A new mobile app designed to encourage people to explore Flint and learn about its history is expected to launch this fall as a companion to the guidebook “Exploring Mid-Michigan: A Guide to Flint, the Saginaw Valley, and the Thumb”.
MiPilgrimage was developed by Zachary Scott, a former University of Michigan-Flint student. It’s designed to lead users to locations throughout Flint where they can unlock historical and unusual stories.
“I hope that the app encourages a sort of refamiliarization with the Flint area,” Scott said. “I keep coming back to the word curiosity.”
The app currently contains more than 100 quests and side quests, with the launch version expecting to include more than 150 stories. Users can select a location on the app and receive a preview of its story. After visiting the location, the full story is unlocked. Additional side quests and bonus stories can also appear as users explore.
The project began as part of a three-part project that included the guidebook, an app and a website. Mary Jo Kietzman, an associate professor at UM-Flint, wrote the articles featured in the app, while Scott handled the coding and development.
“The main purpose of the app is to teach users about Flint’s rich history,” Cory Tackabury, a UM-Flint student who tested the app and is working on its advertising and marketing, said. Tackabury said the app can help users discover locations throughout Flint that they may not know about.
Kietzman said the project is intended to help students and others become more familiar with Flint’s urban landscape.
“MiPilgrimage is a pilot project and currently contains over 100 quests and side quests that users can take from campus,” Kietzman said. “It is a way to help students get to know the urban landscape and see beneath the surface.”
The Office of Economic Development at UM-Flint funded the app’s initial development. The funding provided $11,000 to Scott for his work developing the app, while $2,000 went to a graphic designer for the app’s banner and other features.
Kietzman said Scott has worked without pay for the past two years, while she had covered software and fees out of pocket after the grant funding ran out.
The app includes a mix of historical locations and lesser-known destinations, including former sites, an old coal mine, graffiti, an urban farm and bur oak trees. The current focus is on the Flint area, with plans to expand to other parts of the region in future releases.
Testing the app has required extensive walking throughout the city. Tackabury said he walked more than 100 miles while testing the app over the past several months.
“It’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve been able to learn a lot about Flint,” Tackabury said. “A lot of walking, though.”
Scott said developing the app presented technical challenges, particularly with location services and mobile navigation. He said he eventually rewrote the app after an earlier compass-based navigation system proved unreliable and created safety concerns.
Scott has made more than 300 code updates while developing the app, which he said users, including students, have also tested repeatedly.
Marketing plans include collaborations with the history departments at Mott, Kettering, and UM-Flint in Flint, as well as building a social media presence.
The app is expected to launch first on IOS, with an Android version planned to follow. Plans include expanding to additional land cities, supporting tablets and potentially allowing users to share photos and reactions to locations they visit.
Hello, I'm a Graphic Design student with a concentration in Marketing at the University of Michigan-Flint. My minor is Business. One of my passions is writing and sharing stories with others!
