FullyBeyond 2024
FullyBeyond is Cal State Fullerton’s first ever student led designathon, created to empower students to explore UX/UI design regardless of experience level. Over the course of nine months, our team built a welcoming and inclusive space where participants could learn design fundamentals, collaborate on real-world challenges, and showcase their creativity.
FullyBeyond 2024
FullyBeyond is Cal State Fullerton’s first ever student led designathon, created to empower students to explore UX/UI design regardless of experience level. Over the course of nine months, our team built a welcoming and inclusive space where participants could learn design fundamentals, collaborate on real-world challenges, and showcase their creativity.
Problem Statement
CSUF lacked a dedicated platform for students to collaborate, showcase their skills, and tackle real world problems through UX design. While hackathons existed, they didn't focus on UX/UI design, and designathons often lacked beginner friendly learning environments.
Our Challenges:
- Introduce design concepts tailored for a beginner-friendly audience.
- Build a sense of community among participants, and organizers.
- Empower students to develop their confidence and enhance their design skills.
Goals
To create a virtual designathon that fosters creativity, collaboration, and community while addressing real-world problems through UX/UI design.
FullyBeyond Team
Research & Planning Process
As a core organizer in the founding board, I helped plan the virtual designathon. My contributions included:
Attending Other Designathons
Participated in events hosted by other universities to learn best practices, identify participant pain points, and observe event structures.
Drawing Inspiration
Incorporated key features such as workshops, mentorship sessions, and streamlined submission processes inspired by successful designathons.
Collaborative Planning
Formulated a tailored plan to create a beginner-friendly virtual designathon addressing CSUF's unique needs.
UCLA Designathon with the FullyBeyond team
UW Designathon with FullyHacks Team Members
My Role
As a core organizer in the founding board, I took on multiple roles ensuring the event's success from planning to execution. My contributions included:
Planning and Collaboration
Made important decisions about the event timeline and structure.
Content Creation
Helped design Flyers, Instagram posts, and help create Instagram shorts for promotion.
Community Building and Inclusivity
Designed a beginner friendly Participant Guide to make the event more welcoming and accessible for first time attendees. Crafted and scheduled engaging Discord announcements to boost visibility and encourage participation.
Web Development
As part of the Web Development team, I contributed to building the FullyBeyond website using new tools like Tailwind CSS. It was my first time working with responsive design. I helped implement key sections such as the Sponsors and Meet the Team sections, learning how to structure and style components while collaborating with other developers to ensure a cohesive user experience.
FullyBeyond Participant Guide
Challenges Faced
The challenges my team and I faced included:
Meeting Initial Deadlines
Coordinating a large team with varying schedules made it difficult to meet our early deadlines. I took initiative by encouraging in-person meetings. Through attending in-person meetings and encouraging consistent communication, we were able to work past this.
Mentor Dropouts
Several mentors dropped out last minute, creating unexpected gaps in participant support. I responded by picking up additional responsibilities, stepping in wherever needed, and helping troubleshoot issues to ensure the event ran smoothly despite reduced mentorship.
Website Responsiveness Issues
The site experienced mobile responsiveness issues. As a member of the web dev team, I helped fix layout bugs and adjusted styling using Tailwind CSS to improve the experience across devices.
Outcomes & Impact
We successfully created an educational and engaging experience for...
100+
Participants
25
Universities
75%
Beginners
Community Legacy
Established CSUF's first designathon and created a foundation for future organizers to build upon.
Team Growth
Organizers gained invaluable skills in event logistics, marketing, and UX design. The bonds formed created a lasting sense of camaraderie and dedication within the team.
FullyBeyond Participants Community Response
Lessons Learned
I gained several takeaways from my time with FullyBeyond that I will carry into future projects.
Effective Communication
Early misalignment caused missed deadlines. Weekly check-ins, clear team leads, and occasional in-person meetings improved accountability, collaboration, and morale. I learned to establish clear communication structures early..
Reach Out Early to Sponsors
Reaching out late limited funding. Sponsors value early engagement, clarity, and concrete details. I now prioritize early outreach with a well-prepared pitch and aligned logistics.
Decide on the Tech Stack Early
One major takeaway was the importance of finalizing the tech stack early in the process. Our team spent significant time debating which tools to use, which delayed actual development. In future projects, I've learned to prioritize aligning on tools quickly and focusing on what best fits the team's skill set and the project goals. Also, I've learned to prioritize early planning and design, so we can spend more time building and iterating.
Reflection
FullyBeyond wasn't just an event. It was a labor of love rooted in the kind of experience we wished our younger selves had access to. From beginner friendly workshops to inclusive team formation, every decision was intentionally made to create a welcoming space where students could explore design, collaborate, and grow. This experience taught me the value of trust, resilience, and adaptability. FullyBeyond wasn't just about launching a designathon. It was about fostering confidence, creativity, and community. One of the most meaningful outcomes was how it helped lay the foundation for a UI/UX design community at CSUF, where we once felt there wasn't one. The challenges we overcame and the impact we made are reminders that with heart, intention, and teamwork, it is possible to build something that truly empowers others.