Want to apply your design skills in a creative and fun environment, while also getting professional design feedback and mingling with recruiters? Bitcamp, an annual 36-hour hackathon held at the University of Maryland College Park with over 1200 participants each year, is taking place this year from April 12-14th in the Xfinity Center! We're the largest spring hackathon on the east coast and are sponsored by a range of companies, so there is free food, swag, and plenty of opportunities to network with companies. For the second year in a row, we are opening up a program specifically for students with a passion for Visual Design, User Experience and/or Product Design! 

Design Den is a design-tailored program where students can apply their design skills learned in class to the tech space in a fun, creative environment. Throughout the course of the hackathon, Design students build up a portfolio(Bitfolio) and at the end have it judged by design professionals and win substantial prizes! Designers can partake as mentors to bring a creative perspective and guide hackers on how to improve the design/UI/UX of their hacks, or they can partake as hackers themselves and contribute to their team through designing the UI/UX. Participants can also mingle with recruiters that are looking specifically for students with a design-focused perspective and experience! Professional development opportunities such as portfolio review and workshops will also be available throughout the weekend.

More information about the program can be found in our medium article: https://medium.com/@bitcmp/design-den-907a6f40c3a9

To apply:

1. First, complete the general Bitcamp application at bit.camp. Priority deadline is 3/15

2. Submit your portfolio through the Design Den application at https://bitcamp.typeform.com/to/tYvXRT

3. Mark your calendars for April 12-14th! We will be running a free bus to/from UMBC that weekend!

As this is a relatively new program, we will be limiting the number of total participants. However, we take in applicants of all skill levels so don't let that stop you from applying! We look forward to seeing you this year at Bitcamp 2019!