Quick Start Guide for Complete Beginners
Welcome to Red Devil Hacks! Having no prior programming experience doesn’t mean you can’t participate and contribute meaningfully to a project. This guide will help you get started and make the most of your hackathon experience.
Your Role is Valuable!
Even without coding experience, you bring important skills to a team:
- Creative problem-solving
- User perspective (how should the final product look and feel?)
- Research abilities
- Documentation and communication
- Design thinking
- Project management
- Domain expertise in your field of study
Getting Started with Programming Basics
If you’d like to try coding during the hackathon, here are some beginner-friendly options:
HTML/CSS (Website Basics)
- Create the visual elements of a web page
- No programming logic required, just markup
- Instant visual feedback
- Resources: W3Schools HTML Tutorial
Python Basics
- Beginner-friendly syntax
- Used for data analysis, automation, and more
- Resources: Codecademy Python Tutorial
Ways to Contribute Without Coding
1. User Experience (UX) Design
- Create wireframes and mockups
- Design user flows
- Test usability
- Tools: Figma, Adobe XD, or even paper sketches
2. Research and Content Creation
- Gather data sets
- Write content for applications
- Research similar solutions
- Prepare documentation
3. Project Management
- Keep track of tasks and progress
- Ensure communication between team members
- Manage time and resources
- Tools: Trello, GitHub Projects
4. Presentation and Storytelling
- Prepare the final presentation
- Create compelling slides
- Craft the narrative around your project
- Practice the demo
Finding Your Team
When joining a team, be upfront about your experience level and focus on what you CAN contribute:
- “I’m new to coding, but I have great design skills and can help with the user interface.”
- “I don’t have programming experience, but I’m a quick learner and can help with research and testing.”
- “I’m studying economics, so I can provide domain expertise for your financial app.”
Remember, everyone starts somewhere! The hackathon is a learning experience, and the community is supportive of beginners. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and admit when you don’t know something - that’s how you’ll learn and grow.