On February 28th, I had the incredible opportunity to mentor at the Swift Design-athon 2026. Contrary to what one may initially think, the Design-athon is not a competition like most hackathons are. Instead, it is framed as an early experience of Swift Accelerator for the next potential cohort. It revolves around the core idea no coding experience required. What this meant was a nine-hour expedition that marked the beginning for the potential class of 2026/7. Hahahahah 67. But seriously…
From a participant’s perspective, the Design-athon commenced with the murder of Jiachen, Co-manager of the Swift Accelerator Charity. They worked through the day to uncover more about the murder—especially finding the accused. Solving various crime scenes, each hinting more regarding the felony. Participants would continue to design a poster—accusing the suspect they believed committed the offense.
Designing a poster aligned with the promise of no coding experience required, allowing participants to act upon the knowledge they gathered throughout the day. Ranging from small hints to insane discoveries, the wisdom they gained proved necessary as they scaled the challenge.
Honestly? Mentoring my group taught me that sometimes, the biggest lessons aren’t learned—but experienced. The day educated me that being a mentor wasn’t being a textbook for your mentees, but being present, dynamic and reliable in times when it matters.
All in all, I believe the Design-athon was an amazing start to the year—and I think it inspired many to join this year’s cohort. Good luck, Class of 26/7!
