To help you get started, here are some recommended resources and tools you may find useful during the hackathon. These are suggestions, not requirements; you’re free to use whatever stack or tools work best for your team.

Collaboration & Communication

  • Discord/Slack: our main event chat for announcements, Q&A, and team coordination.
  • GitHub / GitLab: version control and team collaboration on code.
  • Figma / Miro: quick wireframing, UI mock-ups, and brainstorming.
  • Notion / Google Docs: Quick documentation and team organisation.

Development Resources

  • Visual Studio Code: Popular lightweight IDE with strong extension support.
  • MDN Web Docs: Authoritative reference for web standards (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, APIs).
  • FreeCodeCamp / W3Schools: Beginner-friendly tutorials for a wide range of topics.
  • Postman: Tool for testing and debugging APIs.
  • Docker: Containerisation for consistent environments (useful for deployment or complex setups).
  • Heroku / Vercel / Netlify: Simple hosting and deployment platforms with generous free tiers.

General Recommendations by Project Type

Website / Web App:

  • Frontend: React, Vue, Vite, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Hero UI, Material UI, Shadcn UI

  • Backend: Flask, Django, SQLite

Mobile App:

  • Cross-platform: React Native + Expo, Flutter

  • Native: Swift, Kotlin

Desktop App:

  • Tauri, Electron, PyQt, Tkinter, JavaFX

Python / AI / Data Projects:

  • Pandas, NumPy, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, OpenCV, Jupyter Notebook / Google Colab

Hardware / IoT / Robotics:

  • Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ESP32, sensors, servos, MicroPython

Game / VR / AR:

  • Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, WebXR

Tips:

  • Prefer tools your team already knows.

  • Use libraries or APIs to speed up development.

Deployment / Demo Recommendations

  • Web / API Projects: GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify, Heroku (free tiers)

  • Mobile Apps: IPA/APK build or demo directly on device (TestFlight for iOS)

  • Desktop Apps: Share binaries or run directly on a laptop

  • Python / Data Science: Google Colab, Jupyter Notebook, Hugging Face Spaces

  • Hardware / IoT: Demo with a prototype

Free Services & Credits for Students

Take advantage of student programs and free tiers to accelerate your project: