Chester Zoo, the UK's most popular zoo attracting over two million visitors annually, has a rich history dating back to 1931 and is home to approximately 37,000 animals. Their mission extends beyond the zoo itself through global conservation field programs and a robust education department.

David Hughes, the Digital Learning Assistant Manager at Chester Zoo, has a rather unique background: he comes from the world of TV and video production, with the eye of a filmmaker and photographer.

From Outsourcing to Creative Autonomy

Before discovering PandaSuite, Chester Zoo relied on external agencies to build its touchscreen interactives. The results were visually stunning, but completely static.

“They were incredibly expensive to make,” David explains. “And once finished, the developers disappeared; we had no way to modify or update the content without paying again.”

The team needed something simple, reliable, and fast to update — a way to ship bite-sized videos, visuals, or mini-games that fit how visitors interact with screens on site.

While looking for a tool to create a “conference-call style” interactive for the launch of the Hearts of Africa space, David discovered PandaSuite.

“I realized I could embed it as a web page on our touch screens. I could make changes and they would instantly be reflected on the live page in the zoo.”

Soon after, the team created an interactive map for the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) conference, allowing online attendees to explore the zoo virtually.

A Tool That Grows with the Team

David describes PandaSuite’s learning curve as empowering rather than intimidating:

“If you’re trying to achieve simple results, the process is very simple. The software scales with my abilities. As I learn, I discover new features and build more advanced interactions.”

The platform’s extensive library of demos and tutorials has been invaluable for self-learning.

Support from the PandaSuite team has been exceptional.

“They respond quickly, help resolve bugs - even logging in remotely to fix issues - which gives me confidence to suggest PandaSuite for more projects,” David recounts.

Bringing Education to Life

One of the most striking projects was the ‘Layers of the Rainforest’ interactive.

Initially commissioned to update a traditional video, David saw an opportunity to enhance engagement by breaking video content into interactive pages featuring clickable tiles about different rainforest animals and their habitats.

“Rather than just passive learning, learners can learn within the interactive and then test their knowledge. For teachers, that’s really exciting.”

When AI Becomes a Teaching Ally

Chester Zoo has even experimented with integrating ChatGPT into PandaSuite to automatically evaluate student answers.

For instance, students describe rainforest layers and animals, and ChatGPT grades answers, providing feedback on strengths and omissions.

This innovative blend of AI and interactivity sparks creative thinking within the team about future possibilities.

“Every time I find an integration, my mind starts racing about all the different ways we can use this tool.”

Many Ideas, Endless Inspiration

Chester Zoo sees huge potential for PandaSuite across a wide range of experiences. Among the ideas on the table:

• Using iPads for school workshops where students could learn and then complete interactive knowledge checks.

• Offering online learning resources that visitors could access anytime through the zoo’s website.

• Designing conservation-themed escape rooms that mix real-world discovery with digital puzzles.

• Deploying touchscreen kiosks across the zoo to deliver fresh, interactive content seamlessly.

And the brainstorming doesn’t stop there. The team is exploring even more ambitious possibilities:

• Multi-device experiences with App-to-App: e.g., an iPad triggers a video on a nearby screen; works locally without internet.

• Bluetooth Low Energy integrations for visitor-facing effects (e.g., Philips Hue light changes) during an experience.

• Remote screen control patterns for simple, supervised setups.

Operationally, they manage numerous displays through a central platform, with plans to use Raspberry Pi 5 for more media-heavy interactives to keep them running smoothly. For smaller sites without a management platform, David sees huge potential in low-cost standalone kiosks running a single PandaSuite experience.

The Feature that Unlocked Creativity

David particularly loves PandaSuite’s States feature - once a tricky concept, now a creative powerhouse enabling dynamic animations and interactive controls that bring content to life.

“At first, it was a little intimidating, but once you get it, it opens up a whole world of possibilities.”

He also highlights PandaSuite’s balance between customization and simplicity, noting that it’s far more approachable than previous tools.

Data-Driven Decisions

It’s early days, but built-in analytics already guide content choices:

“On one interactive, there’s an A/B choice — which caller do you want to hear from? In Google Analytics, we can literally see who’s winning”

With minimal setup, the team can:

• Track visitor preferences (great for A/B and quizzes).

• See live usage to understand peak engagement.

• Make evidence-based tweaks quickly — exactly why in-house control matters.

Advice for Other Organizations

“PandaSuite is easy to use, flexible, yet very powerful,” David emphasizes. He strongly recommends it not only for education departments but broadly across visitor attractions, including retail and hospitality sectors within organizations like zoos and museums.

“You could spend your budget making one or two interactives externally… or invest in PandaSuite for less. Someone who’s tech-savvy but not a programmer can follow tutorials and suddenly make many different things.”

Bringing work in-house avoids long briefing cycles and unlocks rapid prototyping: make it, test it on visitors, then iterate — the loop that turns ideas into impact.

Looking Ahead

“Easy to use, flexible, but also very powerful. It’s not just for education. For visitor attractions, the applications are huge.”

A live example: public-facing maps that update as animals move, with embedded calendars for ranger talks — reducing reprints and giving visitors fresher, richer information.

In David’s Own Words:

“PandaSuite has been the ideal solution for Chester Zoo. It allows us to create simple, engaging digital experiences quickly and affordably, with the flexibility to update content instantly. The software scales beautifully with our abilities—starting simple but offering powerful features as we grow.

“Being able to integrate tools like AI for assessment and connect digital to real-world experiences opens up endless possibilities. And because we can build in-house, we save budget and time while keeping full creative control.”

If you are interested in learning more about how PandaSuite supports Chester Zoo’s innovative projects or how it can help your organization, please reach out to us. We’re here to help you unleash your creativity and bring your interactive content ideas to life.