UX/UI Hackathon for Top 5 Startups
We recently partnered with Heavy Chef to host a 2-day UX/UI Design Hackathon for the winners of their Top 5 Most Exciting Startups of 2023.
In an intensive burst of user-centric problem-solving and creativity, we set out to make a meaningful impact within each startup by tackling a specific UX challenge that their product teams had been grappling with.
Collaboration for User-Focused Solutions
Over 2 days at Innovation City, our design team collaborated closely with the impact-led startups MySociaLife, Botlhale.ai, Strove, Jem, and Everlectric.
Collectively, these teams are driving positive change by empowering parents to engage with their kids’ digital lives, breaking down communication barriers for frontline workers and call centres, improving employee wellbeing, and driving electric vehicle adoption in fleets.
Their UX challenges ranged from complex data management to advanced search, dashboarding, conversion optimisation and navigation.
Startups Rave About the Results
Through focussed workshopping with the startup teams, we dug down to the root of the usability problems, then crafted actionable design solutions that addressed the core user goals.
Dean McCoubrey, founder of MySociaLife, was blown away by the strategic redesign of their product landing page. "Wow - there is nothing I've seen here that I wouldn't want to use!" he exclaimed.
Similar enthusiasm resonated from Xolisani Nkwentsha of Botlhale AI, who was very impressed by the detailed solutions crafted for their multilingual speech platform, noting, "The detail they were able to dive into within a short amount of time was absolutely amazing."
Rory Ware from Strove remarked, “I’ve been trying to solve this for 18 months, I’m blown away!”, reflecting on the refinement of the workplace wellbeing app's navigation.
Continued Support for South African Tech
At Now Boarding, we’re committed to supporting South Africa's vibrant tech ecosystem, fostering meaningful partnerships and empowering startups to accelerate their success and make a lasting impact.
Post this Hackthon, we're looking forward to seeing how the design solutions translate into success stories, and hope that the experience drives continued conversations around the importance of user-centric thinking and design.
Video and photography: Randall Adams, Heavy Chef
