The Hackademics Podcast: Recent Episodes
Hackademics
Join us talking about hackathons, hacking culture, relevant skills with professionals, and aspiring students.
Happy holidays, everyone! We're super happy to bring back one of our own co-founders and Sheridan grad, Christina Weng. She is a iXD graduate who works as a product designer at Facebook. Interestingly, Christina was not always in design throughout her post-secondary education as she once attended business school. Christina talks about the process of switching to design, interning early, doing co-op, and yes-competing in hackathons, to get to where she is currently at. She also dives into the interesting science of user research, and team-dynamic. What are some of Christina's early struggles and key realizations? She has y'all covered!
0:08 - Intro
0:48 - Christina introduces herself
1:35 - You did your first internship after 2nd year. Why so early?
5:12 - How was business school?
8:52 - Tell us about your Microsoft garage internship?
12:43 - What did you do the most on your team?
13:53 - Why is research so important nowadays?
17:10 - What are some common mistakes people make when they go through a research process?
22:03 - How does research differ when you have limited hours to work on a project?
24:10 - A lot of designers do not like research, is there a reason for this?
26:18 - What was your first hackathon and why did you decide to get into them?
28:34 - What's the best hackathon you've been to and why?
37:05 - What do you think is the most important activity to do at a hackathon?
38:49 - You and Alex Thompson were the one who had the idea for Hackville; how did creating this go?
42:38 - What was the biggest challenge for you at the moment?
44:45 - Who helped you the most while planning this?
46:11 - How do the challenges in school compare to professional ones?
48:12 - What are the challenges in an all-virtual environment and what should we prepare for as students?
50:55 - Where to find Christina
Christina on LinkedIn
In addition to personal growth within design, Christina emphasizes the value of growing your network and points to hackathons as the catalyst to beginning her network/career. In fact, not only does Christina note that hackathons grow your network, they also help improve your hard/soft skills as well. For instance, research is very important and even if you as a designer dread it, you can passively learn more about the process by trying out something such as a hackathon. Due to her vast experience sheet with hackathons and other events, she brings forward a lot of many interesting tips and tricks that aren't very well known👀.
Listen today to learn about all this amazing stuff and more! We love you Christina!
Find us on:
Our website - hackville.io
Instagram - hackademicsclub
Facebook - Hackademics (https://www.facebook.com/groups/hackademicsclub/?ref=share)
Additionally, applications for Hackville 2021 are now OPEN! Register via our website and be sure to spread the word. We CAN and will start off 2021 on a high note with Hackville, and we want all of you to be there to help make it happen💙
Welcome back to the podcast, folks! Today we're excited to speak to Sheridan professor Myles Bartlett to tell us about his past experiences with design and his journey to get there. He goes over his experiences starting in journalism, to wanting to critique/create, to being a creative director, where he finally arrived at motion/graphic design. Myles emphasizes that the element of story-telling is key and being true to your story allows for design to flourish. Through the process, Myles realized the value of partnership and bouncing powerful ideas and mindsets off somebody, whether it be a friend, a colleague, or in Myles' case---a partner too!
0:08 - Intro
0:48 - Myles introduces himself
1:17 - Myles' education/work experience
14:02 - Is the industry changing today like it was 10-15 years ago(ie-phasing out of cable tv in place of streaming)?
19:31 - What catches your eye in design?
23:26 - How is all of this connected to Hackathons and pitch-making?
30:07 - How has framing a narrative change in an online-only environment?
33:48 - What is the best visual-tool one can use in a jam-type situation?
38:51 - What is some advice you can give to students about language and pitching during a presentation?
43:25 - About the first-year orientation activities
47:25 - Where to find Myles
Myles on LinkedIn
**The world is constantly changing around us, and Myles put into perspective what he believes the role of "interaction designer" will have on these altering industries. Of course, in such a fast-evolving industry, there is so much to ask somebody like Myles, and we made sure to cover it all. What is good design? What makes someone stand out from the standpoint of a professor/industry professional? What is the key to emphasize with a viewer? Myles has the long and in-depth answers to these questions and so much more! Enjoy the episode.
Find us on:**
Our website - hackville.io
Instagram - hackademicsclub
Facebook - Hackademics
Applications for Hackville 2021 are now OPEN! Register now on our website before December 6th and be sure to spread the word.
Greetings everyone! We’re excited to be back with Amanda, who is a 4th year life science student at York University. Her nature is actually not rooted within tech and hack-culture, however she was passionate in learning about tech-related things and maintains that everyone can/should afford to do the same.
0:07 - Intro
0:57 - Amanda introduces herself
1:57 - How did you decide to get into Hackathons?
2:32 - About a science club that Amanda was involved in
3:23 - What was your first experience with hacking culture?
