Shown above: Before/After shots of main web site

Background:

The National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG) is a not-for-profit institution, dedicated to discovering, saving, and studying the world's tropical plants and to sharing what is learned.

In just over 40 years, the NTBG has grown to encompass over 1,800 acres of gardens and preserves. Thousands of species have been gathered from throughout the tropical world, through hundreds of field expeditions by staff and through collaborations with other institutions and researchers, to form a living collection that is unparalleled anywhere. This collection includes the largest assemblages of native Hawaiian plant species and of breadfruit cultivars in existence. Many of these plants are threatened and endangered or have already disappeared from their native habitats. In its preserves and beyond its properties, the NTBG is actively working to restore degraded habitats, further expanding its efforts to save plants that are otherwise faced with extinction.

Project Specs:

• Complete redesign of the NTBG.org web site and architecture
• Comply with required web standards for coding and design of web site.
• Design of the "Meet the Plants" area User Interface
• Design, illustration and animation of plant based character for Kids' Corner!

Shown above: Before/After shots of Meet the Plants Area [ Visit Area ]

Challenge:

• Originally designed in 1997, the NTBG web site was outdated in both design and content.
• Very difficult to navigate the hundreds of pages of information across various site areas including large library of plant information and image galleries.
• Difficult to access other areas of site from any specific section. (Often users do not realize the amount of resources available due to poor navigation scheme)
• Site lacked design appeal
• Site must target 2 types of audience
  • Adults including graduates, researchers, and teachers/professors
  • Teens and kids (little to no traffic from this target group with existing site)
    • No site area to better connect with this target group

Project Development and Solution:

• Established a site interface that was simple to use with a multi-level hierarchy, allowing users to access all primary pages within 1-2 clicks from any section of site they reside on.
• Designed a highly attractive site layout that better displayed content and site imagery while conforming to coding standards/requirements by NTBG
• Designed a set of UI templates for delivery of plant details from back-end database.
• To better connect with the target audience:
  • Created a balanced design that appealed to both types of audience
  • Created a "kids' Corner!" area, a resource center that uses flash interactivity to create a fun and enjoyable learning environment. (refer to section below)

Design of a cool character!

HindSite Interactive created Briggy, a character based on a true tropical plant called "Brighamia Insignis"

The character was designed with specific elements in mind:

- Character must appeal to both boys and girls in the age range of 13 and under.
- Character must be fun and loving and rigged to allow special hand/mouth movements for animation.

Puzzles, Puzzles; More Puzzles!

Shown above: Screen Shots of Plant Puzzles [ Visit Area ] Click on Puzzles link

The idea of creating puzzles occured during the creation of the Kids' Corner area; but it soon became apparent that adults enjoyed the challenge just as much with tiny puzzles of up to 64 randomly generated pieces.

The Result?

The web presence surpassed client expectations; The new web site is becoming a new face for NTBG, while the extremely effective navigation system has resulted in longer stays, and increase of page views per visitor. In addition the new design architecture has sparked further interest in the organization and the plant library.

Kids LOVE Briggy!
Briggy has dramatically enhanced the Kids' Corner area; In addition Briggy is now been replicated on Balloons and posters and handed out at NTBG related events!

Shown above: Screen Shots of Briggy in action [ Visit Area ]

What does the future hold?

The success of the web site has created an further interest to contract HindSite Interactive for creating additional characters (ex. Friends of Briggy) and additional animations and resources to maintain interest by Kids and schools.

Main Web Site: www.ntbg.org
Meet the Plants Web Site: www.ntbg.org/plants
Kids' Corner Area: http://kids.ntbg.org