Turn an idea into an interactive experience at the 2026 NYU UX Club Designathon, sponsored by Base44. This online design challenge runs from November 2–6, where participants work in teams of two to four people. The challenge theme will be revealed on November 2 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
The Designathon is open to anyone in New York State; you do not need to be an NYU student. While participants are encouraged to use Base44 to bring their solution to life (with free credits provided), it is not required. Three finalist teams will present their projects live at the Design Mixer at 370 Jay Street, Brooklyn, on November 13.
What to Build and Submit Participants must build a working, clickable prototype that responds to the announced challenge theme. Tools such as Base44, Figma, or Framer are acceptable, provided judges can interact with the project. Fake data is permitted for UI elements. Submissions are due via Devpost by November 6 at 11:59 p.m. ET and must include: - Project name and team members. - A clickable prototype link. - A demo video (up to 3 minutes) uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo. - Optional slides. - A write-up addressing the problem, audience, response to the prompt, solution flow, design process, and visual/accessibility choices. - Screenshots of the main experience.
Prizes The winning team receives $1,000 cash plus a Paperlike prize pack for each member (including a screen protector, pencil tips, grip, and cleaning kit). An optional "Best Use of Base44" award offers a 3-month Base44 Builder plan to the team that best utilizes the platform.
Judging Criteria Projects are evaluated based on UX and interaction design, problem framing and user understanding, product value and strategy, visual design and accessibility, originality, and communication/rationale.