The First Achievement in Hackathon

I was honored to receive the Best UI/UX Award at the Cathay Hackathon 2022 for my project, "Tripify." As the leader of a team of three fellow students, we created an app extension for the "Cathay Learn" application. The concept behind Tripify was to build an ecosystem that inspires travelers to learn more about their destination before arriving. We aimed to provide passengers with opportunities to engage more deeply with the places they are about to visit by enhancing their knowledge beforehand.

Our team distinguished itself among a hundred competitors and made it to the final round. We had just 24 hours to create a creative application addressing travel and environmental issues. The organizers, Cathay Pacific, arranged a behind-the-scenes tour for us finalists, enhancing our understanding of aviation operations and guiding us in designing a practical application. “Before the competition, we had limited knowledge of how technology could be applied in real life. Thanks to the mentoring we received, we learned to adapt innovative ideas and emerging technologies into real-world solutions,” I noted.

Although we ultimately succeeded, our journey had its challenges. Our initial project idea was deemed unworkable at the start of the final. Faced with this hurdle, we decided to pivot completely, leaving us only half a day to develop a new concept. I recall how we made the most of every moment, clearly dividing tasks and work shifts, and, most importantly, collaborating effectively as a team. In the end, our efforts paid off, making all the hard work worthwhile.