Behind
The Philosophy
The "RAPID" in RAPID REBUILD stands for our belief that innovation doesn’t always require building from zero. Sometimes the most impactful solutions come from reimagining what already exists, using modern tools to breathe new life into crucial but neglected digital spaces.
Every day, millions of people use websites with designs that haven’t changed in decades. These digital dinosaurs often provide essential services but deliver frustrating experiences that feel like stepping into a time machine. What if we could take these functional but outdated digital interfaces and transform them with today’s technology?
Resurrection
Digital
Core Concept:
We’re challenging you to select any website or digital interface that desperately needs a modern remake, then rebuild and enhance it using contemporary technology — all in just 72 hours.
Target
Rebuild
Your
Your team will select any existing website or digital interface that needs modernization. This can be any site you personally find frustrating, outdated, or in need of improvement. The following examples are just to spark your creativity:
One of the world’s most valuable companies, led by legendary investor Warren Buffett, maintains a website that looks straight out of 1996. Single-color background, basic HTML, no CSS styling, and a complete lack of modern design elements.
This powerful multilingual dictionary used by translators worldwide features a bare-bones interface that hasn’t changed since the early 2000s. Despite housing millions of translations across dozens of languages, it uses minimal styling, dense text presentation, and offers no modern features.
The ultimate internet survivor, Craigslist’s design has remained essentially unchanged for over two decades. This marketplace giant processes millions of transactions with an interface consisting of basic blue links, minimal categorization, and almost no visual elements.
This influential tech community uses an intentionally minimalist design with text-only formatting and ranking numbers. While beloved by its community, the site lacks modern features like customization, topic filtering, or responsive design.
This website for Technical Advisors Company (TACO) features a design that has remained virtually unchanged since the early web era. With basic HTML, minimal styling, and a layout from decades past, it’s a perfect example of functional information presented in a format that predates modern web design practices.
Own Target!
Choose Your
We encourage you to select any website that you believe needs modernization:
These examples are just a starting point.
Any digital interface that frustrates you personally
Industry-specific tools that could benefit from modernization
Community forums with challenging user experiences
Local business sites stuck in the past
Academic tools with outdated interfaces
Government websites with confusing navigation
Scope
Project
You’re not expected to rebuild every feature of your chosen platform. Focus on a specific user journey, core feature set, or most common use case. Quality over quantity!
Timeline
at 19:00 (UTC)
Opening Ceremony & Hackaton Start
May 30
FRIDAY
at 19:00 (UTC)
Submission Deadline
June 2
MONDAY
JUDGING PERIOD
Until June 14
Structure
Event
- Live demos in specialized Discord channels
- Before/after comparisons
- User flow walkthroughs
- Final submissions and judging
Show & Tell (Hours 68-72)
Phase 4:
- Bug hunting and feature finalization
- Accessibility improvements
- Documentation that actually makes sense
- Pitch preparation
Polish or Perish (Hours 60-68)
Phase 3:
- Rapid development with modern frameworks
- Feature implementation and enhancements
- Cross-team feedback in dedicated Discord channels
- Ongoing usability testing
Build Like You Mean It (Hours 4-60)
Phase 2:
- Choose your rebuild target
- Analyze key pain points and opportunities
- Form your dream team in specialized Discord channels
- Initial planning and wireframing
Target Selection (Hours 0-4)
Phase 1:
Approaches
Implementation
Mobile Companion App:
Create a mobile experience that complements the existing web service
Create a mobile experience that complements the existing web service
Accessibility Layer:
Build a specialized interface focused on addressing accessibility gaps
Build a specialized interface focused on addressing accessibility gaps
Browser Extension:
Create an overlay that improves the existing site without replacing it
Create an overlay that improves the existing site without replacing it
Progressive Web App:
Add offline capabilities and mobile-friendly features
Add offline capabilities and mobile-friendly features
Modern Web Application:
Complete frontend and backend rebuild
Complete frontend and backend rebuild
You're not limited to just rebuilding websites! Consider these alternative approaches:
Provide
We
Resources
Documentation Access: Comprehensive access to design resources and technical documentation
Discord Support: Dedicated channels for UX feedback, technical questions, and project guidance
AI Credits: Limited OpenAI GPT-4/Claude API tokens for teams implementing AI features
Criteria
Evaluation
- Clear before/after demonstration of improvements
- Thoughtful analysis of the original site’s issues
- Well-communicated rationale for technical decisions
20%
Project Presentation
- Adherence to WCAG accessibility standards
- Design choices that expand usability to diverse users
- Alternative interaction methods for different user needs
15%
Accessibility & Inclusivity
- New capabilities that add significant value
- Appropriate use of modern technologies and frameworks
- Optional AI integration to enhance functionality
20%
Feature Innovation
- Code quality and modern development practices
- Performance optimization and load time improvements
- Cross-browser and device compatibility
20%
Technical Implementation
- Clear information hierarchy and intuitive navigation
- Visual design improvements that enhance usability
- Successful resolution of key pain points from the original site
25%
User Experience Transformation
Experts
Judges
Russia
Senior QA Engineer 8+ years of experience
Build effective testing processes and ensure high product quality for leading companies, including Raiffeisen Bank. Proficient in a wide range of tools and frameworks for both manual and automated testing.
