Welcome to the Pitt Design Jam
- the friendly design competition where undergraduate or graduate student participants from teams of 2-5 in order to address a real world problem, prototyping their solutions and pitching them before a panel of professional judges and their jam peers for awards!
2026 Pitt Design Jam
The 2026 Design Jam will run from March 20 to March 27 and is open to all Pitt students, regardless of college, major, or year--and we think interdisciplinary teams will have a design edge. This event builds from the momentum of related Pitt hosted jams like the Games 4 Social Impact and SheInnovates but with distinct goals–instead of being relegated to a game or a digital format, the Design Jam encourages teams to imagine solutions in any format (e.g. apps, websites, mechanical devices, 3D printed models, community programming), focusing on the process and practice of evolving designs, user research methods, and the skills of a successful pitch. And we give you a week in which to accomplish it.
Design Jam Schedule Preview - final schedule coming soon!
Launch Event - Friday, March 20
Final team registration. Opening remarks by Dr. Jessica FitzPatrick and Dr. Christopher Maverick, reveal of Design Jam prompt (what problem are you designing for?) and parameters of Design Jam pitch and prototypes. Review of on campus resources, including the Open Lab and Digital Media Lab (DML), and support events. Keynote address by senior designer and researcher Dave Bishop (former MAYA Fellow, former BCG, Design Director, CMU HCII Adjunct Professor).
During the Week : This design jam is not a "lock-in" event. It lasts for one week; teams can align their workflow according to individual needs and preferences. During the week, there will be Jam specific support events at maker-spaces throughout campus--stay tuned! Work throughout the week will also be supported by a dedicated Design Jam Discord (link provided during registration, see below) and faculty and student design mentors.
Grand Pitch & Awards Ceremony - Friday, March 27th
Teams will present a short pitch to the judges, articulating why and how their design solutions address the design prompt. Jammers will rate presentations for the Jammer's Choice Award. Celebration!
Judges Panel
Dave Bishop (former MAYA Fellow, former BCG, Design Director, CMU HCII Adjunct Professor), Michael Higgins (SVP at Nielsen, Rhiza Labs), Professors Christopher Maverick and Jessica FitzPatrick (University of Pittsburgh). Judges will offer questions during pitch sessions and provide feedback to each team about their design and help determine award winners. Acting as a consultant during the week will be special guest Dr. Kelsey Cameron (Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Film and Media Studies in the School of Visual Art & Design at the University of South Carolina).
Awards
Categories include: Judges Choice (selected by the judge panel), Jammer's Choice (voted on by jam participants), Tiny Seed (a design showing great future promise not yet fully realized), and the Spork Award (a design demonstrating great, if not entirely design-prompt aligned, innovation or design methodology)
Registration and Discord Access
To participate in the Design Jam and to access the Design Jam Discord, please register for the design jam: Registration will open in mid-late February
Q & A
I don't have a team!
No worries--register through the link above when it goes live and we will help you find teammates!
I'm not a designer. I don't know how to design.
The Design Jam is designed to be welcoming of all skill levels--our design prompt, support throughout the week, and expectation of deliverables will allow for a positive, and productive, experience for all. If you're a writer, graphic artist, engineer, biology student, architect, theater major, media producer, history minor, sustainability certificate holder...insight and contributions can come from all areas of expertise and, often, the strongest designs come from teams consisting of diverse viewpoints.
What are the judges looking for?
A judging rubric will be shared at the launch event. The jam welcomes physical, digital, and hybrid prototypes and designs.
I can't be at the launch event!
That's ok--as long as members of your team can be present to take notes, you're good to go!
It's mid-week between kickoff and finale and I have a question--what do I do?
Chat with design jam mentors and other jammers in the Jam Discord (provided though the registration link). Also consider attending jam lab hours if they seem relevant to your work!
Should I list my Design Jam project in my portfolio / my Design Jam award in my resume?
Absolutely--and if you need help thinking this through, ask our mentors on the Discord! This is a great reason to participate in the jam.
My question wasn't answered here.
No worries! Register and ask the question on the Jam Discord (link provided after registration), or email a member of our organizing committee:
Dr. Jessica FitzPatrick (JLF115@pitt.edu) & Dr. Christopher Maverick (cmaverick@pitt.edu)
Continued congrats to our 2025 Inaugural Design Jam winners!
Judges Choice Award: : Bonsu Tutu, Henry Wilson, & Angeline Pho
Jammer's Choice Award: : Seán O'Rourke, Grace Ward, Oscar Mailman, & Jagr Krtanjek
Tiny Seed Award: : Liam Sullivan, Miles Wisner, & Htet Shine
The Spork Award: Wabona Dandi, Ian O'leary, Ifemi Olojo-Kosoko, & Ericka Suber