‘The Two Houses’ Interactive Learning Experience

UK Parliament has a clear mandate to educate the public about the role, function, and importance of government and democratic processes in the UK. As part of this mission, there was a need to create an engaging, accessible, and modern digital learning resource that could introduce students and wider audiences to the UK’s parliamentary system. To support this goal, we created an interactive learning tool designed to explain the ‘Two Houses’ system in a way that is immersive, intuitive, and informative.

This virtual learning experience was specifically developed to support students, teachers, and lifelong learners who may not have the opportunity to visit Parliament in person. By combining digital storytelling with interactive technology, the project brings constitutional education to life and helps users better understand how the House of Commons and the House of Lords operate, interact, and differ in their roles.

Using high-resolution 360-degree photography, we captured the House of Commons and the House of Lords in exceptional detail, ensuring an authentic and accurate representation of both chambers. These images were then integrated into a fully branded, custom-built interface that encourages exploration and discovery while remaining aligned with UK Parliament’s learning and accessibility standards.

To further replicate the experience of a real-world tour, we added an audio guide that provides contextual explanations, narration, and prompts. This allows users to learn through both visual and auditory cues, supporting different learning styles and improving accessibility for a broad range of users, including those with additional educational needs.

The virtual experience is designed to be self-guided, empowering visitors to control their own learning journey. Users can step into the shoes of key parliamentary figures such as the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Speaker of the House of Commons, and their equivalents in the House of Lords. This role-based perspective helps learners understand not only the physical layout of the chambers, but also how authority, debate, and procedure function within each space.

From each position, users can access a custom-built ‘Key Features’ tray. This intuitive tool brings together all relevant points of interest in one place, enabling users to easily identify and understand key elements of the chambers. From the despatch boxes and benches to the public galleries and voting lobbies, each feature is clearly explained, helping users make sense of what they are seeing and why it matters within the parliamentary process.