Ben Hooper, Computing & Digital Technologies BSc (Hons) student, has developed the very first mobile app for Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival.
Bridgwater is the UKs oldest Carnival, officially dating back to 1881. The Carnival attracts visitors from far and wide and is one of the largest illuminated Carnivals in the world.
Last year, the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Team approached UCS about developing an app for the event’s 100,000 visitors. Course Leader, Richard Everard, handed Ben this brief, and having had family involved in Carnival, plus his ambition to be a mobile app developer once he graduates, Ben was a fantastic choice.
Ben’s first design of the app really impressed the Carnival team, showing his creative skills and ability to follow a brief. The process involved a lot of communication and presenting of ideas both digitally and in person – essential industry skills.
‘It really hit me that this was a real work environment when we finished our first official designs, we invited the Carnival Team to UCS and showed them exactly how the users would interact with the app – which they were really happy with.’
Currently, features of the app include:
The Carnival Companion app got 500 downloads in the first four days of it going live, and helped many people to prepare for their Carnival experience.
‘It’s been really exciting working with a big organisation, especially living in Somerset and knowing how big Bridgwater Carnival is, and will only get bigger in the future.’
Now in his third and final year at UCS, Ben has decided to develop the app further for his final project. More technical features are already being planned for the next version of the app, these include:
After graduating, Ben hopes for a career in mobile app development. With the combination of his technical and creative skills, key industry experiences, and this app for his portfolio, we can see a very bright future for Ben in this sector.
At UCS, we strive to prepare our students for real life. With the perfect blend of knowledge, skills and experience matched with our strong industry links, we provide our students with the toolbox to transform into professionals into their dream job.
For more information about Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival, visit their official website.
You can download the Carnival Companion App on the Appstore.