GCU hosts Caledonian Creates showcase

A smartphone app designed to offer help and advice to sleep-deprived new fathers is one of the many highlights of a showcase of creative work by students from Glasgow Caledonian University.

Da, created by student Ryan Forbes, aims to connect fathers with other new dads, features advice about night time routines, stories from other parents, mental health support and a directory of resources on parenting.

The project features in Caledonian Creates, an annual campus exhibition of work from GCU's creative programmes, which cover a wide range of disciplines including graphic design, games design, electronic systems, computer animation and computer games art and animation.

Ryan, 22, built a prototype of the app for the RSA Student Design Awards under the brief  "sleep matters”.

The Digital Design student came up with the idea after reading new mums and dads lose almost 1000 hours of sleep in the first year of having a baby.

Ryan said: “The app is designed to give new dads general advice on fatherhood and give them a community of new fathers, so they’re not alone in their new role.

“There is a lot of apps out there for mums, and other online support like Facebook groups, but there’s not a lot out there for guys, and I want to change that.

“I wanted to create something that could be used to improve health and wellbeing by encouraging better sleep."

Ryan plans to further develop the app when he graduates in the summer.

Prototypes tackling wellbeing and sleep problems are on display today in the Learning Cafe alongside cutting-edge 3D design work and digital campaigns.

Professor Bruce Wood, Director of the Centre for Creative Industries at Glasgow Caledonian University, said: "The relevance of GCU creative students is clear for all to see. Whether it's working with organisations which are involved in hi-tech industries, or charities operating locally and internationally, GCU creative students are delivering a real impact across a wide sector of society.

"This highlights the fact that as well as giving students a chance to show what they've been doing throughout the year, Caledonian Creates also provides a vital link to industry and business for those about to graduate."