Wimagine That: Smart Application Launches out of Grand Rapids

Albert Einstein said, "Creativity is contagious, pass it on," and that's exactly what Founder Michael Hyacinthe plans to do with his smart application, Wimage.

"Words to Images", allows users to create their own shareable image from a sentence or series of words, similar to internet memes.  The app analyzes each word entered by users and then translates them into pictures.

The idea for Wimage grew out of his Hyacinthe's work with wounded veterans.  His nonprofit [Fashion Has Heart] pairs a designer and a wounded veteran together where they will create a design based on the veterans' story.  The expression of the story into a design is both therapeutic and artistic, and the final designs are then transposed on shirts and boots.

Wimage acts as the designer, using whatever text is input to generate the picture.  While these designs won't be placed on T-shirts and boots, they can be stored and shared online. These Wimages visually communicate bold thoughts or painful past stories of the person creating them - or they could be used as a fun way to spend a few minutes of your day.  It is up to the user to share as much or as little about themselves when creating.

The application was built by a team that consisted of Hyacinthe, a Grand Valley State University Computer Science Team, as well as Independent Software Developer, Nic Jansma, who has brought the application to the point of launch.

"The dream for Wimage is to perfectly translate your verbal or written story into a visual medium.  While that goal may take years to achieve, we are making steady progress and can understand the core concepts, environment and mood of the stories we're analyzing," Jansma offers, "The Interpretation Engine splits apart the story into simple components which we then visually convey via pictures on a canvas." Any device with IOS capabilities becomes a virtual canvas through Wimage.

Kendal College of Art and Design (KCAD) has also offered their support to the app.

"I immediately embraced the Wimage project because it gives students the opportunity to volunteer, create an image based on their experiences and have the opportunity to learn the value of giving back to the community," said Katie Moore, Director of Community Engagement at KCAD.

The GRAM, Artprize and UICA have opened their facilities to student to volunteer and gain knowledge about the city's art and design opportunities.  Moore hopes that the partnerships with Wimage and other arts venues will open doors and minds to careers within West Michigan.

"It gives our students the motivation to really think about their place in the community and how to make an impact in it," Moore concluded.

Whether it's a student in KCAD's Critical Transitions Course, a Silverline commuter with a lyric stuck in their head, a professional visualizing a marketing concept or a parent engaging with their child, Hyacinthe hopes the application will spark the same creative spirit as [Fashion Has Heart] and empower the wider audience to share their stories through Words and Images.

Hyacinthe is excited as, "creativity is a right that everyone should explore.

Wimage available for free download on IOS.