Watch the Final 10 teams showcase their projects live during Solution Challenge Demo Day on June 27, 2024. Learn more.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the evaluation
criteria for Solution Challenge entries?
Each solution will be
evaluated on a scale of 1 to 50 points, across two aspects: Impact and
Technology.
Impact (25 points)
- Does the entry establish a clear challenge using their problem statement? (5 points)
- Do they explain clearly which UN Sustainable Development goals and targets they chose for their solution and why? (5 points)
- Feedback from users, testing & iteration (5 points)
- Does the team clearly describe three feedback points they received from real users and the steps they took to test them?
- Is there evidence of what the team learned and how the solution was iterated upon based on user feedback?
- Does the solution address the challenge (and problem statement) identified by the team? Does the team adequately describe the success of their solution using metrics, goals, and outcomes? (5 points)
- Is there evidence of next steps? Does the team display a clear plan for future extension to a larger audience if they were to continue? (5 points)
Technology (25 points)
- Does the team clearly describe the following: architecture, high-level components, responsibility of each component, specific products and platform they implemented? Has the team clearly explained what Google technology they used and why? (5 points)
- Does the solution implement all the technical components needed to solve the challenge? (5 points)
- Code testing and iteration (5 points)
- Does the team highlight one challenge they faced while building their code, how they addressed the issue, and the technical decisions and implementations they had to make? Did the team include guidance on running their code?
- Does the video demonstration show an actual working application (not a mockup) and how a user will interact with the solution? Does the demo show how the solution makes effective and appropriate use of the features of the chosen Google technology or platform? (5 points)
- Can the solution, in its current form or minor structural changes, support more users and increased scale? (5 points)
What are the
17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations?
Created
by the United Nations in 2015 to be achieved by 2030, the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) agreed upon by all 193 United Nations Member
States aim to end poverty, ensure prosperity and protect the planet.
More information about the 17 SDGs can be found here
.
Can my solution solve a
problem outside of the scope of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals?
No. We require your submitted solution to solve for at least
one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). When you’re
ready to submit your solution, please identify which of the 17 SDGs your
solution is focused on solving, and which specific goal targets you are
solving for.
Can one student or team
submit with multiple submissions if they’ve contributed to both
projects?
No. Terms
and Conditions
state: “LIMIT ONE (1) ENTRY PER PERSON,” so each
student can only be a part of one submission.
Can I still participate in
the Solution Challenge if there is no Google Developer Student Club at
my university?
Yes, as a student you can still participate, as
long as you team up with at least one student at an existing GDSC
university near you. You must join that GDSC community through the GDSC event
platform
. We recommend you to then reach out to the GDSC lead for
guidance on how to join or form a team with their community.
What is a solution demo? What
should it feature?
The solution demo is a demonstration video
that shows the most important part of your application. When evaluating,
our judges will use the demonstration video to understand how a user
will interact with the application.
Note that your video is
limited to 2 minutes, so focus on what’s really important!
From
the video, we want to understand how the user interacts with your
application and its features. We don’t need to know about every little
feature detail, we care far more about the core value your solution is
adding. So focus on the most important features and functionalities for
the user.
Can our demonstration video
be longer than 2 minutes (120 seconds)?
No. As stated in the Terms
and Conditions, “[The Video] cannot be longer than 120 seconds. If
it is longer than this, only the first 120 seconds will be
evaluated.”
Does our project have to be
deployed for submission?
No, it does not have to be deployed.
If the project is deployed, this will help our judges get a better
understanding of what you’ve built, but it is not required.
Given the implications of
social distancing, our ability to test with users was impacted -- will
the judges consider this?
Our judges will surely be mindful of
the limitations that have been added by COVID-19. This includes but is
not limited to:
- Ability to meet as a team
- Ability to have users test the
solution
- Lack of internet access or proper developer
environments due to displacement from your college campus.
User testing is
important for the solution challenge. How would you recommend we do this
while social distancing?
We recommend getting creative. To test
your solution with users, it’s usually best to meet them face-to-face.
This allows you to ask for real-time feedback, see upfront how they use
your application, and pick up on subtle reactions. However, we know that
might not be possible, given the current global pandemic. Here are some
potential work-arounds:
- Conduct the interview over a video call.
- Conduct the
interview over a phone call, asking the potential user to constantly
speak their thoughts out loud, so you can hear all their
feedback.
- Write a series of questions, and ask your potential
user to record themselves as they answer the questions and use your
solution.
- Ask for written feedback from your users.
I started working on a
project before the solution challenge started -- can I submit it?
Yes -- it would be eligible for submission as long as it was built
after April 12, 2022.
