Participating in a hackathon was something I had always wanted to do, but never really had the opportunity to. When I found out about Kitahack 2023, a national hackathon in Malaysia, I knew it was the perfect chance to fulfill that dream.
Our app that we developed specifically for this competition, Carve, is designed to help underprivileged pregnant mothers by providing them with a platform to access useful information, resources, and connections with professionals. Carve utilizes design thinking principles, and our team conducted extensive user testing and research to develop an app that caters to the needs of our target audience. The app provides features such as a content library, a preferred usage time, and a resource locator to help underprivileged pregnant mothers navigate the challenges of parenthood.
Now, let's dive into the process of developing Carve, from the initial brainstorming to the final product.
The Preparation Phase
Our journey to the Kitahack 2023 national hackathon began when we stumbled upon a post about it on Instagram. After attending the info sessions and briefings, my friends and I started to conduct research on the competition to better understand the prompt, the rules, the prizes, and the competition's relation to the Google Solution Challenge. We had to prepare ourselves for a competition that would require us to develop an innovative and practical solution that addressed real-world problems, specifically the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Team
We decided to form a four-man team and officially signed up for the competition. The team comprised of me, Bonifacio Ronald (first from the right), and my teammates Dylan Eu Jiun Kai (second from the right), Rex Lim (third from the right), and Gregories Hans Andreanto (fourth from the right). We immediately started our brainstorming and ideation process for the application we were going to develop.
Brainstorming
We started the ideation process with many ideas, but we soon realized that we needed to focus on a project that catered to the underprivileged group and could make a significant impact. Our aim was to develop a solution that would address the challenges faced by pregnant mothers, especially those in underprivileged communities. We talked to many people and friends, including pregnant women and mothers, to gather feedback on how we could improve our ideas. Our aim was to come up with a concept that was not only innovative but also practical and beneficial to our target audience. Therefore, for the first stage of the competition, we produced this 5-minute idea showcase video that got us qualified for the second round of judging, which was the live demo.
The Challenges
As a team, we faced numerous challenges during the hackathon. It was our first time participating in a hackathon, and we had a steep learning curve. We had to learn how to use Figma for prototyping and UI design, GitHub for collaboration and version control, and new technologies like Firebase. Additionally, we only had ten days to develop the app after passing the first stage. Lastly, there was no available API for data collection on parenting tips, forcing us to manually collect the information ourselves.
These challenges tested our perseverance and teamwork, but we were determined to overcome them. We divided tasks among ourselves and worked collaboratively, using our individual strengths to make the most out of the limited time we had. Through hard work and determination, we were able to develop a functional app that we were proud to present during the hackathon.
D-Day
On the day of the competition, our team was scheduled to present Carve to the judges. We had prepared our 15-minute presentation three days prior, practicing our pitches repeatedly until we were confident enough to present.
During the presentation, we began with a brief introduction of the app, followed by a live demonstration of its features. We explained how Carve could help parents track their children's developmental milestones, monitor their children's growth, and receive helpful parenting tips. Our team then answered the judges' questions and received feedback on our app.
The Q&A session with the judges was a crucial part of our presentation. We were able to explain our app's features, its target market, and its potential impact on society. The judges appreciated our app's focus on helping underprivileged parents and its unique approach to collecting parenting tips.
After our presentation, we felt a sense of relief and excitement. We had done our best, and the judges had seemed impressed by our app's potential. We eagerly waited for the results, hoping that our hard work and dedication would pay off.
Overall, the presentation was nerve-wracking, but it was a valuable experience that taught us how to pitch our ideas effectively and handle questions confidently. It was also an excellent opportunity to showcase our app to potential users and industry experts.
Results
We were overjoyed when we won the first national runner-up award and took home 2000 Malaysian Ringgit. It was a great feeling of accomplishment after ten sleepless nights, learning new technologies and working tirelessly to develop an app that could make a real-world difference. We learned so much about the technical aspects of application development and the importance of teamwork and perseverance. Overall, it was a memorable and enriching experience.
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