Uncharted Territory at Waikato computer graphic design show

2 November 2011

Uncharted Territory at Waikato computer graphic design show

An iPhone app that tells you how safe beauty products are and an Android app that helps preschool kids learn are two of many innovative projects on show at the University of Waikato Computer Graphic Design Show.

Waikato University final-year computer graphic design student Karen Manktelow has created an iPhone app that will assist with the purchase of ethical and environmentally friendly skincare products.

The app, called skincare, works by giving a safe rating to products that have had their barcodes photographed and scanned through the app.

“Last year I went to a living nature presentation and they pointed out how many chemicals are in our cosmetics. There’s not a lot of information for New Zealand women about what is in their cosmetics, and hopefully this is a solution,” says Karen.

“The safe rating will tell you how safe the product is, and show you what harmful ingredients are in it.”

Users can then tell friends about their purchase online through social networks or add the product to an online wish list.

This year’s University of Waikato design show for Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design is being held this November 2 - 9 at the University of Waikato.

The show’s theme is Uncharted Territory, and among the projects on display are interactive board games, xbox camera technology being used to control computer input and output and branding projects where students have taken a product, event or service and developed a visual identity system for a company.

Another project on display is Katrina McIntosh’s project called Wordals, which uses Android technology to help preschool kids learn.

Wordals is a series of educational games on Android tablet computers aimed at preschool children.

“The games teach things like naming animals, counting and making good decisions in a way that pre-schoolers can understand,” says Katrina.

Based in the Department of Computer Science, Waikato’s three-year Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design degree offers a unique mix of programming and design, in line with new international developments in design education.

ENDS