Downtown Phoenix Campus Launches Urban Devil App

A new smartphone application will help students on Arizona State University’s Downtown Phoenix campus find things to do on campus and in the surrounding area. Urban Devil, available for iPhone and Android and online, features university and student organization happenings as well as relevant events within walking distance of the campus. It also highlights special deals offered by local businesses for ASU students. “This campus has a unique culture because of its location in the heart of the nation’s sixth-largest city, which also is the Valley’s hub for business and entertainment activity,” said Liz Smith, outreach director for the downtown campus university vice provost’s office. “We wanted to showcase that uniqueness in a tool that helps downtown students navigate numerous student life opportunities.” The app was designed by students in the New Media Innovation Lab at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication on the Downtown Phoenix campus. “Urban Devil will give students a one-stop shop to find all the events that are happening on the downtown campus and in the community that surrounds it,” said Rudy Rivas, a Cronkite graduate who was part of the app’s design team. “And if you are on a budget, you can also find great deals that are made just for ASU students.” Users who log in to the app with their university ID will be able to get personalized event recommendations. The app also allows users to share events with friends through email, Twitter and Facebook. New Media Innovation Lab students interviewed a variety of prospective app users when determining specifications for the app. “The Urban Devil app is designed to help answer the question ‘What’s going on?’” said Retha Hill, director of the lab. “There is a lot going on in downtown Phoenix, so this app helps get students out of the rut of going to the same places.” The free app can be downloaded from the iPhone or Android app stores. A Web version of the app is available at urbandevil.asu.edu.