Design thinking and innovation sprints are familiar structured methodologies used for problem-solving and ideation. In this talk, I highlight the hackathon - no longer just a room of sweaty university students but a real, viable strategy combining design thinking and sprint-based prototyping to drive new ideas and creativity.
The idea for this talk came about as I reflected on the last hackathon I went to, StormHacks 2023, where together my team of three developers and one designer ideated, researched, designed, developed, and demoed a project, winning 1st prize- all in 24 hours!
As a combination of design thinking and innovation sprints, Hackathons are a powerful approach to innovating within your teams, introducing collaboration, creativity and fun into your product lifecycle.
In this talk, I explore the power of hackathons and real-life examples and share some tips on organizing your hackathon.
Although I am only a rookie in terms of design, I can call myself a veteran in terms of hackathons (I’ve been organizing Western Canada’s largest hackathons for three years now) - and I hope to share my love and experience of hackathons with the UXxUX unConference audience!!
