The Client
Graff.io Arts is a creative organisation focused on combining traditional artwork with digital technology to create more engaging public experiences.
Their original vision was simple but ambitious: allow people to point their smartphone at a piece of artwork and unlock additional digital content that enhances the story behind the piece.
As the concept evolved, the platform was rebranded as Street Stories, extending beyond individual art installations to support councils, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), artists and community organisations looking to revitalise town centres and public spaces through interactive experiences.
The Problem
Graff.io had developed a compelling creative concept but needed a technical platform capable of turning that vision into a reliable and scalable product.
The experience needed to feel seamless. Users should be able to discover artwork, point their phone at a visual marker and immediately unlock digital content without complicated setup or technical knowledge.
At the same time, the platform needed to support future growth, allowing new projects, campaigns and locations to be added without requiring ongoing developer involvement.
Key requirements included:
- Cross-platform augmented reality across both iOS and Android devices
- Reliable image recognition capable of accurately identifying artwork and triggering the correct experience
- Content management tools that allowed non-technical users to manage projects and content
- Efficient video delivery to provide a smooth user experience
- Scalability to support multiple campaigns, locations and future expansion
The challenge was not simply building an augmented reality app. It was creating a platform that could help organisations engage communities and bring physical spaces to life through technology.
The Solution
Swipe & Tap designed and developed a complete platform consisting of native iOS and Android applications, supported by a Laravel-powered content management system and API.
Augmented Reality
The core experience was built using ARKit on iOS and ARCore on Android.
When a user points their phone at a recognised piece of artwork, the application identifies the visual marker and overlays digital content directly onto the image in real time. This transforms static artwork into an interactive experience and encourages deeper engagement with the artist's message and story.
By using native augmented reality frameworks on each platform, we were able to maximise performance, compatibility and user experience across a wide range of devices.
Laravel CMS & API
Alongside the mobile applications, we developed a bespoke Laravel content management system that gives the Graff.io and Street Stories teams complete control over their projects.
Key functionality includes:
- Project management for organising campaigns and installations
- Marker management for linking artwork to digital content
- Video processing to optimise media for different devices and network conditions
- Content administration without requiring developer involvement
- Location-based project management for supporting multiple towns, cities and campaigns
This allowed the platform to scale beyond its original concept and support a growing number of installations across different locations.
Mobile Apps
The iOS and Android applications were developed natively to deliver a smooth and accessible user experience.
Features include:
- Image recognition and augmented reality experiences
- Video overlays linked to physical artwork
- Artwork and artist information
- Optimised media playback
- Simple and intuitive user experience
The result is a platform that allows users to engage with public artwork in a completely new way while remaining accessible to a broad audience.
The Outcome
The platform launched successfully and played a central role in the ARCity campaign in Leicester, demonstrating how augmented reality can be used to create meaningful engagement within public spaces.
As the concept matured, Graff.io evolved into Street Stories, a broader platform designed to help councils, BIDs and community organisations transform vacant shop windows and public spaces into interactive cultural experiences.
Today, the platform supports projects across multiple towns and cities, including Leicester, Wolverhampton, Colchester, Stirling and Hemel Hempstead.
Most importantly, the project demonstrates how technology can be used to strengthen connections between people, places and communities. By combining creativity with robust software engineering, Swipe & Tap helped create a platform that enables artists and local organisations to tell stories in ways that would not be possible through traditional media alone.
The project remains an excellent example of how thoughtful digital innovation can create real-world impact beyond the screen.
