App Showcase: Urban Fieldwork
A British geography teacher, a father of three, and a football enthusiast, Rob can add one more line item to his biography: he’s a three-time app developer thanks to Bitrig.
Rob has never been short on app ideas; he just lacked the tools to bring them to life. “I am always looking for ways to use technology to help myself and colleagues work more effectively,” he told us. “I’ve always wanted to make apps for iPhone/iPad, etc., but do not have the coding ability to do this.” Xcode was another barrier. With all its complexities, even if he learned to write the code, he was worried about using it to distribute apps.
When Rob found a YouTube video demonstrating Bitrig, his interest was piqued. As a longtime Apple fan, finding out that the Bitrig team is made up of Apple alumni sealed the deal. “Bitrig allowed me to build apps using natural language and continuously iterate them until I was ready to share,” he explained. “It’s really simple to use, and the training videos … were really helpful in building the app and getting it ready to share on App Store Connect. When I reached out to the Bitrig team for some guidance, they were really helpful and friendly.” (Thanks Rob!!)
As a geographer and educator, Rob is uniquely positioned to create an app that will help students engage and learn using tools that feel natural. His app Urban Fieldwork builds on the capabilities of the iPhone, turning a device that students already carry into a sophisticated fieldwork companion. It uses GPS to record site location, the microphone to measure sound levels, and the embedded camera to capture images. It even uses Apple’s mapping technologies to identify the category of businesses proximate to the fieldwork.
On supported devices, the app leans on Apple Intelligence for deeper, on-device analysis, helping students interpret their data. And when the work in the field is finished, everything can be exported in a clean PDF report or a spreadsheet for further study.
Urban Fieldwork has been incredibly helpful for both his students and his fellow educators. The cherry on top? “My students are definitely impressed when I show them that I’ve made an app that they can download.”
In addition to Urban Fieldwork, Rob has published SEND ToolKit, which gives teachers quick, practical guidance on supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities, all in one easy-to-access place. He also made the app Darby’s Story which uses Apple Foundation Models to generate silly bedtime stories with his son as the main character.
Rob is a fantastic example of how everyone with an idea can now make a fully native app, and we’re so lucky to have him as part of the Bitrig community. His advice? “If you have an idea for an app but lack the traditional expertise to develop an app, give Bitrig a go. Enjoy the learning process…. Have fun with it.”