Feat: Devpost HackPack

README.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ These HackPacks will then be rendered and displayed on the IC Hack dashboard, fo
 - **[`android-development`](./android-development/README.md)**
 - **[`api-design`](./api-design/README.md)**
 - **[`databases`](./databases/README.md)**
+- **[`making-a-devpost`](./making-a-devpost/README.md)**
 - **[`engaging-with-sponsors`](./engaging-with-sponsors/README.md)**
 - **[`git-and-github`](./git-and-github/README.md)**
 - **[`pitching-and-presenting`](./pitching-and-presenting/README.md)**

making-a-devpost/README.md

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+# Writing a Devpost
+
+In this HackPack, we will cover how to create and enter a **strong** Devpost submission for your IC Hack project!
+
+The goal is simple:
+>Make it *easy* for judges to **understand** your project, your **technical depth**, and **why it matters**, in under a few minutes.
+
+Before even starting a Devpost, make sure you have the following:
+
+- A project name (short, memorable)
+- A 1-sentence elevator pitch
+- A working demo (even if scrappy)
+- A GitHub repo
+- A short demo video (2-3 mins)
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> A project that ***works a bit*** but is *well-explained* scores higher than a complex project nobody understands.
+
+## Table of Contents
+
+<!-- TOC -->
+
+- [Writing a Devpost](#writing-a-devpost)
+  - [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents)
+  - [What is Devpost?](#what-is-devpost)
+  - [Create Your Devpost Project](#create-your-devpost-project)
+  - [Project Name \& Tagline](#project-name--tagline)
+    - [Project Name](#project-name)
+    - [Tagline](#tagline)
+  - [Project Description](#project-description)
+    - [Problem](#problem)
+    - [Solution](#solution)
+  - [How It Works](#how-it-works)
+  - [Challenges](#challenges)
+  - [Learnings \& Accomplishments](#learnings--accomplishments)
+  - [What's Next](#whats-next)
+  - [Demo Video](#demo-video)
+    - [Video Rules](#video-rules)
+    - [Suggested Structure](#suggested-structure)
+  - [Tech Stack](#tech-stack)
+  - [GitHub Repo](#github-repo)
+  - [Common Mistakes](#common-mistakes)
+  - [Judge Mindset](#judge-mindset)
+  - [Past Examples](#past-examples)
+  - [Final Check](#final-check)
+
+<!-- /TOC -->
+
+## What is Devpost?
+
+[*Devpost*](https://devpost.com/) is the platform used to submit your IC Hack project. When reading through your Devpost, judges tend to:
+
+- Skim your title & tagline
+- Read your description
+- Look at your demo
+- Look at the tech stack & challenges
+
+> [!CAUTION]
+> The judges will most likely ***not*** have the time to review your entire GitHub repo!
+
+This makes it very important for you to have a strong Devpost submission.
+
+Your Devpost entry should tell a **clear** story of:
+
+1. The problem
+2. Your solution
+3. How it works
+4. Why it is impressive
+
+Additionally, adding **screenshots** or a **demo video** gives judges a clear visual of your project.
+
+## Create Your Devpost Project
+
+1. Navigate to the **Devpost hackathon link** provided on the [IC Hack internal page](https://my.ichack.org/). This is likely to be [ic-hack-26.devpost.com](https://ic-hack-26.devpost.com/).
+2. Join the IC Hack 26 Devpost by clicking the large "*Join hackathon*" button.
+3. Click "*Start project*".
+4. Fill in all the information about your project you want to convey, using the advice given below.
+5. At some point before the 12:00 PM deadline, find the **public URL** for your Devpost submission and paste this into the relevant box on the internal page.
+6. When you are satisfied with your Devpost, continue to the *Submit* step and click "*Submit project*".
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> Only one person needs to submit the Devpost project! Just make sure you have formed a team on the internal page.
+
+## Project Name & Tagline
+
+### Project Name
+
+Keep it:
+
+- Short (1-2 words if possible)
+- Pronounceable
+- Relevant to your project
+
+---
+
+**Good**:
+
+- `Pulse`
+- `QuickSplit`
+- `AutoNote`
+
+**Bad**:
+
+- `AI_Blockchain_Web3_Thing`
+- `NextGenBlockChainAIRevolutionPlatform`
+- `Causalitree` - capitalisation of `Tree` would make it simpler to read
+
+---
+
+### Tagline
+
+This is pretty much the ***first*** thing judges will read.
+
+This should take the structure of:
+`Verb + what it does (+ for whom)`
+
+Below are some examples of informative, but still concise taglines.
+
+- "*Real-time sign language translation using computer vision*"
+- "*Automatically generate revision notes from lecture slides*"
+
+> [!TIP]
+> If a judge reads ***only*** your tagline, they should still understand your idea.
+
+## Project Description
+
+This is the section that sets apart winners from runners-up.
+
+### Problem
+
+- What problem are you solving?
+- Who does it affect?
+- Why does it matter *now*?
+
+Keep it precise (but also don't get too technical just yet).
+
+**Bad**: "People struggle with productivity"
+
+**Good**: "Students waste time manually organising revision notes across multiple platforms"
+
+---
+
+### Solution
+
+- What did you build?
+- How does it solve the problem?
+- What makes it different?
