The TNAU Botanical Garden website project was a unique opportunity to blend nature with technology, creating a digital experience that captures the essence of a physical garden.
Project Overview
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University's botanical garden needed a website that would:
- Showcase the garden's plant collection
- Provide educational resources
- Enable virtual tours
- Support event bookings
Design Philosophy
Inspiration: The garden itself
- Organic shapes and flowing layouts
- Green color palette with earthy accents
- Photography-forward design
- Calming, nature-inspired typography
Technical Decisions
Frontend: Next.js
- Static generation for plant database
- Image optimization built-in
- Great developer experience
CMS: Sanity
- Flexible content modeling for plant data
- Real-time preview for content editors
- Portable text for rich descriptions
Hosting: Vercel
- Edge network for global visitors
- Automatic deployments
- Great analytics
Key Features
-
Interactive Plant Database
- Search and filter by characteristics
- High-quality imagery
- Botanical information
-
Virtual Garden Tour
- 360° panoramic views
- Interactive hotspots
- Audio descriptions
-
Event System
- Calendar integration
- Online booking
- Email notifications
Lessons Learned
- Nature photography needs careful optimization
- Educational content benefits from multiple formats
- Accessibility is crucial for public institutions