LadyProto 2.0 – Design Hackathon

The IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Student Branch Affinity Group of the University of
Vavuniya successfully organized LadyProto 2.0 – Design Hackathon, a month-long virtual
design competition conducted from 26th April to 27th May 2026. Building upon the success
of its inaugural edition, LadyProto 2.0 was organized to empower female undergraduates by
providing a platform to enhance their creativity, innovation, collaboration, and design thinking
skills through real-world problem-solving challenges.
The hackathon was exclusively open to female undergraduates of the University of Vavuniya,
encouraging participants to work individually or in teams of up to three members while
developing innovative design solutions that addressed real-world challenges. Unlike
conventional design competitions, LadyProto 2.0 emphasized not only creativity and technical
expertise but also the ability to consider practical constraints, usability, and compliance
standards when developing design prototypes.
As part of the competition, participants attended two awareness sessions designed to strengthen
their knowledge of UI/UX design principles and industry-standard design practices. The first
awareness session introduced participants to design fundamentals, design thinking, Figma, and
the competition deliverables, while the second session focused on creating effective user
experiences through typography, color theory, design systems, and UI/UX constraints.
Throughout the competition, participants completed two design challenges, applying the
knowledge gained during the awareness sessions to produce professional design solutions.
Each submission included comprehensive deliverables such as problem analysis, user personas,
user flows, wireframes, and final interactive prototypes. Leaderboards were updated after each
round to encourage healthy competition and continuous improvement among teams.
The competition concluded with the announcement of winners recognizing the outstanding
creativity, innovation, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities demonstrated by the
participants. LadyProto 2.0 successfully created an inclusive environment where aspiring
women designers could showcase their talents, gain practical experience, and build confidence
in modern UI/UX design and digital product development.
Through this initiative, participants enhanced their technical, analytical, and creative skills
while developing a deeper understanding of user-centered design methodologies. The event
also fostered networking, collaboration, and professional growth, inspiring more women to
pursue careers in design, technology, and innovation.