Water-tracking app wins Rhys a place in business design awards final

An app that tracks how much water you’re drinking has earned Digital Design student Rhys Ritchie a place in the final of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce Student Design Awards.

Fourth-year Rhys has been shortlisted for the RSA’s Best Business Case Award in the Working Well category for his app Traqua. Used with a smart water bottle, Traqua tracks and helps boost daily water intake by encouraging users to compete with friends and family to reach a daily target.

He created Traqua for a Design for Change module in his BSc Digital Design (Graphics) programme, led by Dr Mary Maclachlan. Students were challenged to meet RSA’s working well brief to create designs that promote wellbeing at work to contribute to higher productivity and better mental health. Students were also asked to create a business case for their design and Rhys’ caught the eye of judges.

Rhys said: “I’m really excited about this great opportunity and am looking forward to competing in the final and getting a chance to see all the other entries and meeting the interview panel.”

Dr Maclachlan said: “We are really proud of Rhys and wish him well for the interview in May. It’s a huge achievement to be shortlisted for such a challenging brief and such a prestigious award. This will be a great kick start to his career as a socially conscious digital designer.”

Rhys will travel to the RSA’s London HQ to be interviewed by a panel in May. If he wins, he will be awarded £1000 in the NatWest sponsored contest.

The prestigious contest, established in 1924, is the world’s longest-running student competition and the leading programme focused on design for social change. Previous winners include Apple’s chief design officer Jonathan Ives , eco-conscious shoe designer  Tracey Neuls and co-founder of global designers IDEO Bill Moggridge.