Hackathon Deadline Board

Inspiration

I am a 3rd year CSE-IoT student who juggles multiple hackathons at once (Devpost, Hack2Skill, company ones). I missed two hackathons because you lost track of time and couldn't tell if you could still finish in time. Most to-do apps just list tasks without telling you if a deadline is still achievable.

What it does

A browser-only, dark-themed dashboard that tracks hackathons with live countdowns and a "Can I finish?" status meter (Safe / Tight / Impossible). Calculates feasibility using per-task hours (Idea 2h, Build 8h, README 1h, Demo 3h, Submit 1h = 15h total) vs. hours left before deadline. Features a "What to do today" panel at the top that prioritizes urgent unfinished tasks across all active hackathons. Includes full checklist tracking, a locked Submit task (unlocked when prerequisites are done), celebration confetti on submission, an Expired section for passed deadlines, and localStorage persistence.

How we built it

Pure HTML5, CSS3, and Vanilla JavaScript (ES6+) with zero build tools, zero dependencies, and no backend. Designed in a clean GitHub-dark style with Inter font and monospace countdown timers updating live every second without full-DOM re-renders. Built using a plan-first, spec-driven workflow with AI guidance (scope → PRD → spec → build checklist).

Challenges we ran into

Designing a feasibility algorithm that's transparent and accurate without being overly complex (settling on weighted task hours). Managing DOM updates efficiently so countdown timers update every second without rebuilding checkboxes or dropping user clicks. Handling task dependencies (locking Submit until prerequisites are ticked, and auto-unticking Submit if a prerequisite is unticked).

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Creating a zero-dependency app that runs entirely in the browser and survives page refreshes. Delivering the "Can I finish?" feasibility meter and the prioritized "What to do today" daily planner. Going from initial idea to working proof of concept in a single structured session.

What we learned

How to effectively prompt and guide an AI coding agent using plan-first specifications and data-first architecture (TASK_HOURS as a single source of truth). How to break a large app idea into thin, verifiable end-to-end build slices.

What's next for Hackathon Deadline Board

Optional team sharing or export/import features for project data. Custom task templates for different types of hackathons. Browser notifications or calendar sync for approaching deadlines.

Built With

• css3
• git
• github
• hack2skill
• html5
• javascript
• localstorage