Imaginet created a visually stunning and creative touch screen interface, married to a highly functional back-end, to promote South Wales' heritage with over 20 touchscreens across the area.
Background
The Herian project was launched in 2003, to develop a coordinated approach to heritage development, throughout Industrial South Wales. With a number of objectives, the organisation aims to encourage appreciation, participation, conservation and enhancement of cultural assets in South Wales and improve heritage tourism in the area.
Requirements
To help achieve the aims and objectives, the project required a network of information points throughout Industrial South Wales, supported by a public access web site, which would:
- Provide information relating to the rich heritage and culture of the area in an accessible and open way
- Encourage visitors (and potential visitors) to the area to plan their itinerary via the kiosks and website, by the innovative use of mapping technology, interfaced to a rich data source
- Encourage “return visits” both to the region and the website to help deepen the disseminated knowledge and interest in the heritage of the region
Solution
Imaginet created a solution that marries a superb front-end design for the kiosk and website, with a highly functional back-end system. Key features include:
- A highly visual and appealing kiosk interface and website, which reflects the Herian brand and enhance the Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Key content and functionality is highlighted clearly throughout, so that kiosk users can find information quickly and easily
- A web content management system drives both the kiosk network and website, ensuring optimum use of bilingual content, with a range of databases that deliver extended content such as News, Documents and Links
- Data-feeds from a number of third party content providers, ensure the most up to date information is presented, including:
- Visit Wales (Accommodation and attractions)
- Sustrans (Cycle routes)
- South West Wales Tourism Partnership (Events)
- Traveline Cymru (Bus routes)
- Mid Wales Tourism (Events)
- Highly functional mapping system (Google) allows users to plot a route, find cycle routes, local transport, accommodation, attractions and events
- Items of interest can be added to an Ideas file that can then be printed off as an itinerary along with the map
- Bulletins regarding major events or news can be highlighted on the 'Homepage'
- 22 kiosks placed in Tourist Information Centres (TICs) and tourist attractions around South Wales during 2007/08
- Information is 'localised' on each kiosk with links to extended content if desired
- An 'attractor', (which is similar to a screensaver) is used to attract users to the kiosk when its not in use.
Results
Feedback from the TICs has suggested that they are extremely popular with users. The project has been shortlisted for a Good Communications Award in the IT Project Innovation category, which will take place on 26th June in London.
