Register now to access team formation events
Register Deadline: April 11th 6pm PST

Get hands-on user-centered design experience by challenging the norm with out-of-the-box ideas. Join us in kicking off our 4-day challenge April 11th through April 14th. During this time, students will participate on various design workshops and meet new friends from other US college campuses to tackle a 0-1 design challenge together!

Eligibility: any undergrad or grad students in North America can participate

Design Brief
See information on submission requirements, experience level criteria, event rules, prompts, and more
See Design Brief
Devpost
Click here to submit your project!
Reminder: You’ll need to sign in or create an account for Devpost. Deadline: Sunday April 14th 6pm PST
Submit Project
Beginners Rubric
See how your project will be graded. 4 categories, 4 points, each, 16 possible points.
Note: minimum 2 hi-fi screens required, see rubric for more details
See Rubric
Intermediate+ Rubric
See how your project will be graded. 4 categories, 4 points, each, 16 possible points.
See Rubric
Keynote Speaker
Felix Lee
Felix Lee
He/Him
[Co-founder & CEO
@ ADP List]
Felix Lee
He/Him
[Co-founder & CEO
@ ADP List]
Felix is the Co-founder & CEO of ADPList and sets the vision and strategy for the company. Founded in 2021, the company grew into a global townsquare for expert knowledge, with 20K+ Mentors from companies like Netflix, Airbnb, and Google, hosting over 100 million minutes of sessions on topics such as product design, product management, and coding in 140+ countries. As a designer, Felix has embedded his creative roots in ADPList's culture, product, and community.
Judges
Jason Berger
Jason Berger
He/Him
[Senior Product Designer
@ Betterhelp]
Jason Berger
He/Him
[Senior Product Designer
@ Betterhelp]
Jason has a passion for the intersection of psychology and design, maintaining a keen sense of empathy for the user through each stage of the design process. He is currently a Senior Product Designer at BetterHelp, with prior experience at Bird as well as a number of tech startups. He also has a passion for film, reading, music, and spending time with his little Shih Tzu Howard.
Raven Ho
Raven Ho
She/Her
[UX Designer
@ Precisely]
Raven Ho
She/Her
[UX Designer
@ Precisely]
Raven is a UX designer based in Austin, currently, leading the designs of a B2B security product at Precisely. Coming from a user research and information architecture background, she emphasizes user context, interface interactions, and information structure when designing. Recently, she’s started on a first-time user experience project and finds it interesting but also challenging to streamline users’ onboarding process in a complex and technical product context. Outside of work, she enjoys watching films, dancing, and playing with her hamster. She is looking forward to seeing some innovative designs from you!
Janny Xue
Janny Xue
She/Her
[UX Designer
@ Riot Games]
Janny Xue
She/Her
[UX Designer
@ Riot Games]
Janny graduated from UCSB in 2021 with BS in PBS. She switched from Biology/Pre-Health to UX design in her 4th year, gaining UX experience in school orgs (SBCL, Gaucho Creative) and college startups (PoolUp, Openmeal). She got her first UX job at Accenture 3 months post-grad and is currently a UX designer on the Localization Technology team at Riot Games and has been there for 2 years! In her free time she loves to game: Valorant, LoL, Stardew Valley, and others :) She also has two cats named Yuumi and Iso and a dog named Yuuki!
Hannah Millar
Hannah Millar
She/Her
[Associate Product Designer
@ Betterhelp]
Hannah Millar
She/Her
[Associate Product Designer
@ Betterhelp]
Hannah’s background in graphic design and marketing provided her with a solid foundation in visual communication and user engagement strategies. She joined Gaucho Creative Marketing Group in 2020 and collaborated with companies like Cisco, Zoom, and PoolUp. Now, as an Associate Product Designer at BetterHelp, she specializes in therapist acquisition and retention. She assists therapists in onboarding to the platform, growing their caseloads, and expanding their therapy delivery methods.
Workshop Hosts
Hannah Millar
Hannah Millar
She/Her
Workshop: User Research
Lottie Files
Lottie Files
Very cool company
Workshop: Motion Design 101
Van Vo
Van Vo
She/Her
Workshop: Intro to Figma

Schedule

In-Person events, marked "IP" are open to UCSB/SBCC students only
All Studio Hours are hosted at the UCSB library 2nd floor study rooms.

