Digital Ipswich

Digital Ipswich aims to make Ipswich a more digitally enabled town thanks to Towns Deal funding. One Digital Ipswich project is to develop ten augmented reality trails around the town for everyone to enjoy.

Towns Deal Map

Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer generated content using smartphones. An AR Trail is a guided tour using a mobile phone to navigate a set route that offers learning and fun as part of a virtual interactive experience. Temporary pop-up AR Trails in Christchurch and Holywells Parks have proved popular with families.

Thanks to Town’s Deal funding, we will now create up to ten permanent AR trails around Ipswich. These trails will further highlight the town’s strong heritage and culture and help to increase the town’s economic vitality. In addition, we hope the trails will appeal to residents, visitors and staycationers, encouraging everyone to engage in an activity that supports active health and wellbeing.

We want the people of Ipswich to get involved in developing these AR Trails. Please share your thoughts and ideas on themes for the new trails before the 11 December closing date. All contributions will be put to the Town’s Deal Project Board, and could be turned into an AR trail!

How can you get involved?

1. Firstly, take a look at the list of trails that already exist around Ipswich here

2. Next, think about the type of trail you would like to see and enjoy with your family, friends of visitors, below are some ideas to inspire you:

Various Sports	Football and Ipswich Town FC
Art and sculpture	Literature
Ghouls and Ghosts	Time Travel series 1800s to 2100
Architecture and Medieval Churches	Top Ten locations
Musicans and music	Guess the age (history)
Blue spaces and water theme	Green spaces and nature theme
Food lovers	Charitable causes
Gaming (inspired by the concept of Pokémon Go)	Animal lovers or wildlife

3. Capture your thoughts on the e-survey here and submit by 11 December!

All suggestions will then be reviewed and presented to the Towns Deal Board at a meeting on 18 December to discuss the ideas and determine up to ten trails that will be created!

All the trails determined will require support across multiple partners so there will be the opportunity to help shape the trails through input in writing or research, content creation, animation, visuals, fact-checking and of course user testing!

If you would like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you, please email town.fund@ipswich.gov.uk