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Key Dates
Key Dates
Eligibility
Eligibility
Deliverables
Deliverables
Rules
Rules
Mentorship
Mentorship
Judge
Judge
Prize
Prize
FAQ
FAQ

Usabilathon 2025 

Designing the Future, One Prototype at a Time! 

Register here for Usabilithon 2025
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Usabilathon Sponsor

About the Event 

Usabilathon 2025 is a two-week design competition running from March 24 to April 4, where Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) students come together in pairs to tackle real-world problems. Over the course of the competition, teams will conduct user research, brainstorm solutions, and develop interactive design prototypes, showcasing their creativity and user-centered design skills. 

The competition is open to graduate students with an interest in HCI, UX design, or related fields. Participants will receive guidance from experienced mentors, have their work evaluated by a panel of professional judges, and compete for cash prizes.  

Usabilathon 2025 will be sponsored by Workiva, a company that transforms the way people manage and report data through intuitive and efficient user experiences. The problem statement, along with full details, will be announced on March 24 when the competition kicks off.  

This competition is a chance to tackle a real-world challenge, collaborate, innovate, and build a standout portfolio. It’s also an opportunity to connect with industry professionals and showcase your skills. Mark your calendars, registration opens on February 27! 

We look forward to seeing your creativity in action! 

Key Dates 

  • February 27: Team Registration Forms Open
    Registration for teams begins! Make sure to sign up quickly, as spots may fill up fast.

  • March 11: Online Orientations
    Attend the orientation to seek answers to all your Usabilathon queries. 

  • March 24: Design Challenge Commences
    The official kickoff to Usabilathon! You’ll receive detailed guidelines on the challenge scope and topic. 

  • April 4: Submissions Due
    Teams submit their final prototypes, posters, presentations, and supporting research materials. 

  • April 17: Winner Announcement 
    Winners will be revealed on April 17 at the HCI retreat. Celebrate your hard work and see if your team has reached the top three! 

Eligibility 

  • All participants must be associated with Iowa State University’s Human Computer Interaction Program 
  • Each team must consist of two participants 
  • Must be a current graduate student at the university 
  • Open to both part-time and full-time graduate students 
  • Open to both online and on-campus graduate students 
  • Completion of the registration process by the announced deadline 

Deliverables 

  • Proof of UX Research: Provide clear documentation (up to 5 pages) of your user-centered design process. The document should include: 
    • Data gathering approach (e.g., interviews, Surveys, etc.) 
    • Synthesizing data (e.g., affinity mapping, thematic analysis, etc.) 
    • Representation (e.g., user personas, user journey, flow diagram, etc.)  
    • Reflexivity Statement: Briefly describe in a paragraph your perspective on your work, where you stand in relation to the problem, and how your background, experiences, and assumptions influenced your design decisions 

  • Design Prototype: No coding is required. Focus on designing a high-fidelity prototype demonstrating your concept’s functionality and flow.  

  • Presentation: A recorded presentation (7-8 mins) that details the problem statement, research methods and findings, demonstration of the prototype, its effectiveness and feasibility. 

  • Winners will be requested to design and submit a poster to showcase at the HCI retreat within 3 days after they are notified.  

Note: Please refrain from sharing sensitive data or identifiable information of participants. 

Submission Format 

  • UX Research Documentation (PDF) 
  • Clickable Prototype (Figma/Adobe XD/InVision link) 
  • Presentation Video (Google Drive/CyBox/OneDrive/YouTube link) 
  • Reflexivity Statement (PDF) 
  • File Naming Convention (Format: Usabilathon2025_Submission-Type_TeamName.pdf; example: Usabilathon2025_Documentation_Team-Pragmatist.pdf) 

Note: Please set appropriate access rights for submission materials shared via link. 

Submissions will be evaluated based on: 

  • User-Centered Research – 30%
    Depth of UX research, such as user personas, affinity maps, or surveys. 

  • Design Innovation – 25%
    Novelty, creativity, and problem-solving approach in your design solution. 

  • Usability & Feasibility – 25%
    Clarity of interaction flow, user-friendliness, and practicality of implementing the concept. 

  • Presentation Quality – 20%
    Overall organization, clarity, and visual appeal of your prototype and presentation. 

Mentors 

  • A group of graduate students, alumni, and faculty members will be available to guide you through this process. 
  • Mentors come from diverse backgrounds, providing valuable perspectives on different aspects of your project. 
  • You will connect with your mentors through the Canvas class, which you’ll be invited to after registration. 
  • Weekly check-ins will be scheduled, where each group meets with their mentor once a week, based on mutual availability. 
  • Meetings can be conducted in two ways: 
    • Submit your questions and progress for feedback asynchronously. 
    • Schedule a 30-minute online meeting with your mentor. 
  • Meetings and questions should be limited to this structured plan.  
  • Ask the HCI Group cabinet for any help regarding planning a meeting. 

HCI Group Cabinet 

  • Volunteer officers from the HCI student group who have organized the competition and are familiar with the rules and requirements will assist with general questions about the competition. 
  • Reach out via email or Slack for support. 
  • They can also help facilitate online meetings and address any uncertainties. 

Judges 

  • Judges are professional UX experts from the industry. 
  • They will evaluate entries based on the criteria outlined above. 
  • They will provide their assessment to competitors at the end of the judging process. 
  • Feedback will be shared on Canvas with each group for further improvements. 

Prizes 

A total of $900 in prizes will be awarded: 

  • First Place Group: $400 

  • Second Place Group: $300 

  • Third Place Group: $200 

Things to Note

  • Use your Iowa State email address to register. 
  • Canvas will be your main hub as your other courses. Please refer to it first when you have questions and then contact volunteers. 
  • Do not copy or plagiarize other’s or your own past work. 
  • If you use GenAI tools, please them (e.g., credits for using AI-generated images outline where you have used it (e.g., credits for using AI-generated image). 
  • The HCI program will print posters for the winners. 

 

FAQ

  • Can individuals participate alone? 
  • No, teams must have two members. 
  • Can we use existing projects?
  • No, all work must be created during the competition. 
  • Are there restrictions on the tools used?
  • No, but submission must be viewable by judges. 
  • Can we modify our submission after submission?
  • No, final submissions are locked after April 4. 
  • Who will be judging the competition?
  • Judges will be selected from industry professionals, faculty, and UX experts. 
  • Are there any forums to connect with people before we team up?
  • You can find all registered participants in the Canvas course if you’re looking for teammates. For any questions about forming teams, feel free to email us via the email noted at the end of this document. 


For any questions not answered here, you can reach out to the HCI student group officers via the email address below. 

Contact 

Email: hci-exec@iastate.edu