UX Design
User Research
User Flows
Interaction Design
Design Systems
Usability Testing
WCAG
🔍 background
As the Design Lead for TechNova Hackathon 2025, I was responsible for creating the full set of application flows for participants, mentors, and volunteers. The goal was to design an application system that was not only functional, but also reflected the hackathon’s playful and welcoming brand identity. With hundreds of applicants expected, the experience needed to feel smooth, accessible, and inviting, something that set the tone for the event itself.
🧩 problem
How might we create an application system that feels simple, inclusive, and enjoyable for hackers, mentors, and volunteers to use, while guiding them smoothly through each step without feeling overwhelming?
🔬 research
To better understand what applicants needed, we used both primary and secondary research methods.
For primary research, we conducted user feedback surveys and held user flow sessions where we observed how participants interacted with early prototypes. We also ran design sprints with the organizing team to walk through each step of the process and align on flow and structure.
For secondary research, we reviewed feedback from previous years’ application forms, which were hosted on Google Forms. This revealed not only recurring pain points from applicants but also limitations from an organizer’s perspective. While Google Forms was quick to set up, it lacked flexibility in navigation, customization, and accessibility features, which often frustrated both applicants and organizers.
From this research, we identified several key findings:
Navigation felt unclear, and applicants were unsure what stage they were on.
The forms were too long and overwhelming, especially for first-time hackers.
Accessibility gaps, such as poor colour contrast and limited customization in Google Forms, made the process harder for some users.
The design felt plain and disconnected from TechNova’s brand, making the experience less engaging.
Organizers struggled to customize the form experience or guide applicants more smoothly due to the limitations of Google Forms.
These findings guided us to design a custom application system that was more user-friendly, accessible, and true to the event’s identity and branding!
🎯 goal + design process
Our main goal was to create an application system that felt welcoming, intuitive, and accessible for everyone involved in TechNova. Specifically, we aimed to:
Make the signup and login process quick and straightforward.
Ensure the forms collected all necessary details without overwhelming users too much. (there were some mandatory information that needed to stay).
Keep the design consistent with TechNova’s playful brand identity.
Prioritize accessibility so that applicants of all backgrounds and abilities could easily apply.
🥳 final product
In the end, we built a smooth and playful application system that hackers, mentors, and volunteers could all easily navigate.
Here’s a quick peek at part of the mentor application flow, from logging in, to viewing your dashboard, to continuing a form. It shows how we kept things clear, accessible, and true to TechNova’s fun vibe!
🌱 reflection
This project was honestly a lot of fun for me! At first it felt a little overwhelming trying to piece together flows for hackers, mentors, and volunteers while balancing deadlines, but it quickly turned into one of the most interesting design challenges I've worked on.
I learned just how important user flows and interactions are in shaping someone’s experience. The surveys and past feedback showed me that even small pain points, like unclear questions or too many steps, can really frustrate users. Iterating on those details and watching the experience improve was super rewarding.
It also reminded how important collaboration and feedback are in design! Between user input, organizer meetings, and quick iterations, I realized good design is not necessarily always about creating something perfect on the first try. It's about listening, testing, and improving until it feels right.
Most of all, this project gave me confidence in leading a design process from start to finish. It taught me how to make quick decisions under pressure, how to keep accessibility top of mind, and how to translate a brand’s energy into a digital experience people actually enjoy using.
All in all, super rewarding project! 😆
