Theme: "Building Scalable Applications for the Digital Economy"

The digital landscape is rapidly evolving. With an increasingly connected world, the demand for robust, scalable, and high-performance applications has never been higher. As businesses pivot to cater to the digital economy, developers stand at the forefront of this transformation. Here's your chance to not just witness, but also shape, the next wave of digital innovations!

Key objective:

Craft solutions that are not just functional but also resilient, adaptable, and ready to handle the scale and demand of a booming digital economy. Think big, start small, and scale fast!

What's you should Expect

• Workshops: Learn from industry experts about the latest technologies and architectures that are powering scalable applications.
• Apprenticeship: Access to a network of seasoned professionals who can guide you through the nuances of building for scale.
• Networking: Collaborate with like-minded innovators, passionate about driving change in the digital sphere.
• Prizes: Generous rewards for the top solutions that showcase innovation, scalability, and impact.

Who should join?

1. Developers eager to test their skills in real-world scenarios.
2. Designers passionate about creating user-centric scalable solutions.
3. Serial Entrepreneur looking to understand the underpinnings of a robust digital product.
4. Tech Leads who would like to work with budding entrepreneurs 
5. And anyone ready to contribute to the future of the digital economy!

All the Hackathon Agenda will follow this format

Agenda:

1. Warm-Up

• Introductions
• Overview Hands-on Setup and Presentations
• Form teams where need be.
• Feedback
• Feature requests

2. Building/hacking: Code in GitHub/GitLab/BitBucket and deploy in Docker/Automated CI/Travis CI/Bamboo

Note: This section needs additional setup.

Upon commit, the repository is built and deployed to an accessible web server or an S3 bucket.

3. Demonstration and Wrap-up

Teams or individuals will demo what they have hacked for feedback or adoption.

Note: Carry a laptop

Opportunities:

• Network
• Innovate
• Access to our Talent bench (You can get a job or a gig on the spot)

Day 1: UI/UX Design Hackathon

Step into the world of interface magic and user delight! Join us for a unique UI/UX Design Hackathon, where innovation meets functionality, and creativity meets usability. Dive deep into crafting immersive experiences and bring your design visions to life.

Outcome:

At the end of this day, participants will have:

• Collaborated in cross-functional teams to tackle real-world design challenges.
• Created prototypes that exemplify the principles of stellar user experience.
• Gained feedback from industry experts to refine and hone their design skills.
• Fostered connections within the UI/UX community, paving the way for future collaboration and growth.

Key Objectives:

• Skill Enhancement: Elevate your design skills by navigating challenges that simulate real-world scenarios.
• Collaboration: Experience the power of teamwork as designers, developers, and product managers come together.
• Innovation: Explore fresh, out-of-the-box design solutions while adhering to best practices.
• Feedback Loop: Engage with mentors and receive constructive feedback to fine-tune your designs.
• Networking: Build lasting connections with fellow design enthusiasts, industry professionals, and potential future collaborators.

What to Expect:

• Challenging Prompts: Work on prompts that mirror today's digital design challenges, pushing you to think and design innovatively.
• Hands-on Workshops: Learn from the industry's best through workshops on the latest tools, trends, and techniques.
• Peer Collaboration: Team up with peers from diverse backgrounds, bringing multiple perspectives to the design table.
• Mentor Guidance: Seek insights and guidance from experienced UI/UX professionals who've been in the trenches.
• Rapid Prototyping: Transition your ideas swiftly from sketches to interactive prototypes, using the latest design tools.
• Rewards & Recognition: Showcase your designs, earn accolades, and stand a chance to win exciting prizes!

Prepare your design toolkits and get ready to innovate, iterate, and illuminate the world of digital interfaces! 

Day 2: Front End Engineering Hackathon: Code, Create, and Captivate Human Centred Experiences

Front End Engineering Hackathon will be a haven where code morphs into striking visuals, and interactivity reigns supreme! This event calls on developers to redefine user interaction, push the boundaries of web aesthetics, and create interfaces that are as beautiful as they are functional.

Outcome:

At the end of this day, participants will have:

• Collaborated to build beautiful, functional, and highly interactive web solutions to real-world challenges.
• Enhanced their front-end engineering skill sets by using cutting-edge tools and technologies.
• Received in-depth feedback from industry professionals to help refine their development approach.
• Formed connections within the developer community for future networking and collaboration.

