Question

Since 1590, the Hortus Botanicus Leiden has represented the green heart of the city. How do you combine the science from Leiden University with the leisure aspect and make the botanical garden, with all its facets, accessible to the wider (international) public?

Approach

The website we developed had to meet many complex challenges. The interests of various stakeholders played a significant role, and numerous aspects had to be represented. In addition to the extensive information and user-friendliness, we applied various WCAG provisions, such as higher contrast, options for font size, or a low-stimulus version. 

Result

The website now presents everything in an organized manner. With a large gallery of unique flowers and plants, it feels as if your visit starts here. It is clearer for visitors, who can also more quickly find their way to tickets. 

The development of the website posed another challenge. All information about the collection was 'locked' in the system. Visitors searching for a collection item on the Hortus website could not find it. Therefore, the task was to integrate Garden Explorer*, a complete collection management system for living and preserved botanical collections, into the site. This truly brings science and the public together. 

Success led to all (potential) visitors, researchers, and other interested parties having access to all information about the collection (and making it findable!), and to see where a specific plant is located in the Hortus. The Hortus invests a lot of time in making the collection publicly understandable. This is reflected in the interactive route planner that we developed.
 

*IrisBG Collection management