About the challenge

Turn an idea into an interactive experience at the 2026 NYU UX Club Designathon, sponsored by Base44.

Work in a team of two to four people in an online design challenge from November 2–6. You're encouraged, but not required, to use Base44 to bring your solution to life, with participant credits provided. 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 don't need to be an NYU student. Three finalist teams will present their projects live at the Design Mixer at 370 Jay Street, Brooklyn, on November 13.

Get started

1. Register through Luma between October 19 and October 28. Every participant must RSVP individually, including every member of a team. Important updates will be sent through Luma to the email you registered with.
2. Form a team of two to four people.
3. Join the competition on Devpost and create or join your team.
4. You will receive the prompt packet on Monday, November 2 at 9:00 a.m. ET with the prompt reveal.
5. Build your project and submit it through Devpost by November 6 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Off-campus participants must also email [email protected] to coordinate access for the in-person event.

Key dates

• October 19–28: Registration
• November 2, 9:00 a.m. ET: Theme reveal and challenge begins
• November 6, 11:59 p.m. ET: Submissions due
• November 7–8: First-round judging
• November 9: Three finalists announced
• November 13: Live finalist presentations and awards at the Design Mixer, 370 Jay Street, Brooklyn

The final presentation time will be announced.

Base44 Credits

Base44 is giving every participant free credits for the Designathon.

Your total: 225 credits

- 200 credits with code UXDAT200

- 25 bonus credits when you sign up

How to redeem:

1. Make a free Base44 account.

2. Go to https://app.base44.com/credits/redeem?code=UXDAT200

3. Redeem by November 13. Once you redeem them, the credits don't expire.

Team setup:

1. Every team member makes their own Base44 account.

2. ONE person on the team redeems the code.

3. That person invites the rest of the team to their workspace.

4. Create your project inside that shared workspace.

5. Make sure everyone has access to the project.

6. Start prompting!

Ran out of credits? Email [email protected] and we'll help you out.

Best Use of Base44 (Optional)

You can opt in to the Best Use of Base44 prize. The winning team gets a 3-month Base44 Builder plan. You don't have to use Base44 to take part in the Designathon.

• UX and Interaction Design
  Is the experience easy and intuitive to use? Is the user flow clear and the interactions thoughtful?
• Problem Framing and User Understanding
  Does the team clearly define who it's for and what problem it solves, and show they understand their users?
• Product Value and Strategy
  Does the product offer real value and respond meaningfully to the prompt, The Journey Matters?
• Visual Design and Accessibility
  Is the visual design polished and consistent, and is it accessible and inclusive?
• Originality
  Is the idea fresh and creative?
• Communication and Rationale
  Do the video and write-up clearly explain the project and the reasons behind design decisions?