Hack@Brown
Building the "Metropolis" visual identity and digital experience for a national hackathon with 3D modeling and web design.
Overview: Constructing a Metropolis
Hack@Brown is Brown University’s annual national hackathon. For the 2026 event, we designed a "Metropolis" themed digital experience for 2,200+ visitors and 400+ participants.
My role involved lo-fi wireframing, hi-fi prototyping, and 3D modeling custom assets in Blender to create a wonderous, immersive web interface.
Role: Product Designer (Lo-fi, Hi-fi, & 3D Modeling)
Timeline: September 2025 – February 2026
Team: Anna Wang, Hannah Zhang, Aarav Kumar, Anushka Parikh, Chris Mok, Claire Luo, Jihu Choi
Disciplines: Product Design, 3D Modeling, Design Systems
Tools: Figma, Blender
The Problem: Creating a Clear, Inclusive Theme
The "Metropolis" concept is inherently dense and industrial, which risked making the site feel cluttered or intimidating. My challenge was to construct a sprawling city aesthetic that remained accessible to first-time hackers, ensuring the visual noise of the theme didn't obstruct critical information or the registration flow.
Ideation: Synthesizing Team Concepts Into a Unified Structure
I began with lo-fi sketches to map out the site’s architecture, focusing on how a user moves from curiosity to registration. By meshing various team concepts into a final layout, we combined immersive scrolling with a clean layout, while incorporating 3D assets as guides that built up the metropolis story.
Execution: Using 3D Modeling to Add Life
I used Blender to build custom assets that defined the visual soul of the site. This included modeling cityscapes to establish the "Metropolis" atmosphere and creating friendly animal models for the "starter pack" sections. By using rounded edges and soft lighting, I ensured these assets felt cute and approachable, bridging the gap between a techy theme and a welcoming user experience.
The Outcome: 2,200+ users reached globally
400+ signups with zero registration drop-off.
$10k+ funding secured from sponsors, including AWS, Bloomberg, Capital One, D.E. Shaw Group, Visa, Marshall Wace, Hudson River Trading (HRT), and Fetch.ai.
Higher participation than previous in-person events and engagement across social media posts.
Retrospective: Learning to Stay Ambitious + Team-Oriented!
Balance: Aim high in brainstorming, but stay realistic during execution.
Growth: New software is an opportunity to incorporate fresh, fun elements! And while it seems daunting, new skills translate into more avenues for visual communication.
Collaboration: Strong team culture drives accountability and makes people want to show up :) (this being said after a copious number of six-seven jokes were made)
Next Steps: Prioritize mobile optimization for faster global load times.