Yulia Drogunova
United States
AI Product Builder
Currently building AI-driven freight automation at Forward Labs, transforming global logistics with multimodal AI. Previously scaled hypergrowth Y Combinator companies from zero to unicorn ($1B+ valuation).
Albert Lie
Georgia
Senior Front-End Developer
10 years of experience with React.js, React Native, and Node.js. Based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Built responsive interfaces for international clients and improved performance by cutting page load times by 30%.
Vladislav Krushenitskii
United States
Senior Embedded Engineer
Expert in wireless communication, FPGA, and embedded systems. Contributed to LoRa, OpenRAN, and 5G tech. U.S. patent holder, author, and hackathon judge focused on innovation.
Anand Kumar Singh
Uruguay
Director of Engineering
Leads engineering at Process Street, an AI workflow platform backed by Salesforce and Accel. With 15+ years in software and SaaS, Gabriel drives automation for 3,000+ companies, including Cisco and Slack. Forbes Councils member and active voice in AI and automation.
Gabriel Labrada
Serbia
Lead Software Engineer
16 years of experience building complex, scalable web applications. Expert in designing robust architectures and leading development teams across high-impact projects.
Maksim Zemskov
LinkedIn ➙
& Recognition
Prizes
01000110 01101001 01110010 01110011 01110100 00100000 01010000 01101100 01100001 01100011 01100101
● First Place:
$1,000
01010011 01100101 01100011 01101111 01101110 01100100 00100000 01010000 01101100 01100001 01100011 01100101
● Second Place:
$300
01010100 01101000 01101001 01110010 01100100 00100000 01010000 01101100 01100001 01100011 01100101
● Third Place:
$200
Community Choice:
$500
Best Transformation:
$100
Most Innovative Features:
$100
Best UX Improvement:
$100
Approaches
Technical
You’re free to use these technologies as you build your solution to resurrect and enhance your chosen digital experience.
Build your digital resurrection using any of these technical stacks:
Frontend Technologies
- React.js/Next.js with TypeScript
- Vue.js with Nuxt.js
- Angular with RxJS
- Svelte/SvelteKit
- Web Components with Lit
Mobile Development
- React Native
- Flutter
- Progressive Web Apps
- Native development with Swift/Kotlin
- Chrome Extension Manifest V3
- Firefox Add-ons
- Extension frameworks like Plasmo
Browser Extension Development
- Node.js with Express/Fastify/NestJS
- Python with Django/FastAPI/Flask
- Go with Gin/Echo
- Ruby on Rails
- PHP with Laravel
Backend Technologies (if needed)
Meet the Judges — The Masters of Code & Creativity!
Our panel of expert judges is here to evaluate, inspire, and reward the best of the best. Get ready to impress!
Innovation is taking two things that exist and putting them together in a new way.
Tom Freston
Media proprietor, businessman, and financier
Guidelines
Participation
- Teams of 1−5 people
- All skill levels welcome
- Code must be created during the hackathon
- Use of open-source libraries and frameworks is encouraged
- Existing projects may not be submitted
- 24/7 code of conduct enforcement
Us
Contact
Organized and designed by Hackathon Raptors. A non-profit community — UK [C.I.C] — 15 557 917.
