Reflections on the DIS Hackathon: How We Created a Housing Guide for Foreigners in the Czech Republic
During January 24–25, 2025, we participated in the DIS Hackathon held in the inspiring surroundings of the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University in Brno. Our goal was to design and test a prototype solution within two intense days—one that would help foreigners overcome the barriers to finding housing in the Czech Republic.
The Beginning: Identifying the Problem and Preparation
Before the hackathon even began, we defined a key issue during the fall semester: the shortage of affordable housing and the challenges that foreigners face when trying to rent properties. We explored this problem using a Theory of Change, empathy maps, and backcasting techniques to envision what the world could look like in 2025, 2030, and 2035 if we succeeded in solving it.
Our aim was to build trust between foreigners and landlords, thereby facilitating access to rental housing while also addressing property owners' concerns. This research led us to formulate our design challenge:
"How might we foster trust and collaboration between foreigners and landlords to ease access to rental housing while addressing the needs of both parties?"
This challenge laid the foundation for our work during the hackathon.
The Hackathon in Full Swing: A Fast-Paced Design Sprint
With only two days at our disposal, we opted for a simplified version of Google's design sprint. From the very start, we set a clear goal: by the end of day one, we needed to have at least an 80% functional prototype ready for testing on Saturday.
Given our small team size, we decided to focus exclusively on the target group of foreigners seeking housing in the Czech Republic. Using a customer journey map, we identified the key milestones and pain points encountered at each step of the process. We also incorporated our team's personal experiences, which allowed us to quickly move toward a solution.
The result was the idea of creating a digital guide for expats—a tool to help them navigate the Czech real estate market. The guide would include practical tools, communication templates, and legal advice to facilitate interactions with landlords and boost their chances of successfully securing housing.
From Figma to Notion: A Key Decision
Initially, we began building our prototype in Figma. However, we soon realized that for our purpose—creating a simple, accessible, and easily distributable guide—it would be more efficient to use Notion. This switch allowed us to prototype faster and publish the guide directly. That said, we did face challenges with navigation and content organization, which we had to fine-tune at the last minute.
User Validation: Role-Play Testing
On Saturday morning, we focused on user testing. Due to the difficulty of reaching our target group, we asked two respondents with experience working with foreigners to role-play as our users. This exercise provided valuable feedback, particularly regarding the clarity of navigation, the comprehensibility of the content, and the emphasis on key elements.
Key Insights Included::
- Positive Feedback: Users appreciated the practical examples, communication templates, and anti-discrimination advice, which provided them with greater confidence.
- Constructive Criticism: The navigation through the content was somewhat confusing, some terms required better translation, and a section on deposit costs and anti-discrimination mechanisms was missing.
We managed to incorporate these suggestions before our final presentation.
Reflections and Next Steps
Although our team was small—and Mariana was only able to join remotely—we managed to create a functional and useful product within two days. Special thanks go to Dominik and Mariana, our talented and speedy designers, with whom it was a pleasure to work.
If we were to continue with the project, the next steps would include:
Additional User Testing:
Conduct further testing with real target users.
Expanding the Guide:
Add a section for landlords to promote mutual trust and collaboration between both parties.
Broadening Adoption:
Explore partnerships with non-profit organizations and platforms for expats.
The hackathon was an excellent experience for us, demonstrating how quickly a well-defined problem and an efficient process can lead to a functional solution. Who knows—one day, our guide might evolve into a full-fledged platform that transforms the way foreigners find housing in the Czech Republic.