Inspiration
This project was inspired by a real and relatable problem faced by MINDS staff, caregivers, and participants every day. Rather than starting from a purely technical perspective, we began by studying MINDS' ideal vision and asked ourselves what it would look like if that vision were translated into a thoughtful, modern digital experience.
We deliberately put ourselves in the shoes of different stakeholders. As staff members, we imagined the frustration of manually coordinating schedules, forms, and confirmations across multiple platforms. As participants and caregivers, we thought about how overwhelming fragmented information and unclear registration process could be - especially for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Our goal was not to reinvent the system, but to respect the intent behind the ideal solution and elevate into something more intuitive, inclusive, and humane. We wanted it to reduce friction, not add complexity.
What it does
We created a centralised web platform designed to streamline activity and event management for MINDS. It allows administrators to manage activities, schedules, and registration requirements in one place, while handling registrations for both participants and voluneteers seamlessly.
Participants and caregivers can view activites through a unified calendar, reducing confusion and preventing double bookings. Volunteers can explore and sign up for activities using a single intuitive platform. For staff, the platform reduces repetitive manual work and consolidates registration data into a clear, visual way.
How we built it
Using Visual Studio Code, GitHub, and live collaboration sessions, we worked as a team despite tight schedules. Our workflow followed a simple cycle
- We started with small, concrete ideas - often as simple as a single button - making sure everyone understood its purpose before writing any code
- We then implemented the feature, building on existing code and using AI tools to acclerate development when time was limited
- We tested the feature in the browser, identified bugs, and took time to understand why they occurred instead of blindly fixing the bugs
- This cycle repeated, gradually layering features while maintaining a working system. This incremental approach acts as a building block for efficient development
Challenges we ran into
One of our biggest challenges was time. Balancing academic workloads made it difficult to meet consistently, forcing us to rely heavily on asynchronous communication and trust in one another.
Technically, we faced a steep learning curve. Debugging unfamiilar bugs - especially those related to JWT authentication, cookie handling, and frontend-backend integration - was frustrating and often required us to revisit fundamental concepts. Connecting the frontend to the backend database was particularly challenging due to our limited prior experience with full-stack development.
Starting with little web development experience meant that much of what we built was learned from scratch. This was slow and uncomfortable at times, but ultimately rewarding.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud that the final product exceeded our original expectations. What we initially imaged as a simple prototype involved into a fully functional, production-ready web application. More importantly, we are proud of the thoughtfulness behind the design decisions we made - choosing inclusivity, clarity, and usability. The project reflects our genuine effort and growth, not just a checklist of requirements.
What we learned
This project taught us how REACT, GO, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can work together to form a cohesive system. Beyond technical skills, we learned that teamwork is important. Everyone in our team is unique and has different skills and talents, and this is the reason why we need each other. To be honest, this project wouldn’t be here today without each other's support. We also learned that it is ok not to know something at the start. Progress often begins with uncertainty, curiosity, and the willingness to explore. While the process was tough and occasionally frustrating, we believe this experience will stay with us far beyond this hackathon. Most importantly, we learned that building this project is not about getting the job done, it is about the heart to serve with the knowledge that we learned in our lives. Knowledge is powerful and meaningful only when you know how to use it properly.
What's next for Button Mashers
This hackathon is only the beginning. We hope to participate in more hackathons, refine our skills, and continue building projects that solve real-world problems. We want to keep learning, keep experimenting, and keep challenging ourselves, because growth happens best when we struggle.
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