• KQED Quest

    Visitors can enjoy a variety of KQED-produced media content

An interactive mashup Website developed with KQED Public Broadcasting

Media Conglomerate

Perhaps the best place to start exploring science and nature in Northern California is now on the Web. As part of KQED’s public programming, their innovative Quest project produces television and radio stories exploring science, nature, and the environment. The project also focuses on the Web as the key media platform for forging connections with Bay Area residents.

Ideum worked with KQED to build a Quest site that presents the TV and radio broadcasts along with blog posts, photographs, educational guides, printable maps, and other supporting materials, allowing visitors to further explore topics covered in the broadcasts as well as learn about new topics. The Quest site makes extensive use of Google Maps, Google Earth, and Flickr mashups to provide a media-rich, geo-coded view of the Bay Area and beyond.

Visitors can follow mapped “explorations” in state parks, beaches, and other areas or watch HD-quality videos from research labs, universities, and other scientific hotspots. The Quest blog and integrated Flickr group provide ways for KQED viewers to become active participants as they explore the science and nature of Northern California.

Ideum developed a custom content management system (CMS) for the site using Ruby on Rails. Using this advanced Web application framework allowed Ideum’s development team to tackle challenges like an “explorations” mashup feature, which provides a framework for KQED staff to upload GPX files (GPS eXchange Format) to create paths and points on Google Maps and connect them to Flickr photographs. Ideum worked closely with KQED to design and develop the Website.

The site was launched in early 2007. Ideum and KQED added new features to the Web site prior in the 2008 and 2009 season. In 2009, the site won Best Use of Web 2.0 / New Media at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.

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