Rank hackathon demos for a people’s choice prize
Hackathon demos run long, and by the twelfth team people have forgotten the first. Voting by applause favors the last demo and the biggest team. Add every project to a Rankd with a screenshot and a one-line pitch, then share the link in the event Slack or on the screen once demos end. Participants and attendees rank every project, including teams that demoed early. Use the result as the people’s choice award, next to whatever your judging panel decides.
- Team Tofu: Slack bot that books rooms
- Rubber Ducks: voice notes to tickets
- Night Owls: AR furniture planner
- Byte Club: build carbon tracker
- 404 Found: lost and found app
- Team Pivot: accessibility checker
Free. Add your own options (these are just examples), then send one link to your group.
Why ranking beats a regular poll here
- A screenshot and one-liner for each project help people remember the early demos.
- Ranking every project keeps the biggest team from winning on headcount.
- Attendees rank from their laptops in the room or on the stream, with nothing to install.
How it works
- Add the question and 3 to 30 options
- Send one private link to the group
- Everyone ranks privately, in about a minute
- You reveal the winner
Tips
- Ask each team for a screenshot and one-line pitch before demos start, so the Rankd is ready.
- If you want judges and attendees counted separately, make one Rankd for judges and one for everyone else.
- Set the reveal for a set time, right before closing remarks.
Questions
Can teams rank their own project?
Yes, everyone ranks every project. With the whole room ranking, a team placing itself first barely changes the total, and it keeps the ballot simple.
Can people see how I ranked?
No. Each person’s order stays private. Everyone sees the group’s final order and where they personally landed, never anyone else’s individual ranking.
Is it free? Does everyone need the app?
Rankd is free and runs in the browser, so there is nothing to download. Friends open the link from any group chat (iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, email) and rank in about a minute.