Keep Calm and Hack On

I participated in the Evernote Cal Poly Hackathon this weekend, and it was truly an incredible experience. I started out extremely nervous and not knowing what to expect, but I couldn't be happier with the results. Though I didn't get any sleep for 30 hours straight, I feel like the hackathon definitely challenged me and helped me grow as a designer.

I worked with two other graphic designers to create the designs for a new iPhone app. Since we didn't have a developer on our team and had minimal experience with html and CSS, our app was not actually functional; we simply focused on the design aspect and the details of each page. I came up with the idea of creating a MobileCloset app that allows you to digitize your closet, organize/search clothing by tags, and share outfits through popular social networking sites. Instead of making a mess of your closet every morning, you can conveniently scroll through your entire wardrobe right from your phone. We decided our app should be targeted toward younger millennial women, so we settled on a delicate, pastel, feminine design aesthetic. After choosing our main colors and creating a simple logo, we immediately began designing each page of our app. We started at about 9am and worked nonstop all through the night until 11am the next morning...almost 26 hours. My hands were definitely sore by the end of it, and every ounce of energy was drained from my body. So worth it.

Our team ended up winning Best Overall Design effort, but most importantly, I had tons of fun and would be happy to do it again. Working with Evernote was such a pleasure and I absolutely love the culture of their company. They provided a few workshops on design and development and supplied amazing meals and support for us throughout the hackathon. Pictured below is the mood board I threw together for inspiration and to get a feel for what we wanted our app to look like. Below the mood board, I included a few frames from our app designs. Hopefully our designs can someday be developed into a fully functioning iPhone app!

xx Kristin