What is a Hack Jam?

Make something! Team up to transform your ideas into real world solutions.

   10 - 50 participants
   1 - 2 days
   At a school, office or open space

1. Define an interesting challenge or question to explore.
2. Team up different skill-sets to brainstorm solutions.
3. Collaboratively build a 'minimum viable prototype' to demonstrate your idea.

Also check out our full Host Guide for more recommendations.

Note-Taking

For these host training calls, we will use a live, collaborative note-taking tool.

Join and follow along: https://events.etherpad.mozilla.org/hack-jam-host

Introduction

• Who's on the call?
• Where are you from?
• Where are you planning to host your event?

What would you like to leave the call with today?

• Participant Responses.

Overview

• Welcome from Mozilla
• Update on Summer Code Party
• Goals of the campaign & individual parties

Guest speaker

• Discussion with a veteran Hack Jam host from the community.
• Note: some calls may not have guest speakers.
• Hear about their experience, challenges and lessons learned.
• Questions?

What makes a good hack jam?

A successful hack jam lives at the intersection of people's passions and interests to go somewhere new.

Engage participants beforehand

• Know who you're doing this for. If people have the wrong idea about your event, make sure they find that out beforehand.
• Think about what skills you need in the room. Invite people who can help in valuable ways.
• Have conversations with participants before the event:
  • What are their goals?
  • What are they interested in making and doing?
  • How can your event serve them?

Craft a good design challenge

• A design challenge is a question or a problem that you set out to address together. You should know who you are building solutions for. For example:
  • How can we add value for journalists telling a story using live web content?
  • What games can we make that teach youth an important web skill?
  • How can we harness sensor signals for the visually-impaired to navigate space?
• When everyone knows why they are there and has a stake in the challenge, you'll have a more meaningful event.
• Use clear and engaging language to describe your design challenge.

A "minimum viable prototype"

• A "minimum viable prototype" is a useful framework and goal for a hack jam. You aim to produce something, even if very rough around the edges. Such as:
  • A napkin sketch
  • A blog post
  • A little bit of code
• Set realistic but motivating goals. Check with the group throughout the event.
• Encourage participants to go far, but don't leave people behind. Your job is to bring the group together and make sure everyone has a good time.

Tools and Techniques

• Here are some fun ways to get participants working on ideas together:
  • Work in small groups with diverse skill-sets. Encourage teams to walk around and see what other groups are making.
  • Paper Prototype solutions.
  • Team up and play with existing tools, like Thimble.
• Anyone thinking of doing something different?

Closing and Next Steps

• Celebrate the work that's been done.
  • Gather around and show each other what you made.
  • Publish photos, blog posts, and screenshots using the tag #mozparty.
  • Email mozparty@mozilla.org about outcomes you especially want to highlight.
• Encourage participants to keep hacking on their own or consider hosting another event!
• Pass the learning on. We invite you to share how your event went with us and the larger community. What worked well? What would you like to improve?

Questions & Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting your issues and questions.
• How to get live support.
• If anyone wants to talk one-on-one, just email michelle - at - mozillafoundation - . - org.

Happy Hacking!