Walk and team up, then prototype
For the first time in the history of hackathons world-wide, we're embedding health deep into the hacking experience. No coding.
We'll start at the base of Mount Royal, and team up with one another while walking up the mountain. You arrive at the hacking destination with a team and a good idea worth prototyping.
Why a Walkathon Walk'n Talk?
- Us humans are more creative in nature
- When we walk, we are able to focus the "linear/left" brain on the simple task of walking, which allows our "rich/right" brain to engage in diffused/non-focused thinking enabling tons of new ideas emerge because of new random connections happening in our minds
- We do it with others. Social interaction benefits our health and those around us
- It's a purpose-driven walk "to come up with a set of ideas to prototype in teams on the mountain", this makes it more likely you'll reach the end of the hike. When's the last time you went for a nature walk?
Why a Prototyping Workshop?
- We prototype to gain key insights into our projects, "Are we on the right track?", "Would customers really use our product?"
- The challenge is to learn as fast as possible, and close the build-measure-learn loop
- Doing it with others, in teams, means we are not isolated. Easier to get "un-stuck"
- Structured peer feedback helps us course-correct earlier, it's pseudo-customer feedback
How does ProtoHack work?
- No coding is required. Instead we will use prototyping tools, drag and drop editors, mockups, wireframes and other UX tools to VISUALLY demonstrate ideas to others
- Pen+paper to start with, then digital prototypes
- Create a new team with other participants or join an existing project
- Produce prototypes and give feedback and critique to other teams (reciprocally by peers). Remember, we are creating lean prototypes: it doesn't need to be perfect
- At the end, teams present to peers and to a panel of judges consisting of experienced product owners, designers and developers
Speakers, coaches and mentors
Learn to prototype in the company of masters.
Jaime Levy
Jaime Levy is an author, college professor and User Experience consultant based in Los Angeles, California. Her book "UX Strategy: How to Devise Innovative Digital Products that People Want" was recently published by O'Reilly Media. Jaime heads a consultancy called JLR Interactive that caters to startups and enterprises, helping them transform their business concepts into innovative and scalable online solutions. She conducts workshops worldwide and also teaches a graduate level UX design and strategy course in the Viterbi engineering school at the University of Southern California. To learn more about Jaime Levy, look her up on Wikipedia and LinkedIn.
Daniel Engelberg
Lead UX designer who specializes in clear, creative and strategic thinking about complex interactive applications. Daniel does lots of rapid prototyping. He's also the founder of Rethink UX Montreal, a group about innovation in UX methodology. Connect with Daniel on LinkedIn.
What's in it for me?
At ProtoHack we build prototypes that communicate ideas visually. Learn how to effectively use industry leading tools to put together various types of prototypes.
- Meet other like-minded people with various backgrounds in design, business, marketing, product management and more who are all excited and passionate about building something cool
- Become a better product person with a deeper understanding of your users' experience
- Access to over $500 in prototyping tools and sponsor related goodies
- Connect with developers who are looking for new projects; they are invited to come and watch the final presentations
Shedule
Saturday, February 13th, 2016
11:00am Join a theme group at Monument à Sir George-Étienne Cartier
11:30am Walk+talk to team up
12:15pm Ideas presentations and p2p critique inside Chalet du Mont-Royal
12:45pm Food
13:00am PROTOTYPE with pen + paper
14:00am (Optional) Build higher fidelity digital PROTOTYPES (bring your laptop or smartphone)
15:30pm Prototype presentations and p2p critique
16:30pm After-party Happy Hour
Thanks to our Sponsors
Community Partners
ProtoHack has joined the VertMTL federation of community events to help prototype innovative green ideas to decarbonize Montreal. We have special mentors and coaches for green-tech projects.
Post or join a carbon-emissions-lowering project on marathoncreatif.sparkboard.com
ProtoHack.org exists to show non-coders that they can create something amazing from nothing.
We empower the non-technical community with the tools, knowledge and connections that will help bring their ideas to life and visually communicate them through the art and science of prototyping.