
- new copywriting and new content architecture
- easy UX and features that would be useful for visitors
- accessibility and a good page speed rate
- integration with the external booking and sales system
The Approach
We started with marketing workshops that lasted three days and involved employees from different departments, such as marketing, IT, and customer support. Thanks to those people, we were able to collect some information about the Hydropolis visitors. We divided them into several groups and were able to address the content to each group specifically. That is why you can access such subpages as FOR VISITORS, FOR SCHOOLS, FOR COMPANIES.
During those workshops, together with the client, we chose the most popular Hydropolis attractions and we decided to put them at the center of the homepage. That is why you can see a 360-degree Earth model, Water Printer, Bathyscaphe, and Snow Simulator at the top of the homepage.
Tech-wise, the biggest challenge was the integration with the external booking and sales system. The ticket shopping platform was already connected to the gate system inside the building. We managed to integrate it via API and fetch all the information about available tickets. We knew that visitors want to have easy access to information about the ticket limits, so we came up with an idea for a solution that will be described in the next paragraph.
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Grand Earthmodel 360
The giant Earthmodel is a central attraction of the exhibition. We were inspired by this exhibit, so we decided to recreate it on the website. The homepage starts with the Earthmodel, programmed in 360-degree view technology. Every pin tells an interesting fact about the Earth. This way we gave users a small taste of the entire exhibition experience.
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Ticket limit information
We created this small feature thanks to the integration with the external booking and sales system. The website fetches the information about the available tickets and displays it to the visitors. That way, as a user, you know how many slots are available at a desired hour and you can easily plan your visit with your family, friends, class, etc.
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Interactive exhibition map
The exhibition includes 7 permanent thematic zones, cyclical temporary exhibitions, a special zone for children, and a relaxation zone. Our interactive map enables users to discover places where multimedia, interactive installations, and technologies show the potential of water in cities, the depths, the atmosphere, and also in the human body.
Results
With the refreshed design, new features and enhanced storytelling, we managed to give Hydropolis a more powerful digital presence. Our cooperation with the client is ongoing, including a maintenance agreement and new ventures.
Go to website: https://hydropolis.pl/en/