Friday - Apr. 5, 2024
6:00 pm

Team Formation Social (IP)

Join us @ UCSB Student Health Lawn

Monday - Apr. 8, 2024
5:00-5:30 pm

Workshop: Motion Design 101

Hosted by LottieFiles
Join us on Zoom

5:30 pm

Team Formation Social

Join us on Zoom


Wednesday - Apr. 10, 2024
6:00 pm

Workshop: User Research

Hosted by Hannah Millar
Join us on Zoom


Thursday - Apr. 11, 2024
6:00 pm

Opening Ceremony

Join us on Zoom
Led by SBCL's Director: Tvisha Patel

Keynote SpeechLed by Keynote Speaker: Felix Lee
Challenge BriefAnnouncing this year's designathon theme and prompts

Friday - Apr. 12, 2024
1:00-5:00 pm

Studio Hours (IP)

Teams can work in person together at our work rooms. Possible peer mentorship is provided.

Location: Library room 2503

6:00pm

Workshop: Intro to Figma

Led by Van Vo
Join us on Zoom


Saturday - Apr. 13, 2024
1:00-8:00 pm

Studio Hours (IP)

Teams can work in person together at our work rooms. Possible peer mentorship is provided.

Location: Library room 2332


Sunday - Apr. 13, 2024
1:00-6:00 pm

Studio Hours (IP)

Teams can work in person together at our work rooms. Possible peer mentorship is provided.

Location: Library rooms 2326 (1-5pm), 2332 (5-6pm)

5:59 pm

PROJECT SUBMISSION DEADLINE

All projects must be submitted on Devpost by 5:59 pm!!!

Wednesday - Apr. 17, 2024
6:00pm

Closing Ceremony

Join us on Zoom
Winners announced


Friday - Apr. 19, 2024
6:00pm

After Party (IP)

Come join us in a celebration for all of your amazing project submissions! Free snacks and drinks are provided.

Location: Student Resources Building

Prizes

The projects of all winning teams will be featured on the SBCL website and in SBCL Instagram posts!

Gift card and subscription prizes will be emailed and all other physical prizes will be mailed.

Beginner 1st Place

Each member of the winning team will receive a prize up to $50 in the form of a lego set, an ice maker, or gift card of your choice.

SBCL Stickers, an Adobe tote bag, and a 2-month Proto.io subscription will also be gifted.

Beginner 2nd Place

Each member of the winning team will receive a prize up to $20 in the form of a squishmellow, dotted notebook, or a gift card of your choice.

SBCL Stickers, an Adobe tote bag, and a 2-month Proto.io subscription will also be gifted.

Beginner 3rd Place

Each member of the winning team will receive SBCL Stickers, an Adobe tote bag, and a 2-month Proto.io subscription.

Intermediate 1st Place

Each member of the winning team will receive a prize up to $50 in the form of a lego set, an ice maker, or gift card of your choice.

SBCL Stickers, an Adobe tote bag, and a 2-month Proto.io subscription will also be gifted.

Intermediate 2nd Place

Each member of the winning team will receive a prize up to $20 in the form of a squishmellow, dotted notebook, or a gift card of your choice.

SBCL Stickers, an Adobe tote bag, and a 2-month Proto.io subscription will also be gifted.

Intermediate 3rd Place

Each member of the winning team will receive SBCL Stickers, an Adobe tote bag, and a 2-month Proto.io subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a designathon?

A designathon is an event where teams of designers are tasked with designing a solution to a given prompt. It's also a fun way to practice your skills, meet new people + win awesome prizes!

Who can participate?

Any college student in North America may participate in the designathon. We welcome designers from all levels and backgrounds!

How much does it cost to attend the event?

SB Creative Lab events are all free of charge! You do not have to pay to participate in the event. Register on our registration form!

Can I participate with a team?

Absolutely! We are requiring students to compete in teams of 2-3 designers.

How do I prepare?

We will be hosting workshops catered towards guiding you through some important step for creating your projects! We will also be having some speakers come in to share some tips!

Where is the event taking place?

The event will be hybrid this year with work sessions available for UCSB students at the library. We are using Discord and Zoom to host the designathon.

Protoio
ADPList
Adobe
sponsors
finn
LottieFiles
finn