SDC Hackathon
On the 23rd and 24th of September, we at SDC:PT organized an exciting office hackathon where a range of workplace problems were tackled. With 24 participants divided into six teams, the competition was all about creativity, collaboration, and finding practical solutions to issues we face daily in the office. The problems varied—from managing parking cards to organizing lunch.
The Winning Challenge: Booking Workspaces
The team that took home the prize focused on a common issue in our hybrid way of work: booking workspaces in the office. With our flexible office setup, where desks aren’t assigned permanently, managing who works where can get tricky. Their solution offered a smoother, more direct way of booking a desk, checking if it is already booked, and even check for alternative workspaces in the vicinity.
The Hackathon Structure
Over these two buzzing days, teams chose a topic from the available options to work on. Despite being a hybrid event, most participants went to the office, which resembled the pre-pandemic times. On top of the main challenge each team picked, we added a fun twist: side quests. These allowed teams to break away from the main problem and earn a few extra points by participating in light-hearted, creative activities. These side quests ranged from a team selfie competition to an SDC trivia quiz.
Scoring and Voting
While the side quests were fun and gave teams a chance to earn a few extra points, the real focus was on the main projects. In the afternoon of the second day, following a lot of brainstorming, coding, and collaboration, every team presented their solutions to the entire group. Once the presentations were done, a crowd vote was held, where everyone ranked all the teams’ projects. Each team earned points based on each ranking.
The Outcome
Each team brought a fresh perspective to the challenges, and the solutions sparked plenty of discussion. Overall, it was an exciting, fast-paced event that combined fun and functionality, reminding us of how powerful teamwork can be when we focus on solving real problems. Some of the teams, including the winners, ended up bringing their solutions live, improving our day-to-day lives.
Finally, we’d like to thank everyone that helped us, namely Joana Esteves, Liane Dias, and Ricardo Antunes.
We’re already looking forward to the next Hackathon, who knows what brilliant solutions will come out of it next!
