Siftr

Siftr is a social media app that engages users with elements of field research through the documenting and sharing of images. Anyone can create a Siftr by choosing up to five themes around which to focus the media that will be collected and categorized. Users upload a photograph, provide a brief description of the image and its relevance, and tag it with one of five selected themes. Images are then pinned to a map, connecting moments to places. Siftr allows for other social components such as commenting, liking, searching, and linking photos to Twitter and Pinterest. In addition to being iOS and Android compatible, Siftr was built as a web app, meaning users can upload photos “in the field” or take a photograph and upload it later from a desktop. While Siftr seems similar to many social media platforms, it was designed to playfully engage specific communities, such as a class, around defined topics. It can be used for small class and group projects, or for long term and large field initiatives.