Prototyping through play : making an urban satellite region hackathon

Behind the "hackathon" process lies the idea of the adoption of our natural sense of play for a more serious purpose. For many"”if not most"”participants in hackathons who work or study in technology-adjacent fields, a hackathon asks them, ostensibly, to spend approximately 12-24 hours (over one or two days) rushing to complete an urgent project. Often, this involves doing the same tasks they would be doing in their daily work, such as prototyping, programming, or building hardware, but with longer hours and a more intensive pace. Why then would people choose to participate? Alongside its pragmatic values"”networking, gaining skills, contributing to projects with an avowedly social purpose, and a certain fraternity of technology enthusiasts"”we argue the liminal nature of this work/play space also attracts and binds its adherents.