As alumni of the Art Institute of Boston (AIB) at Lesley University, we wanted to give something back to the great faculty and staff, and especially the students.

The whole conversation started while talking with Deb Verhoff, Librarian at AIB. She wanted some sort of digital resource for common questions that students come into the library with. Sometimes the questions were library related, and sometimes they were not. She also mentioned that with all the iPod promotions for students, and the $99 iPhone, more students than ever have access to iTunes Store Apps at AIB.

We brainstormed about various methods and ideas, and ultimately, she left it in the hands of Dirk+Weiss to make something happen. Deb sent us a list of content sections that would be appropriate in the app. We then designed an interface that is clearly branded, and tested for usability.

After speaking with Deb, it was clear that AIB was in need of connecting students with mobile devices. Brian and I sat down to decide what was appropriate to build. First, we considered a microsite that would be designed for mobile browsers. This was most certainly doable, but it did not quite have the pizazz of a full iPhone app. So we decided to go ahead and just build an iPhone/iPod Touch app, and when it was approved by apple, announce it officially.

The Art Institute of Boston app has been approved, and lives in the iTunes App Store. Download it now!

App Features:

1. Showcase student artwork via Flickr
2. Shuttle schedules from Boston to Cambridge campuses
3. Foundation and Illustration department blogs
4. News and events listings via the AIB Front Desk Facebook page
5. Library book look-up (FLO Catalog)