Come to a design-led no-code Hackathon, September 23- 25

Design thinking, UX/UI research and design, and no-code/low code tech tools have the potential to converge and unleash unparalleled innovation. The problem is these skills are too often taught and practiced in silos. Imagine learning how to bring them together in a fast-paced weekend innovation sprint, led by leading thinkers in each field. We’re excited to offer 20 top students that opportunity. Apply here by September 14.

This three-day hackathon at the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons in Bird Library will be a collaborative, cross campus initiative of VPA’s School of Design, the Blackstone LaunchPad, and the Newhouse School’s Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship. The event will explore a new methodology entitled Design-led No Code which bridges the gap between UX/UI research and no-code tools, enhancing both design research methods and digital product/interface development. The program will follow a process that begins with defining the feasibility of an idea and concludes with fully functional prototype or MVP. Student innovators will participate in multi-level mind mapping, persona creation, and paper prototyping as well as no-code wireframing, API binding, back-end creation, and business logic creation as part of this sprint. No-code specific processes will be re-contextualized and informed by the Design-led No Code methodology.  

There will be two tracks within the event: Design Research and the MVP Accelerator.  

Design Research will include teams of designers executing a digital interface design intervention in response to a brief by the Intelligence++ initiative. These briefs will span three categories: designing for a “lost child,” designing for families with a child on the spectrum, or designing a new educational digital interface for practitioners improving accessibility. If students wish to research topics outside of the design brief(s), they will have the opportunity to apply for an exception to participate in a prototype build of their own research. The design research participants will follow the same methodology as the MVP track, but the final prototype does not need to be for public usage.

In the MVP Accelerator designers will partner with student businesses or cross disciplinary collaborators affiliated with the Blackstone LaunchPad or Newhouse School. Design students will work with the businesses through the Design-led No Code to realize a well-designed MVP by the end of the sprint. The designers on the MVP accelerator teams will be leads for incorporating the design research elements of the process with their collaborators from student businesses/cross disciplinary schools.  

Who should apply: 

Design students compelled by Interaction Design and UX/UI processes. Students interested in digital interface creation or entrepreneurship. 

This event will be fully catered and the hackathon will support 20 students in this unique opportunity.

The final deadline to register for participation is September 14. The top 20 candidates will be chosen by the School of Design Guiding Committee and participants will be notified by September 19 with additional details. 

Quinton Fletchall and Max Mirho

External professionals who will be joining on-site for the weekend as experts and coaches:  

  • Quinton Fletchall: Senior Design Researcher at Conifer Research  
  • Max Mirho: No Code Expert & Entrepreneurship Educator, founder, Make with Max

Syracuse University supporting faculty/staff:

  • Don Carr: Program Director, MFA in Design, IID BFA  
  • Linda Hartsock: Executive Director Blackstone LaunchPad, Whitman faculty
  • Sean Branagan: Director for Digital Media Entrepreneurship, Newhouse faculty  

Apply now through this Eventbrite link.