Free
group of up to 20
Full
Hackathon: Getting Started with AI to Build Solutions
Wednesday, October 14 at 6:30 PM (Chicago) · 90 min
KRHosted by Karen R. with Matthew
Senior Product Designer @ SimplyAgree
A hands-on hackathon for designers who want to stop reading about AI and start using it. You don't need to be technical, and you don't need a fully-formed idea walking in. This is a low-stakes, high-energy 90 minutes to get your hands on AI tools and actually make something, not just watch a demo. What we'll do: - Quick setup + presentation: We'll get everyone's tools ready, then run through a short, practical primer on getting started with AI, what's out there, how to think about it, and how to get moving fast. - Team up (2-3 people): Pair off into small teams. No need to come with a pre-formed group or idea. Build: Pick your users, the problem you want to solve, describe the value it will provide, and then build a out a small working prototype. The goal isn't polish, it's momentum. - Show & tell: Each team shares what they built and what they learned, including what didn't work, which is often the most useful part. Who it's for Designers who are trying to get a little more experience with AI tools. Curiosity is the only prerequisite. Experience level: You should have a Claude account, ChatGPT account, or some other tool you can use to build a prototype with. You don't have to have experience prototyping, but it will help to have tried using one of them.
Mentors and mentees are both welcome. It's a mentor session, just with company.
No AI notetakers, please. Read AI, Otter, Fireflies, Fathom and similar record everyone and email the whole room afterwards. If yours auto-joins from your calendar, turn it off for this session.
KGrab a seat with Karen
Free and live, hosted by a designer with 5+ years in the field. Hop is Design Buddies' hand-reviewed mentorship community, and Karen's link lets you skip the waitlist.
You pick mentee or mentor on the next step, fill a two-minute application, and we review it by hand, usually within a day. Your seat is held meanwhile.
