Hack4Reno: Choosing a Project

Headed to Hack4Reno this weekend? Choosing your project can be difficult. The Hack4Reno organizers offer some guidance on brainstorming ideas. We’ve come up with a few hints of our own to help you get those creative juices flowing, along with a little advice.

One way to get ideas is to go and look at what data is available. The City of Reno provides several data sets to the public, and the Hack4Reno organizers have put up a Reno is Artown.

Our advice is this – consider whether the data you’re showcasing encourages repeat viewers. Raw statistics, such as crime data, while being a curiosity, usually lead to something people check once and never revisit. And if you’re planning on integrating social media, having something offer not just this weekend, but a month, two months or a year from now is an important consideration. People want to share new things with their friends, not data from six months ago.

Happy Hacking!