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EPAM & National Geographic Society Redefine the Museum Experience by Blending Physical & Digital Touchpoints to Ignite Curiosity & Drive Lasting Change
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
For over a century, the National Geographic Society has inspired millions of people to care for our planet.
Next on the horizon is the opening of its Museum of Exploration, where EPAM is proud to be National Geographic Society’s digital transformation partner.
From developing a unified digital platform to creating an accessible interactive map and groundbreaking augmented reality (AR) installation, our partnership reimagines how cultural institutions connect with audiences — blending physical and digital touchpoints that extend the museum experience far beyond its walls.
By combining mission-driven storytelling with the power of technology, we hope to inspire the next generation of explorers and protect the wonder of our world.
EPAM & NATIONAL GOEGRAPHIC SOCIETY
The Next Evolution of Storytelling
The National Geographic Society has harnessed science, education and exploration to safeguard and celebrate the wonders of our planet for over 138 years. The renowned global nonprofit is constantly pushing the boundaries of how content is used to tell stories and cultivate curiosity about our world. In its next evolution of dynamic storytelling, National Geographic Society opened its doors to a brand-new museum in Washington D.C., in June 2026. The Museum of Exploration allows visitors around the world to share its mission by using the power of technology.
Expanding on our past work together, National Geographic Society shared its exciting plans for the museum with our team in 2023. The nonprofit was looking for a partner to help build a new website to engage visitors, drive ticket sales and foster brand enthusiasts. As our conversations continued, we recognized there was an opportunity for deeper collaboration.
In 2025, EPAM officially became the digital transformation partner of the National Geographic Society with the goal of applying our technical expertise to co-create holistic experiences that reinforce National Geographic Society’s mission, vision and values. Together, we embarked on a multi-year partnership that begins with developing several innovative digital solutions to support the museum’s grand opening and beyond.
Transcending a single collaboration, we’ve created something bigger. This partnership with National Geographic Society has humbled us. It’s redefined what partnership means. It’s provided a blueprint for a new way of working with our clients — one where we openly exchange ideas and push each other to evolve and one where we are motivated by the same goal of using technology to drive positive change. This is our story…
WEBSITE CONCEPT
Building a Seamless Digital Experience
With plans for the Museum of Exploration underway, National Geographic Society knew it was important to create a digital experience for visitors that was as compelling and inspiring as the physical destination itself. Our team got to work — immersing ourselves in National Geographic Society's iconic brand and conducting more than 20 cross-disciplinary workshops to understand the technical and design requirements for the website. These workshops produced brand-centric frameworks, ecosystem and journey maps, personas and vignettes. From a technical perspective, we identified clusters of isolated systems, made siloed data more accessible and engineered a composable foundation with a robust suite of technical capabilities.
With a unified, purpose-driven strategy defined, we worked with our delivery team to develop a tailored web solution with an engaging UX based on a modern technology stack using headless architecture. The digital platform focused on three core value drivers:
Sparking Curiosity
Empowering Exploration
Inspiring Change
INTERACTIVE MAP
Guiding Every Explorer With Confidence
Working hand in hand with National Geographic Society cartographers, our team built an interactive map to provide a dynamic and effortless wayfinding experience for museum visitors — igniting curiosity at every turn.
Available on the website, this next-generation tool offers an immersive guide to the museum’s layout and exhibits, allowing guests to begin their exploration before they even arrive.
The map includes filters for key amenities, such as wellness rooms, bathrooms and ADA-compliant spaces, with specific details for different abilities and needs.
IN THE FIELD AR
Bringing the Natural World to Life
First impressions are everything. And when it comes to creating a museum experience that evokes wonder and leaves a lasting impact, that moment matters. Before even entering the museum doors, National Geographic Society aspired to create an awe-inspiring immersive space in its courtyard — one that combines its legacy of dynamic storytelling with the power of technology. Our strategic partnership helped bring this idea to life in time for the Museum of Exploration’s grand opening.
The challenge was to complement the courtyard’s physical assets: fabricated bronze sculptures of animals and planters that represent six ecosystems on our planet. Our goal was to design and develop a technologically advanced AR-native application using Unity that delivers an extraordinary first impression and captivates a diverse audience, from young learners to seasoned Explorers. It had to be more than just visually impressive — it needed to seamlessly blend physical and digital touchpoints and stir human emotion.
We began an accelerated four-week discovery phase that included workshops with key stakeholders, requirements gathering and feasibility testing. With continuous feedback loops and close integration between our strategists, designers and engineers, we developed a proof of concept that aligned with the experience, design and technical requirements. From there, we proposed a solution architecture, core interaction principles and experience design for a groundbreaking AR experience.
Over the next 20 weeks, we brought six interactive ecosystems to life, each rich with accessible, immersive content. Located in the museum’s central courtyard, the AR installation is wrapped into the flora, fauna and bronze animal statues of each ecosystem — blending physical design with mixed reality. Visitors can use their own devices to explore vividly rendered digital overlays of diverse ecosystems and species.
This visit-defining capstone experience includes:
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BEYOND TECHNOLOGY
Innovation With Purpose
These are more than just design and technology projects. Together, they create a seamless, smart and sensory-rich experience designed to spark curiosity, deepen engagement and attract the next generation of National Geographic Society brand believers. The Museum of Exploration sets a new benchmark for how cultural institutions can inspire and connect with visitors both onsite and beyond. This journey is about making the explorer’s mindset accessible to all and driving real impact with design and technology.
For EPAM, this partnership with National Geographic Society has been transformative — challenging us to think differently, experiment with new approaches and innovate at every turn. It has accelerated our growth as collaborators, problem solvers and creative partners.
Today, we are grateful, and we know this is just the beginning. As our partnership evolves, we look forward to continuing our work on the museum’s offerings and other key strategic priorities for National Geographic Society — helping to shape the next era of exploration and protecting the beauty of our world together.
HEAR FROM OUR PARTNER
"The Museum of Exploration was designed to transform how visitors see and understand the wonder of our world. By seamlessly blending our physical exhibits with immersive digital touchpoints, we are redefining how visitors connect with our world. Our goal, in partnership with EPAM, is not just to showcase technology, but to use it as a tool that sparks deep curiosity and inspires lasting change for our planet."
Jason Southern
CTIO, National Geographic Society
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