Datacomp2022
Unlocking Innovation: My Experience at Datacom's Annual Talent X Hackathon I joined Datacom's Talent X program as one of a small group selected to take part in their 48-hour hackathon — university students paired with junior employees, collaborating across squads to tackle some of the company's most pressing challenges in a high-pressure, time-boxed environment.
Duration
Jan-Apr, 2025
Client
EonFantasy
Services
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Brand strategy
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Graphic design
Challenge
My team was assigned a brief in partnership with the Department of Health's Head to Health team: address the mental health challenges facing young Australians.
Three days. A problem space as broad and sensitive as youth mental health. A team made up of students and junior employees who, in most cases, hadn't worked together before. The task was to move from a government-level brief to a concrete, presentable concept — fast enough to pitch it convincingly by the end of the weekend, and thoughtfully enough that it actually felt usable for the people it was meant to help.
Solution
We landed on an AI chatbot concept called Charlie, designed as an approachable, trustworthy first point of contact for young people navigating mental health support. I led the character design and built the presentation deck that carried the concept from idea to pitch.
Working in this kind of compressed timeframe meant constant trade-offs — between scope and depth, between polish and speed — and required staying aligned with teammates from very different backgrounds while the clock kept moving.
Impact
The team placed 1st Runner-Up, and I was personally awarded Best Design for my contribution to Charlie's concept and presentation.
Beyond the result, the experience sharpened my problem-solving under real time pressure, strengthened how I collaborate within a fast-moving team, and pushed me to think past my usual instincts. It was a reminder of why I do this work — the chance to learn, grow, and put genuine passion for design and technology into something real, in just three days.