Syracuse University Libraries, College of Visual and Performing Arts and the School of Education, in partnership with Intelligence ++ and the Blackstone LaunchPad, are hosting a competitive, fast-paced seven-day No Code Design Sprint for up to 20 student teams.
Gianfranco Zaccai ’70, H’09 (pictured on screen), donor for Intelligence ++, and Kai Patricio G’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts) cohosting a workshop.
The competition was created to harness the power of design thinking, user experience (UX)/ user interface (UI) research and design, and rapid development technology. Traditionally taught and practiced in silos, these skills and tools hold the potential for unparalleled innovation when combined. Intelligence ++ aims to bridge these gaps by providing students with a holistic experience working alongside top alumni industry professionals.
The hybrid weeklong event will commence with an intensive workshop on Feb. 2, 2024, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Whitman School of Management. It is being led by Kai Alexander Patricio G’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts), a design consultant in research and experience design at Matchstiix in Brooklyn, New York. Patricio is renowned for his expertise in design processes utilizing no and low code. He is also the author of the published methodology “Design Led No Code” and consults businesses ranging from start-ups to mature companies.
Patricio will be joined by industry professionals Samantha Calamari (senior learning experience designer, Microsoft), Quentin Fletchall (senior design researcher, Conifer Research), Andrew Tsao (founder, Codeless Coach) and Max Mirho (founder, Make with Max), as collaborators in the design sprint.
The workshop will guide students through the process of testing an idea and building a fully functional prototype or MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Activities will include multi-level mind mapping, empathy structuring, journey sketching, no-code wireframing, API binding, back-end creation and business logic creation.
Teams interested in participating can register online. Selected teams will be assigned a design challenge related to the Intelligence ++ initiative. For those aspiring to develop platforms beyond the design brief, an opportunity to apply for an exception for a prototype build based on their own research will be provided.
The competitive sprint will culminate on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at 2 p.m., with a pitch event at the Whitman School of Management. Teams will present their prototypes to a distinguished panel of successful Syracuse University alumni judges working in the field. The winning team with the best prototype will be awarded a $500 grand prize and $5,000 in AWS credits from AWS Activate.
Intelligence ++ is a collaborative program involving the College of Visual and Performing Arts School of Design, the School of Education’s InclusiveU initiative of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, Syracuse University Libraries and the Blackstone LaunchPad. The Whitman School of Management is hosting the event in partnership with the Couri Hatchery.
This initiative represents a significant step toward fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and preparing students for the dynamic challenges of the ever-evolving technological landscape.
