What do a fossilised unicorn horn, a leech jar and a mummified human hand have in common?

No, it’s not the beginning of a joke, but a list of some of the weird and wonderful things you can explore on our latest website launch. We’re thrilled to share RPS Museum, a site that enables users to explore the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s (RPS) vast museum collection.

Engaging audiences, old and new

The new website contains over 500 objects, which provide a fascinating insight into the Society’s origins and the history of medicine in the U.K. Each object includes a large format image, description and reference information. Users can explore these wide-ranging objects using a number of interesting curated themes.

Similarly, the digital offer presents a number of ‘exhibitions’ which feature long-form content and images relating to the Society. Themes for these include ‘celebrating women in pharmacy’ and ‘the history of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’. These deep-dives are ideal for visitors who want to learn more about the collection and related topics.

By packaging content in different ways, we can cater for a wide range of different audiences, from the casual browser to the expert researcher.

A new prescription

Our relationship with the RPS stretches back to 2015, when we first launched their fascinating collections through an archives app. This provided users with access to hundreds of different pharmaceutical objects and used our own custom-built Content Management System (CMS) called Nymbol.

Since then we’ve worked with the RPS team to convert the app into a website offer as well. Whilst the collection remains in the  Nymbol CMS, we now use WordPress to deliver content. This enables us to provide a flexible, content-friendly approach to the site.

As well as changing the site’s infrastructure, we’ve also refreshed the look and feel. Working with the RPS brand, we’ve created a bold, eye-catching website that enables the collection to shine.

Keep taking the tablets

Even though the site is live, we’re not resting up. In fact we’re working with the RPS team to develop an audio section. This exciting new feature will enable users to listen to a range of recordings that help tell the fascinating story of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

If you are interested in learning more about this project, or think we can help you, then get in touch.