Feeding curiosity, one click at a time →

Challenge

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, the national museum of science and medicine, holds a remarkable collection of scientific and medical instruments, each telling a story of groundbreaking Dutch discoveries that have shaped our world. How do you bring these fascinating stories to life for a modern audience, starting from the very first moment they encounter the museum—online? We designed a digital platform that captivates visitors from the start, setting the stage for a deeper connection with the museum’s treasures.

Result

The platform serves as a dynamic introduction to the museum’s world, making the wonders of science and medicine accessible before visitors even set foot inside. With exhibition pages featuring object cards, story narrative cards, and deep-dive accordions, users can explore layers of content, from historical context to scientific impact. This engaging digital experience, packed with multimedia content like videos, photos, and audio clips, sparks curiosity and invites users to dive deeper. It’s a first impression that ignites a sense of wonder, creating a lasting connection to the museum’s story long before they visit in person.

What we did

Future scoping, brand strategy, digital Strategy, UX design, visual design, development, content strategy

Visit the live website

Feeding curiosity

From the start, feeding curiosity was more than a concept, it became the foundation of the entire platform. Every design choice aimed to spark exploration, inviting visitors to uncover knowledge at their own pace. The bold red button on the homepage sets the journey in motion, leading to a spinning gallery that unveils the museum’s thematic worlds. Storycards, interactive object pages, and deep-dive accordions ensure that learning never feels static. Whether through bite-sized insights or layered narratives, the platform continuously nudges visitors to click, explore, and discover more.

Deeply rooted idea

This philosophy ran so deep that we even wove it into unexpected places. Like the 404 page. Instead of a dead end, visitors encountering a broken link are met with a compass, a symbol of exploration and navigation. Just as scientists and explorers of the past sought new frontiers, we encourage users to keep searching, keep questioning, and keep feeding their curiosity.

Component-Based Storytelling

Each collection follows a modular, component-based structure that invites users to explore at their own pace. Detail pages feature a dynamic blend of elements to keep the journey engaging. Interactive objects bring artefacts to life, story cards deliver bite-sized insights that enhance storytelling, and expandable accordions ensure content remains digestible while offering deeper layers of knowledge for the curious.

A Continuous Loop of Discovery

At Boerhaave, science is more than a collection of artifacts, it’s a story of discovery, innovation, and impact. To bring these stories to life digitally, we designed an interactive system of storycards that invites visitors into a continuous loop of learning and exploration. Each card reveals new insights, sparking curiosity and encouraging deeper research. The storycards ensure that every visitor can engage with science at their own pace, always uncovering something new.