Key Objectives:

• Skill Development: Strengthen your front-end skills by working on tasks that mimic actual industry challenges.
• Innovation: Design and develop solutions that combine aesthetics and performance in a harmonious blend.
• Teamwork: Collaborate with fellow coders to build complex projects, reinforcing the importance of team synergy in software development.
• Mentorship: Gain invaluable insights from seasoned developers to guide your approach to front-end engineering.
• Networking: Connect with like-minded people, creating opportunities for future collaboration and growth.

Day 3: Back End Engineering Hackathon: Powering the Digital World with APIs
Embark on a journey where data meets design at the Back End Engineering Hackathon! Dive deep into the world of server-side logic, crafting robust APIs that seamlessly feed data to front-end systems. Let your code be the unseen hero that powers every user interaction.

Outcome:

By the conclusion of this event, participants will have:

• Successfully designed and implemented APIs tailored to specific challenges.
• Ensured that these APIs efficiently and reliably feed data to front-end systems, enhancing user experiences.

Key Objectives:

• API Mastery: Deep dive into the nuances of API design, creating interfaces that are not only robust but also efficient.
• Integration Excellence: Ensure that the APIs you design seamlessly integrate with front-end systems, providing consistent, fast, and reliable data.
• Problem-solving: Tackle real-world back-end challenges, emphasising scalability, security, and performance.
• Collaboration: Team up with fellow engineers, blending diverse back-end expertise to craft the best possible solutions.
• Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest in back-end technologies, tools, and best practices.

Key Takeaways:

• Real-world Challenges: Engage with practical scenarios demanding efficient API design that seamlessly powers front-end applications.
• Hands-on Workshops: Benefit from industry veterans' insights through workshops focused on best practices, tools, and innovative back-end strategies.
• Team Collaboration: Work in synergy with like-minded engineers, harnessing collective knowledge to craft impeccable back-end solutions.
• Mentor Insights: Receive guidance from seasoned back-end professionals, ensuring that your API designs are top-notch.
• Testing & Optimisation: Embrace the iterative process of testing and refining your APIs for maximum performance and security.
• Rewards & Recognition: Showcase your back-end prowess, receive feedback, and stand a chance to win exciting accolades and prizes!

Day 4: Infrastructure Hackathon: Building the Future of Digital Platforms

Welcome to the Infrastructure Hackathon - an arena where tech enthusiasts construct robust, resilient, and scalable digital infrastructures! Delve into the backbone of technology, tackling challenges in cloud computing, network engineering, storage, and server management.

What to Expect:

• Practical Scenarios: Engage with tasks that emulate the challenges faced by industry professionals in planning, building, and managing digital infrastructures.
• Expert Workshops: Participate in workshops led by industry leaders, covering the latest trends, best practices, and tools in infrastructure technology.
• Collaborative Work: Join forces with peers to develop infrastructure solutions that uphold the principles of scalability, resilience, and robustness.
• Guidance from Mentors: Seek advice and feedback from experienced industry professionals to refine your approach to infrastructure design and management.
• Hands-on Experience: Gain practical experience with tools and technologies that are shaping the future of digital infrastructure.
• Rewards & Recognition: Showcase your infrastructure solutions, earn accolades, and stand a chance to win exciting prizes!

Submit your Idea:

• Hackathon idea submission form

Gigs:

We would love to reach out to you so that you can build for our customers, please fill out this form with details to ensure we have your details:

GIG/HACK DEVELOPER PORTFOLIO FORM

Join community channels:

Slack:

• Join Africa's Talking slack community here
• Join Elarian Slack community here
  

Please follow our Twitter handles to:

• @AfricasTalking
• @ElarianHQ

You can get our videos, recaps, and event interviews on our youtube channels, subscribe to get updates:

• Africa's Talking Youtube Channel
• Elarian Youtube Channel

Africa's Talking community allows developers to learn skills for the modern-day African Developer. We are language and framework agnostic. All developers are welcome. This is where Africa's Talking developers community meets to build, learn and exchange knowledge.

We are helping software developers and businesses to bring their ideas to life through easy-to-use APIs easily.

Transport:

• We will provide complimentary transport to and from Jeevanjee Garden.

Note: Departure time is 7:30AM (kindly be on time).

Would you like to partner with us? Kindly contact the Developer Experience Team.