In the collaborative landscape of tech innovation, the need for a seamless hackathon experience is critical. My mission was to transform JBHunt’s approach to engaging employees in hackathons. The existing process lacked a centralized, intuitive platform, leading to disjointed participation and administrative challenges.
In the realm of tech innovation, a frictionless hackathon experience is essential. Tasked with revolutionizing how JBHunt involves employees in hackathons, I faced the challenge of an existing process that was scattered and non-intuitive.
The People’s team relied on external services like Eventbrite for registrations, followed by a cumbersome process of manually setting up teams and tracking projects across emails and MS Teams. Withdrawals, team updates, and volunteer management were all handled through a mix of MS Teams and manual Excel entries.
This disjointed system led to administrative inefficiencies and barriers to seamless employee participation
Project Motivation:
I took on this project to dive back into responsive design and explore something fun beyond my usual work. This app, currently under development by our intern team, offers them hands-on experience with a real product and collaboration in a full-team environment. I collaborated directly with three senior directors as key stakeholders, ensuring the project aligned with strategic goals while mentoring the interns through the process.
Registration Experience
Upon registration, each participant, be it a hacker, volunteer, or expert, gained instant access to comprehensive eventdetails. This immediate provision of information was a crucial step in preparing them for their role in the hackathonand fostering a sense of excitement and anticipation.
Teams
I aimed to create a user-friendly team management system for our hackathon, where participants can effortlessly build and manage their teams. Whether it's inviting new members, accepting or declining requests, or organizing team details, the focus was on making collaboration smooth and accessible. This way, everyone can fully engage with their team, fostering a strong sense of community.
Hacker's Lounge
I envisioned the Hackers' Lounge as a dynamic space where everyone—whether you’re solo or part of a team—can connect, collaborate, and share ideas. It’s more than just a meeting spot; it’s where individuals can find teammates based on skills, join existing teams, or simply see what others are working on. By offering a team view and fostering interactions, it creates an inclusive environment where everyone can contribute, innovate, and be part of the hackathon buzz, regardless of their current team status.
Adminstrator
The Admin Panel was crafted with flexibility and efficiency in mind. It allows organizers to create events, manage volunteer forms, and oversee team activities seamlessly. By providing the tools to add or remove admins and manage registrations, I ensured that the hackathon operations run without a hitch, empowering admins to focus on delivering an exceptional experience.
Voter
I set out to create a voting interface for our hackathon event that was not just functional but also inclusive. The goalwas to design an experience where accessibility was woven into each interaction, allowing every participant,regardless of ability, to engage with the platform fully.
While the fi nal presentations sparked excitement, I wanted to ensure that the participants’ insights and reactions were captured in themoment. So, I introduced a feature where users could jot down notes alongside each team’s pitch. This way, their immediate thoughts andconstructive feedback were preserved, enriching the decision-making process.
