For the last nine years the team has designed, built and produced the popular PBS website, History Detectives.
The website has evolved each year, constantly re-inventing itself to provide more in-depth content and features for the audience.
In Season One, the approach was to create standalone content that empowered viewers to undertake their own investigations in the Do It Yourself and Investigative Technique sections.
The presenters participated in online chats.
In Seasons Two and Three key stories were supported with features about the historical event and eras.
There were also weekly trivia quizzes about the history in the upcoming show and games such as On the Case and Who are you?
Exclusive video featuring the hosts, tips and techniques and behind the scenes were created.
As a response to feedback from younger viewers, the team also produced the companion site History Detectives Kids.
This catered to the younger audience aged 8-12, and encouraged critical thinking, inquiry, problem solving, dramatic play and fun through learning.
Kids could learn the golden rules of super sleuthing, use customizable printed forms to make their own detective notebook and office suite, play games and submit treasured object for inclusion in the "Vault".
Seasons Four, Five and Six continued to add to the wealth of information on the site with extra features, background information and video that allows the audience to delve deeper into the history and the object.
In Season Six the site underwent a further redesign to feature video more prominently on the homepage.
The team also ran two ‘web investigations’, which released objects to the audience to solve the mystery.
These online only investigations revealed the research process, allowed them to do their own legwork, created a community amongst the participants and allowed the audience to really experience History Detectives.
A Facebook group was also created and updated regularly by production partner Oregon Public Broadcasting.
In Seasons Seven and Eight the website was bolstered by more in-depth video content and a strong emphasis on social networking. The Facebook group engages with its fans daily and is steadily growing.
The team are currently redesigning the History Detectives website for the Season Nine launch in June 2011.
The team have also worked with the American Film Institute's Digital Content Lab to develop a mobile prototype called HD Roadtrip which was deployed on the Sprint Network in the Oregon market as a prototype.
History Detectives has most recently been the basis for a spinoff prototype, HD Lab.
In 2008 the team produced an interactive prototype for CPB's History and Civics Initiative based on the concepts of historical investigation through material objects.
Based entirely online, HD:Lab is a social networking and user-generated site for use in classrooms, and allows students to conduct their own investigations.
The team are currently producing Phase Two of HD Lab which includes a suite of educational games to train students in the skills of being History Detectives.
History Detectives Website