Whether you are a patient, visitor, doctor or researcher at Baycrest at some point you may find yourself with some time to explore the beautiful facility. Now there is a fun, interactive way to learn more about the foundation and its organizations. T4G teamed up with the Women of Baycrest to create a wall-mounted, touch-screen application in the lobby.
Take a look at this video demonstration.
The Challenge
Baycrest is one of the world's leading academic health sciences centres focused on aging. The Women of Baycrest organization is a non-profit group within the Baycrest Foundation whose mission is to help women by financially supporting leading-edge scientific research and discovery. To educate Baycrest’s staff and visitors about the purpose of this great organization, its achievements, events and ongoing research initiatives, the Women of Baycrest organization contacted T4G to help create an eye-catching, innovative and interactive solution.
The Solution
The concept itself was unique. T4G would develop a touch screen web application that would be displayed on a 52-inch touch screen at Baycrest. The application would display member information as well as event-related photos and videos using static and dynamic database-driven content. The idea was to provide a fun and interactive display for anyone who may be walking through the halls of Baycrest, while at the same time informing visitors of all the great work being done by the foundation.
The application was developed using PHP scripting language on a simple LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack. Everything except the database runs locally on a Mac Mini server which is attached to the display. This toolset selection was very deliberate given the tight timeline and budget. The open-source LAMP stack eliminated the need for licensing costs and the PHP allowed T4G to build the solution quickly, while maintaining the high quality common to all T4G solutions.
The final application was delivered on time and on budget. The potential issue of an aggressive timeline was mitigated through project planning, dependency management and close communication between T4G and the Women of Baycrest. Through this close, near agile, approach in all phases of the project life cycle, understanding priorities and quickly and effectively addressing issues, T4G delivered another great quality solution to a satisfied customer.
The Benefits
Now, while walking through the halls of Baycrest, you can’t miss this dynamic and futuristic display. It is a great addition to the beautiful atmosphere of the facility, but more than that, it’s a unique and effective way to learn about the progressive efforts and achievements of the Women of Baycrest.