iOS and android app for Burton Swans
Website and iOS and Android app for Burton Swans art trail
Burton Swans was East Staffordshire's first outdoor, public art trail, staged in Burton Upon Trent for 10 weeks between August and October 2020. We created the project website and an interactive iOS and Android app for the trail.
Burton Swans website and app
Tilley Bancroft, director of Making Trails, came up with the brilliant idea of a public art trail for Burton Upon Trent in 2018. We were thrilled when approached to take on the task of crafting the project website and developing an interactive iOS and Android app to complement the trail.
A total of 25 super-sized swan sculptures were created and artists were invited to submit design ideas. Local businesses and organisations came on board to sponsor each swan, making the endeavor a true community effort.
Our Approach
The main objective was to create a memorable, fun experience for residents and visitors. With the trail designed to be completed in a day, it offered the perfect opportunity for visitors to relish the outdoors, engage in physical activity, and immerse themselves in the splendor of remarkable public art.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic's lockdown, the trail successfully came to life in August 2020. Ensuring the safety and well-being of all participants was of utmost importance, necessitating strict adherence to social distancing guidelines.
The website
The brief was to create a Burton Swans website that fulfilled four main purposes: encouraging local businesses and organisations to become swan sponsors; encouraging artists to submit designs; raising awareness that the trail was coming and how people could visit; and encouraging schools and community groups to get involved.
The app
We were also asked to build an iOS and Android app for the swan trail. Users could locate the swans through a user-friendly map. When they found a swan, they could type in a unique four-digit code that was on the swan's base and which would unlock more information, a message, or a reward from its sponsor. The app kept track of how many swans the user had visited, the rewards collected and which ones were still to be visited. Users could donate easily and quickly to Burton YMCA, the project's chosen charity.
The Outcome
The swan trail was a great success with positive feedback across online and social media. Many people made and posted their own videos of their adventures on the trail. Families were engaged by the idea of 'collecting' swan codes on the app. The app was very successful, with over 2,000 downloads and visitors from all over the wider Midlands area.
