Judging Process

After the hacking deadline, your project will be judged and reviewed by select judges, who may be professors at De Anza College or special guests.

During judging, your project video will be shown to the judges to provide them with context on your project, and you will then complete a ~4 minute in-person presentation to the judges. (2 minutes in-person presentation, 2 minutes Q&A) Finalists will provide an additional presentation of their project to the full judging board.

For your in-person presentation, you will not be provided with extra equipment. You are allowed to show a slideshow presentation if you have the means to display it. You will not be provided extra time for equipment setup, so please make sure you are prepared to judge as soon as you enter the venue.

Your project will be judged based on the following criteria:

• Application Feasibility (Real-World Use) > Does this project have a practical application in the real world? Can it provide real benefits to users and/or businesses?

• Functionality and Quality > How well does the project function? Is it free of major bugs? Is the User Interface (UI) intuitive and easy to navigate?

• Creativity and Innovation > Does the project offer a fresh solution or approach? Is it innovative, or does it rely on familiar methods and ideas?

• Technical Complexity > Does the project reflect a strong understanding of technical concepts? How well did the team execute their technology stack?

• Presentation > How well did the team communicate their project? Was the presentation clear and engaging?