The Sheffield Blitz App presents a variety of carefully researched and curated content about the Sheffield Blitz, night-long German bombing raids which took place on 12th and 15th December 1940. The raids left nearly 10% of the city’s population homeless with lasting, visible damage to city centre buildings such as Sheffield City Hall.
The Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trust have created the ‘Sheffield Blitz’ app to remember the events which took place and the huge number of Sheffielders impacted.
Features and Content in the Sheffield Blitz App
The Sheffield Blitz walking trail features oral testimony of Sheffield Blitz survivors and a description of events on those two nights in December as well as a map showing all the bomb sites across the city.
New content developed for the 85th anniversary includes:
- 360° drone view of the city marking key bomb sites
- Newsreel style video clips generated by AI from historic photos of the devastation
- 360° views of contemporary Sheffield overlaid with bomb site images
The variety of content from spoken witness testimony to archival imagery and maps help bring to life the devastation caused by the bombing.
The Sheffield Blitz Memorial Trust have been meticulously researching the Blitz events and believe that animated footage, based on real historic photos offers something new to app users, which deepens an understanding of the true human cost. As well as a walking trail and additional content, the Sheffield Blitz app links directly to a permanent exhibition on the same theme at the National Emergency Services Museum, Sheffield.
Screen recording demonstrating the Sheffield Blitz app
Screens from the Sheffield Blitz app
Client Feedback
A digital app felt like the natural fit because of the way this story is tied to place. The Sheffield Blitz isn’t something that sits neatly within four walls – it happened across the city, street by street — so we needed a format that allowed people to experience it in context.
It also gave us the flexibility that traditional interpretation doesn’t. We could combine maps, images (and AI enhanced images/video), audio and first-hand accounts in one place, and allow users to explore at their own pace rather than follow a fixed route.
Just as importantly, it helped us reach audiences we wouldn’t normally engage — particularly younger people who are far more likely to interact with content through their phones than through exhibitions or printed material.
And from a practical point of view, it gives us something we can build on. The content can evolve, new material can be added, and the experience can continue to grow beyond the life of a single project or event.
Situate gave us the confidence to deliver something professional without the need for a costly bespoke build, allowing us to focus on the stories and the user experience while knowing the technical side was in safe hands.
Download the Sheffield Blitz App
The app is available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