4:37 - What was the passion that drove you toward this route?
5:32 - About Elle Hacks
7:11 - Why Amanda has never participated in a hackathon
7:46 - If you aren't tech based, what did you help with?
8:56 - About the most recent Elle Hacks 10:24 - What's something special about Elle hacks?
11:25 - Previous Elle Hacks prizes
12:10 - What did you help with in organizing Elle Hacks?
13:58 - About the upcoming Elle Hacks
14:59 - If you were to create your own hackathon, what is a key you would focus on?
17:22 - Do you expect hackathons to expand out to different fields?
19:33 - More about other fields
20:35 - Falling asleep at hackathons
21:35 - Where you can find Amanda
Amanda on LinkedIn
Apply to Elle Hacks
Amanda got her start in hack-a-thons by helping to organize one—Elle Hacks—that is focused on the spotlight/inclusion of women within science, and she says it’s the best thing that came into her life. Amanda tells an interesting story how she expected the event to be formal and serious, but quickly found out that the attendees were actually very comfortable in their environment and dressed/looked as they pleased; it goes to show that the passion for these events exceeds any competition and everyone is there to bond and learn. Something else Amanda discusses is how these hack-a-thons focus on real-world/important problems; it’s a skill that teaches all participants how to bridge this thinking within technology, which is something that is major in modern society. Through all this, Amanda talks about the position of viewing herself as infectiously positive and how hack-a-thons helped sharpen this side of her along with other social skills.
Further into the pod, Amanda dives into other aspects of her background and stories organizing Elle Hacks, and how much she wishes she was a participant each time she is in that position! Lastly, Amanda discusses some of her favourite project ideas and what one should think about when tackling a design prompt/challenge, which is very useful inspiration for existing/aspiring Hackers!
Overall, we were very excited to speak with Amanda and hear all of the above information as well as way more, so make sure you check this one out.
Greetings everybody! We are delighted to be back with another talented guest! We have with us Wesley Slade, a recent graduate of the Bachelors of Interaction Design program at Sheridan. He is well known amongst the IXD community for his tutoring and mentorship works. With a background in animation and art, he has discovered his passion for design and has strong intentions to design for the public good. He started attending hackathons in January 2019 when he was in his 3rd year of college. He has since participated in over nine hackathons and has been placed twice. In this podcast, he shares his experiences with hackathons, the importance of communication and work ethics that he has gained over the years.
0:08 - Intro
0:38 - Wesley introduces himself
1:40 - What's your background?
2:55 - About tutoring/mentoring and the differences between the two
5:36 - Communicating with hackathon teammates
6:50 - More examples of a "hackathon gone wrong"
9:34 - For someone who doesn't want to speak up in a situation, what should they do?
12:43 - Teaming up with friends versus strangers
13:40 - Have you teamed up with a stranger you've previously met at a Hackathon multiple times?
14:51 - Does personality matter?
16:29 - Have you done remote hacks?
17:55 - A bit about our current full-on digital situation
24:57 - Wesley's take on the latter issue (full-on digital situation)
26:07 - More altering circumstances with full-on digital situations
27:03 - Another point from Wesley about the current circumstances
29:12 - What do you think will happen after COVID-19(possible vaccine)?
30:38 - Where you can find Wesley
Wesley on LinkedIn
Wesley's portfolio
Wesley's thesis - Millions motivations to learn
Wesley talks about his educational past in animation and art fundamentals and how it led him to pursue his design passion. He started tutoring in his 2nd year in the IXD program and claims he immediately loved helping people. The joy on their faces when they understood a concept or a problem being solved kindled his interest in doing more. Tutoring and mentoring are two different things, and Wesley explains the significance of each of the methods. His final year thesis revolved around the concept of self-directed learning and created a website that helps people analyze their learning styles. He also shared key insights into the final thesis. Wesley participated in his first hackathon with three other classmates in the MacMaster designathon in 2019 and won first place. He understood the importance of communication in hackathons and insists that we try our best to communicate in any way possible. Wesley finds it essential to communicate pre-hackathon to set out goals and ground rules when participating with new group mates. He also shared an ice breaker game with us, which has helped him know more about his group mates and build rapport. Communication is critical, and Wesley emphasizes participating in workshops and activities during hackathons to improve the learning outcomes. Even though there are plenty of difficulties attached to working online, he thinks there will be a more personal connection with co-workers once we return to normal. Along with this, Wesley shared an announcement that later in winter, he will be launching a set of tutorials about web development to learn wireframes, design and code. All the necessary links will be available in the description.
To hear about this and many other awesome things regarding hackathons, job/internship opportunities, networking, mentorships, and so much more, take a listen!
