HACKATHON: DESIGN & BUILD
Invites participant groups to get creative by designing/building prototype aspects of parks, e.g. play equipment, that meets specific design criteria.
A project brief would be developed and advertised that would present a problem or goal relating to parks. Interested individuals would be invited to a workshop, either in person or online. Experts can be invited to explain the project remit and assist with any more technical aspects of a design. Participants would work to find creative solutions that meet the design criteria and would then present their ideas. Judging can then take place if this is to be undertaken as part of the workshop.
Invites people to tap into their creative side, with a hands-on approach guided by experts in the field.
Overview of the Engagement Tool/Innovation:
This method invites participant groups to get creative by designing/building
prototype aspects of parks, e.g. play equipment, that meets specific design criteria.
These designs are then judged by a panel with the best ones being chosen to be
further developed and/or explored.
Role in decision-making:
The Hackathon involves participants in problem solving within the design stage of a project. Participants are given the freedom to create different solutions and show how effective their design could be.
Collaboration – Brings together specialists from different fields to collaborate on a specific problem.
Informing – Participants are informed of the criteria for the design making it educative.
Suitable for:
This tool would be suitable for a variety of projects, ranging from small to large.
Resources needed:
Equipment – If undertaken via workshops, materials for designing, building and presenting items would be needed.
Time – Time would be needed to prepare for and run the workshops, as well as undertake further investigations into potential designs that could be implemented.
Staff – Staff would be needed for running and organising workshops.
Formats:
In person – Workshops could be held in person.
Online –There could also be an option to hold workshops virtually.
Advantages:
- Potential to work alongside experts who can offer guidance and information to participants about aspects of their design.
- Highly interactive and hands-on.
- Might be useful for some specialised issues.
Challenges:
- The need for time limits could cause pressure and be counterproductive.
- Access to suitable materials could be a challenge.
Sources, good practice and case studies:
Jorg De Winne et al. (2020) ‘The Soundscape Hackathon as a Methodology to Accelerate Co-Creation of the Urban Public Space’, Applied sciences, 10(6), p. 1932. doi:10.3390/app10061932.