+
+Mention **key features**, not implementation details (this belongs in the next section).
+
+## How It Works
+
+This is where the more technically-impressive projects can shine through.
+
+Include:
+
+- Architecture overview
+- APIs, models and systems used
+- Data flow (high-level)
+
+**Example**:
+
+>"We use a React frontend that communicates with a FastAPI backend. User input is processed by a fine-tuned Whisper model, then stored in Firebase and visualised in real time."
+
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Do not dump code or go too low-level. Explain high-level design choices instead!
+
+## Challenges
+
+Talk about:
+
+- What broke
+- What you had to redesign
+- Trade-offs you made
+
+Judges tend to *love* this
+(it's usually one of the first follow-up questions they ask!), because it proves that
+
+- You actually built it
+- You understand your system
+
+## Learnings & Accomplishments
+
+Briefly highlight what makes your project stand out and what you learned while building it. Focus on one meaningful achievement or challenge, and explain what they taught you.
+
+This could include solving a tricky technical problem, integrating an unfamiliar technnology, or improving performance or reliability. Keep it concise, the goal is to show growth without going into deep implementation detail.
+
+**Example**:
+
+>"While debugging the real-time video pipeline, we learned the importance of asynchronous processing and managing memory effectively. This also highlighted the value of designing modular components for easier testing."
+
+## What's Next
+
+Outline realistic next steps for your project. This could include:
+
+- New features that build on current work
+- Performance or UX improvements
+- Preparing the project for deployment
+- Research or experimentation you would like to explore further
+
+Perhaps you could link these to the challenges you faced.
+
+**Example**:
+
+>"Next, we plan to implement a caching system to reduce latency, building on lessons learned from our initial video streaming bottlenecks."
+
+## Demo Video
+
+### Video Rules
+
+- 2-3 minutes
+- Screen recording with voice
+- Show the product *working*
+
+### Suggested Structure
+
+- Problem (15s)
+- Demo (1-2 min)
+- Highlight of standout features (30s)
+
+> [!TIP]
+> Make your project obvious in the first 60 seconds.
+
+For recording, tools like **OBS**, **Loom**, or the built-in screen recorder on your OS work well.
+
+Upload your video to YouTube as an **unlisted video** for easy embedding.
+
+## Tech Stack
+
+Be honest, don't list things you barely touched!
+
+## GitHub Repo
+
+Ensure:
+
+- The repo is public
+- You have a `README` that explains how to run your project
+- No API keys are committed
+
+Useful:
+
+- Add UI screenshots to the `README`
+- Architecture diagrams
+
+## Common Mistakes
+
+- **Vague problem description**: "We wanted to help people" doesn't tell judges anything
+- **Buzzwords without explanation**: Saying "AI-powered" means nothing if you don't explain *how*
+- **Overclaiming features**: Only list what actually works; judges will test it
+- **Wall of text**: Use bullet points, headers, and whitespace
+- **No visuals**: Screenshots and diagrams make your project tangible
+
+## Judge Mindset
+
+Judges are:
+
+- Speed-reading dozens of submissions
+- Looking for projects that *clearly* explain their value
+- Checking if your demo actually works
+
+Help them by being:
+
+- **Clear** — No jargon without explanation
+- **Structured** — Easy to skim with headers and bullets
+- **Honest** — Acknowledge limitations; it shows maturity
+
+*But remember...*
+
+**You are here to win your category** *(... and have fun)*!
+
+Tailor your submission to your categories!
+For general categories, you will want to target your category in the ***Problem*** section, since the vast majority involve creating a product for a certain demographic or to address a specific scenario.
+
+For 'Best Use Of' categories, you will want to state the technology in your ***Tech Stack***, but also you will want to be explicit in how you have used that technology in your ***How it Works*** section.
+
+*Some* categories fit neither of the two above. For example, at ICHack 25, JetBrains' category was a **no-code approach to learning**. This would be best prioritised in the ***Solution*** section.
+
+## Past Examples
+
+Take a [look here](https://ic-hack-25.devpost.com/project-gallery) for last years' Devpost submissions.
+
+>[!TIP]
+>Look out for the `Winner` banner, these are the winners or runners-up of a category. They likely did something right in their Devpost!
+
+## Final Check
+
+- **Name + Tagline:** Instantly understandable in one read
+- **Problem:** Specific, real and relevant
+- **Solution:** What you built
+- **How it Works:** High-level architecture
+- **Challenges:** What broke, trade-offs, redesigns
+- **Learnings & Accomplishments:** 1 key achievement + takeaway
+- **What's Next:** Realistic next steps
+- **Tech Stack:** Only what you actually used
+- **Demo Video:** Shows the product working
+
+- **Easy to skim**
+- **Honest**
+- **Value of project immediately clear**
+
+---
+
+**Good luck**—and remember: ***presentation is part of engineering!***