We are delighted to be back with another excellent guest. Zubash Akmal is a 4th-year Interaction design student from Sheridan College who has participated in hackathons and has experience organizing hackathons. She started attending hackathons in her 2nd year of college by participating in a designathon organized by York University. The notion of creating a solution within a restricted time helped her push her limits on various aspects.
0:07 - Intro
0:48 - Zubash introduces herself
3:07 - How did you get into your network?
5:01 - What is NUVO Network?
6:01 - How long was your school project (to create Hack the NU)?
7:28 - What location is used for Hack the NU?
8:10 - How was organizing multiple hackathons, dealing with school, and applying for co-op?
10:03 - How was Hack the NU last year in comparison to this year, and what will it focus on/include?
11:17 - Are you still accommodating some in-person hackers?
12:04 - How will the virtual event look like?
12:38 - When is Hack the NU happening (already elapsed, sorryðŸ˜)
13:10 - The key to "winning" hackathons
14:22 - What's the most important thing to know when organizing a hackathon?
16:07 - How is seeing/meeting people gonna happen in the virtual space?
17:35 - The most important things to prepare/focus on for hackathons
18:32 - How is the industry changing due to the rise of hackathons?
20:33 - The demographic of "young professionals"
21:38 - Where to find Zubash
Zubash's website
Zubash on LinkedIn
Zubash is currently working with the NUVO Network as a part of the organizing team for the upcoming virtual hackathon, Hack The Nu. She is not new to working with NUVO as her relationship with the company goes back to last year. When asked about her entrance into NUVO, she explained how a school project paved the way for the company. As a semester-long project, Zubash and her team pitched their idea of starting a Hackathon to NUVO. The company was impressed and hired her as a part of the organizing team to launch their first Hackathon, Hack the NU. The research methods and design thinking skills she gathered from the school courses helped her excel in the company. She shared her experience of planning and organizing the hackathon while juggling portfolio work and school projects simultaneously. Zubash shared with us how collaboration and delegation helped her manage all the tasks as smoothly as possible. Virtual hackathons come with their own set of pros and cons. She explains in detail about her new experience of organizing and coming up with a project plan for this year’s online event.
She considered the hackathon experience from networking to learning new skills as winning more than actually winning the 1st place. Zubash stresses the importance of young people participating in hackathons and on why it helps for both the participants and the company at the same time. Along with this, she also shared some tips and tricks on working behind the scenes in a hackathon and gave some advice that all of us can benefit from.
To hear about this and many other awesome things regarding hackathons, jobs/internship opportunities, networking, mentorship, and so much more, listen today!
Welcome back y’all, you're not going to want to miss this one! We’re very happy to give a warm welcome to the founder of our very own Hackademics club—Alex!
0:09 - Intro
00:37 - Alex introduces herself
1:10 - What are some lessons with your journey?
3:33 - When did you decide to study design/art?
6:36 - How does your unique philosophy background factor into design?
8:31 - Are you still studying philosophy at the moment?
9:38 - What did you bring from philosophy into design?
11:00 - What was your first hackathon and why did you decide to get into them?
13:57 - Alex's important experience with a mentor
18:00 - Awards vs experiences at Hackathons
21:29 - Have you used social media and/or Linkedin to obtain job opportunities?
23:11 - The "healthiness" of hackathon environments
26:25 - About online hackathons
28:14 - How did you begin to theorize/organize Hackademics?
31:26 - What were the challenges of reaching out to other programs while organizing the club?
35:02 - (Ideas for our very own upcoming Hackademics events!)
37:22 - How did Hackathons help you in a professional and personal way?
40:52 - Where to find Alex on social media
Alex on Facebook
Alex on LinkedIn
Alex's Portfolio - personal website
For those who may not know her, Alex is an Alberta-born designer who got her first degree in philosophy before joining art fundamentals and IXD at Sheridan. We know what you’re thinking—philosophy to a creative field, how does that work? Alex can assure you that it’s not as far-fetched as you may think. Obviously philosophy taught her a lot about critical thinking, but she believes it taught her a lot more. While studying, Alex was able to build the desire to become a practical-doer; she felt that her creative side was always present, and philosophy helped compel her toward design. Not only that, but after arriving at iXD, she noticed a pattern—the most interesting designers stem from diverse fields that you wouldn’t think to mix with design. She emphasizes to all designers: find out what you're passionate about outside of design, and then figure out ways to bring it into design—something we’re all capable of doing because we have such diverse interests!
As far as hack-a-thons go, Alex had her first experience with ArthritisHack in 2017. She was compelled to try and hasn’t looked back since. At the event, she met her first mentor whom she had an important conversation with that Alex credited to completely changing her mindset. The mentor had explained their tough experiences with Arthritis to Alex and when they told Alex that her idea could have personally helped their condition, Alex had realized exactly why she was in school for design and why it was so important. She delves more into this and divides up the internal/external benefits hack-a-thons can bring, before touching on important self-care rules.
