Connecting Singapore Visitors to Nature With Technology

Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, one of the world’s leading horticultural gardens, unveiled its first mobile app today, a project made possible and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. This fun mobile app, designed to connect visitors with nature through technology, engages audiences through interactive games, educational tools, and information about the Garden’s unique horticulture.

Gardens by the Bay is the latest institution in Asia to be included in the Bloomberg Connects Program, a global initiative that provides funding for technology that increases access to cultural institutions and enhances visitor experiences.

And what better way to do this than to engage our own employees, who understand and appreciate the role and value of simple and powerful technology. So earlier this year, our Global Philanthropy and Engagement team, with support from the Singapore Management Committee, hosted two employee volunteer sessions at the Gardens to test the app while it was in development.

More than 150 Bloomberg Singapore employees volunteered with their families to test the beta version of the app in the beautiful Flower Dome. It was a diverse group of volunteers – from six-year-old kids to 67-year-old guests – and everyone offered valuable and detailed feedback on the app, helping Gardens by the Bay further develop features and make meaningful enhancements to the user interface and navigational elements. Many loved the interactive games, especially the botany hunt where one had to look for specific plants while learning fun facts, and virtual rewards one can earn while growing their “Tree of Knowledge.” Following the events, Bloomberg employees also participated in an online survey; the collected feedback was incorporated into the mobile app.

Offered in five languages, the mobile app is now available on both iOS and Android platforms and can be downloaded for free via iTunes and Google Play. Gardens by the Bay came up with an imaginative way of using mobile technology to engage consumers about the world of nature, and we are glad to have been a part of its creation and development.

To learn more about Bloomberg’s Global Philanthropy and Engagement program, click here.