Description
A Hackathon is an event format which is involves actual problem solving. At a scientific hackathon (or hackathon), researchers, computer developers, designers and all those who enjoy tinkering come together. Together, working in interdisciplinary groups, they attempt to solve a problem: they discuss, craft, and develop prototypes, which can come together in the form of potential new tools, hardware, apps, or software.
Target Audience
- Adult citizens
- Teenagers
You can do it with all those groups, but we did it with professionals from different fields like public engagement or the cultural and creative sector.
Benefits
Benefits
Hackathons are very good at bringing people with different backgrounds and various forms of knowledge and expertise together, and allows them to work together to help find inovating solutions for real problems, which possibly would not have be thought of otherwise. Very successfully, Hackathons are established on a local basis e.g. working with a local community on urban problems.
Preparations
- Think about problems or challenges you want to overcome or solve together
- Decide on a venue
- Consider what materials or technical requirements you need
- Bring knowledgeable people on the topic and computer developers
- Have a platform for groups to share their ideas with other hackathon participants.
Notes
The preparation of a hackathon includes the organisational preparations as well as the marketing/communications and administration/management of participants.
A hackathon usually starts with presentations about the problem or challange you wish to adresss, and an explaination of the hackathon process.
