We recently hosted our first ever all-day hackathon at our MediaCityUK headquarters. From 8am to 8pm, we hacked and snacked with the goal to spark innovation, bringing everyone and their great ideas together.
With fifteen people in total split into three teams, the challenge was on to design and develop a unique product and find a winning idea. Carry on reading to see how you can test one of the concepts at Manchester Tech Festival this October!
Why did we have a hackathon?
Common in tech companies, Hackathons are typically day-long intensive events where people collaborate on an innovative project. It brings together everyone from developers and project managers to flex their creative muscles and do something different from the day-to-day.
After everyone is briefed on the challenge and teams are formed, the chosen concept is decided. The solution is designed and coded, and finally demonstrated before a winning team is chosen.
Khaled Kaloo, Technical Director at WeDo: Digital, organised the recent event: “It’s important for us to have some fun and get creative so we can stay innovative and do great work together. As our staff have the option to work remotely, optional events like this bring great minds under one roof and offer some respite from routine.”
The winning idea
Twelve hours and countless coffees later, three ideas were brought to life.
The challenge was to create software that either solves a problem or appeals to the masses, and the final concepts all offered a unique take. It was a close call during the awards ceremony – but we found a winning idea.
By peer decision, it was a victory for Team WUPHF (name inspired by The Office US) who created a platform to streamline internal server access, providing visibility on user activity. This problem-solving tech is something our development team has already implemented to enable better server access management.
Runners up included Team Ballmer Peak, who created a 3D office builder using the Unreal game engine.
One concept is coming to Manchester Tech Festival in October
Runners up, Team HIGNFY, created an interactive, fun game – think Jackbox meets Have I Got News For You. After great success during the presentation round, we want to share the fun.
Try it for yourself when WeDo: Digital exhibits at Manchester Tech Festival, taking place 17th-21st October 2022. Stop by our stand and test your wits – with a swag bag for all participants and an iPad up for grabs for one lucky winner!
You’ll also have the opportunity to see how the game works and explore some of the tech behind it.
Register for the main event for free to join some of Manchester’s top tech companies for talks and exclusive insights.
Well done to the winning team and everyone who participated in the event – until next time!
Fancy joining our team and getting involved in future hackathons? Head over to our Careers page to find out more and send us your CV.