Latest from Imagineear

Located in Padstow, Cornwall, the National Lobster Hatchery, a charity and important conservational hub, hatching and raising baby lobsters, as well as educating visitors about the European lobster.

The National Lobster Hatchery, located in a restored railway building overlooking the Camel Estuary, were looking for a way to encapsulate the research, facts and environmental information into an interactive device-based offer for visitors.

Imagineear designed and produced a multimedia guide, delivered on their MPti™ device to bring the Hatchery’s research and learning opportunities to life, based around the six main stages in a hatchery lobster’s life cycle, from birth through to release into Cornish waters.

Each stop is introduced and explained by narrator Sian Reese-Williams and is accompanied by images of the National Lobster Hatchery processes as well as interactive games, videos and extra information about the hatchery, its staff and how the charity works to support the European lobster species in local waters and the people that depend on it.

Interviews with hatchery staff, ‘Chris’s Lobster Tales’ – which reveal some of the quirkier facts about the European lobster – and videos of lobster releases into the sea plus interactive games featuring live practices carried out at the hatchery by the marine biologists, all of this makes for a jam-packed multimedia experience!

“A huge thank you for giving my son an audio tour guide yesterday. He learnt so much and told us all about the lobsters on the way home. It made a huge difference to his understanding and learning, and he LOVED it. Just wanted to say how positive and educational it was. Thanks for being part of our fabulous holiday,” wrote one happy visitor in a feedback email directly to the Hatchery.

Key individuals and groups who support the charity’s work and form part of the Padstow community feature in ‘Ask the Expert’ interactive interviews, around central themes of conservation and their commitment to that.

This project is a strong example of what our teams can create for a small site with a concise and tailored brief. Despite the modest size of the Hatchery, Imagineear have delivered an impactful, thorough multimedia offering for the mind and soul. Shedding light on the charity’s action in raising European lobsters, and protecting them at their most vulnerable stage, what could have been a simple audio tour offering has been enhanced through beautiful design, interactive features and a range of voices across throughout the tour. 

“The National Lobster Hatchery in Padstow is one of the most popular visitor attractions in Cornwall and a scientific center of international research into lobster sustainability,” said Emma Thompson, Creative Development Manager at Imagineear. “We’re really proud both to help tell their unique story and of this multimedia guide that brims with colour, content and clever games and quizzes to engage all ages. Thanks to the NLH team and all the people who feature on the tour. Here’s to a busy season and of lobster love!”