More than eighty design-oriented and engineering students from ten different universities as well as professionals from across New York City spent fifteen hours over two days at the NYU Media and Gaming Network (MAGNET) facilities in Brooklyn for the first-ever "Prototyping Hackathon" (ProtothonTM). Sponsored by Ernst & Young LLP (EY), the theme of the inaugural Protothon was disaster relief.

Design can save lives. This Protothon will showcase that premise as teams develop impactful and actionable solutions that can be carried forward to help those impacted by natural disasters.

The Protothon provided students with an experiential learning opportunity while allowing EY to work with them in solving real-world challenges in a simulated environment that was similar to what they are likely to experience upon entering the workforce. Students also got a chance to learn more about the full breadth of services EY brings when solving client and community problems and its commitment to diversity of perspective, one of the critical pillars of design thinking.

Read the full article on design for disasters by Ellen Glazerman at PhilanTopic