Treehacks is Stanford’s largest hackathon. Being the only Treehacks designer for two years in a row documented my evolution as a designer. 

Key Insight: When creating the first design in 2019 (on the left) I failed to do any user research prior to starting. In 2020, learning from my mistakes, I talked to the Treehacks team as well as past attendees of the event before beginning. I learned that some women had felt excluded from the event, and that generally there was a need for more inclusivity.

Core Concept: The previous dark aesthetic and tech-y played a big role in how the event was perceived. In 2020 (design on the right) the decisions to have a bright color scheme, to include the color pink, and to have a white background and lighter feeling all coalesced into a more inclusive design.