From constantly sketching, to redesigning her old-restaurant’s menu in Microsoft Word, Alex felt the urge to attempt studying something creative, and she knew she had to try; The same can be said about tying your diverse passions with design/trying out hack-a-thons. To hear more about this and so much more of Alex’s experiences/advice, click the play button!
We are very happy to be returning with another fantastic guest! This time, that guest is a 4th-year student from Waterloo who just returned from a product design internship at Facebook - Grace Ma. She started attending hackathons during her first year of university in 2018 with the art and design knowledge she had gathered during high school. After she attended her first hackathon at Starter Hacks, she claims it introduced her to the tech industry and allowed her to pick up a lot of valuable skills on the way.
0:08 - Intro
0:55 - Grace introduces herself
1:25 - What is your program at UW?
2:11 - What was your first hackathon? Did you enjoy it?
3:37 - The importance of communicating with different people
4:31 - How is it different communicating with a designer versus a developer, and how important is the design-side of problems?
6:31 - What is another lesson you've learned at hackathons?
7:57 - How did you start talking to recruiters at these events?
8:58 - Designing for hackathons
10:18 - How would you define a designer's responsibilities for these events?
11:16 - Do you attend hackathons to win or just to meet people?
13:04 - What is the most important thing to do at a hackathon as a designer?
14:34 - Have you ever teamed up with randoms?
16:32 - Design work not being implemented
18:24 - What is your personal strategy working with others as a designer at hackathons?
19:30 - Is there a key to success? Have you ever won?
20:21 - Have you ever been to designer-centered hackathons?
21:08 - Do you have any experience submitting only a prototype(without dev work)?
22:20 - Do you have a favourite hackathon/preferences?
23:03 - If you could create your own hack event, what would you focus on?
23:44 - Where can listeners find you?
Grace on LinkedInGrace on Twitter
Since her first hackathon, Grace has attended a staggering amount of 15 hackathons! Overall, she enjoys the hack culture and says that the community she has discovered has been the best perk.
Grace also shared her experiences on how hackathons helped improve her communication skills with fellow designers, developers and recruiters. She understands the gap that designers and developers feel in hackathons due to the different work backgrounds they might be from and how the hack culture will allow a person to communicate seamlessly over experience. There is a common problem that designers might not be given equal importance during hackathons as it is mostly participated by developers. Grace is happy that she has seen the gap between designers and developers decrease while acknowledging the importance of design in hackathons. Networking and the hack culture has boosted her confidence and pushed her to step out of her comfort zone. She also recommends participating in hackathons as it teaches time management and creative collaboration with people from the industry.
To hear about this and many other awesome things regarding Hackathons, job/internship opportunities, networking, mentorships, and so much more, listen today!
We are very excited to kick off our very first podcast by speaking with a 4th year co-op student at Carleton University who just finished his internship at Google—Omar Flores!
0:08 - Intro
0:42 - Omar introduces himself
1:04 - Brief history/what was your first hackathon?
3:48 - Why did you decide to get into hackathons?
4:48 - What's the most important thing to do at a hackathon?
8:41 - Advice for people who don't have much on their resume
10:02 - What goals should students have during hackathons?
10:54 - How did a hackathon land you your first opportunity?
16:50 - Why other passions matter
18:40 - About work ethic
21:48 - How did you aim for such high goals?
25:25 - What is your personal strategy you use for hackathons?
26:28 - Have you ever organized/mentored at a hackathon before?
33:03 - Last advice for young hackers
Omar's LinkedIn
Omar's personal site
Hack The North
Before applying to and participating in his first Hackathon, Omar’s background included basic html and css. When he attended the mighty Hack The North at UW, his technological perspective changed forever. In the 3 years since, Omar has been fortunate to attend each Hack The North, and has not looked back since.
Omar was first motivated to attend alongside his friends, and was actually influenced by one to apply. Above all however, Omar wished to learn; he wasn’t focused on winning at first and desired meeting and talking to as many people in diverse backgrounds as possible, and this helped him greatly.
Omar maintains that when you begin talking to people, you’ll realize the community is not that intimidating as they will continue to attend the same events and become more recognizable; you can engrain yourself in the community and make yourself a known face by continuing to attend, too! Something else he highlights is gaining career advice by talking to career professionals as it was the gateway to his first major opportunity.
Omar can’t stress attending these events enough, and he goes more in depth into why as well as his own individual experiences regarding this throughout the podcast. Additionally, Omar goes into other interests and how it’s encouraged to have/talk about your other interests at these events, rather than solely gearing yourself towards tech.
To hear about this and many other awesome things regarding Hackathons, job/internship opportunities, networking, mentorships, and so much more, listen today!