PANOPTICON
The world wide web presents a surveillance state in which you are able to view the creations of the population, and, in turn, they are able to view you and your creations. How does design respond to and influence mass perception?
What is a Design-A-Thon?
A 3-day design challenge where UT students design and build bold new ideas to meet the prompt. Expect food, swag, your work being seen by working design professionals, and MORE! Open to all majors and skill levels — no prior experience needed. You must be a UT Austin enrolled student to participate.
Requirements
All teams must submit a Pitch Deck and a 3-5 sentence description blurb on their finished product. Optionally, teams may also submit a demo video around 2-5mins long. Your Pitch Deck should be compelling and tell the complete story of your design. Use this as a canvas to showcase your thinking, process, and vision.
Be sure to include assets such as mockups, prototypes, storyboards, diagrams, etc. which you have created using Figma or another platform!
ALL FINAL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE ON NOVEMBER 15TH AT 10AM!
Prizes
Best Overall Award
Excels in visuals, usability, and on-theme with true ingenuity
Excellence in Visual Design
Outstanding aesthetics and design system
Excellence in Usability
Best-in-class user experience and interaction design
Innovation Award
Most original concept and creative thinking with the theme
Judges
Carla Garcia Leija
Designer @ IBM
Aditi Hambarde
Masters @ UT Austin
Eric Graham
Senior Principal UX Engineer @ Dell
Kristen Graham
Principal Visual Designer @ Dell Technologies
Judging Criteria
-
Visual & UI Design – 25%
- Is the visual design cohesive, polished, and purposeful? - Does the UI have clear hierarchy and strong aesthetic choices? - Are design elements professionally executed? -
Problem Solving & UX – 25%
- Does your design address a meaningful problem? - Is the solution thoughtful and user-centered? - Do you demonstrate clear understanding of user needs? -
Story & Communication – 20%
- Can you clearly communicate your concept, impact, and vision? - Is your narrative compelling and easy to follow? - Does your presentation engage and inform? -
Innovation & Creativity – 20%
- Does your approach challenge existing systems or offer fresh perspectives? - Have you demonstrated bold, thoughtful creativity? - Is your solution original rather than derivative? -
Presentation & Execution – 10%
- Is your slide deck well-structured and easy to navigate? - Have you paid attention to details (no typos, broken links, incomplete elements)? - Does your submission feel refined and complete?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager