Turning planning into action
THE SIX PHASES OF IMPLEMENTATION
Implementation is where planning meets reality. It covers everything from recruiting the right participants and preparing them for the experience, to running a structured multi-day programme and facilitating the final presentations.
PARTICIPANT RECRUITMENT
Designing the application process, defining the target profile, forming balanced teams.
PRE-HACKATHON PREPARATION
Welcome pack, pre-event training sessions, technology setup, communication timeline.
DAY 1: DISCOVER & IDEATE
Welcome, challenge briefing, team formation, design thinking, ideation workshop, mentor round 1.
DAY 2: BUILD, TEST & PRESENT
Prototype sprints, mentor round 2, presentation preparation, final pitches to jury.
JUDGING & AWARDS
Jury deliberation, scoring rubric, awards ceremony, certificates for all participants.
POST-EVENT FOLLOW-UP
Feedback collection, documentation, outcomes reporting, community building.
TWO-DAY PROGRAMME
09:00 — Welcome & Registration — Participant welcome pack, badges, name cards
09:30 — Opening & Project Context — Introduction to DigiCollab, NEB, and hackathon goals
10:00 — Keynote: Young Makers in Action — Local practitioner or designer; SHU Young Makers showcase
10:30 — Team Formation & Track Assignment — Teams assigned to tracks A–D; icebreaker activity
11:00 — Challenge Briefing & Territory Deep Dive — Presentation of local context data; field observation walk
12:00 — Lunch Break — Catering; informal networking
13:00 — Design Thinking Sprint: Empathy & Define — User journey mapping; stakeholder interviews or persona building
14:30 — Ideation Workshop: How Might We? — Divergent ideation; dot voting; concept selection
15:30 — Mentor Rotation Round 1 — Each track mentor provides 20-min guided feedback
16:30 — Prototype Planning & Task Allocation — Teams plan Day 2 build; assign roles and tools
17:00 — Day 1 Reflection Circle — Each team shares one insight; facilitator summarises themes
17:30 — End of Day 1 — Optional social activity / site visit
09:00 — Morning Stand-Up — Teams share overnight ideas; facilitator sets the day's pace
09:15 — Prototype Build Phase I — Intensive hands-on making; mentors available for consultation
11:00 — Mentor Rotation Round 2 — Focus on prototype feasibility and NEB alignment check
11:30 — Prototype Build Phase II — Refinement; content creation for presentation
12:30 — Lunch Break — Catering
13:15 — Presentation Preparation — Structure pitch; create visual aids; rehearse 5-minute delivery
14:00 — Final Presentations to Jury — 4 teams × 5-min pitch + 3-min Q&A = ~35 minutes total
15:00 — Jury Deliberation — Closed session; all criteria scored; feedback prepared
15:30 — Awards Ceremony & Closing — Results announced; certificates awarded; closing remarks
16:00 — Closing Networking Event — Celebration dinner / social event with all participants
Presentations should celebrate learning and effort as much as evaluate solutions.
SCORING RUBRIC — 100 POINTS TOTAL
INNOVATION & CREATIVITY
Originality; creative problem-solving; novel use of available resources.
FEASIBILITY & IMPLEMENTATION
Realistic and achievable; technical soundness; clear implementation plan.
IMPACT & VALUE
Addresses a real need; potential for positive change; scalability.
CHALLENGE THEME ALIGNMENT
Genuine relevance to digital literacy, sustainability, inclusion, or civic participation.
PRESENTATION QUALITY
Clear communication; effective storytelling; use of visual aids; confidence.
LEARNING & GROWTH
Evidence of a learning journey; how the team responded to challenges.
MANAGING TEAM DYNAMICS
Assign explicit sub-tasks; ask quieter members direct questions during mentor rounds.
Dot voting; timebox the decision; commit to an experiment rather than a final answer.
Remind team they are building an MVP — enforce milestone check-ins.
Introduce an alternative approach; ask what they would do without that tool.
Short energiser; visible progress markers; mentor encouragement; extra break.
The Implementation Phase is where planning meets reality. It covers everything from recruiting the right participants and preparing them for the experience, to running a structured multi-day programme and facilitating the final presentations. The quality of execution in this phase determines whether participants leave inspired or frustrated.
Implementation succeeds when participants feel safe to take risks, supported when they struggle, and celebrated for what they create — regardless of whether they win.