From Generative AI to Gloriously Bad UIs: A Workshop Recap and Challenge Highlights

In today's tech landscape, Generative AI is transforming how we work and create. But what happens when you combine cutting-edge technology with a dash of playful chaos?  PETE.Tech, in partnership with Mambee (a Software Factory initiative from IFPI, campus Picos), recently hosted a workshop that explored just that.  We delved into the world of Generative AI, discussed its potential and risks, and then challenged participants to create the "worst" possible user interface for scoring the Olympic Games. The results were hilariously bad—and brilliantly creative.

The workshop began with an introduction to Generative AI, covering its core concepts and practical applications within a business context. We demonstrated how self-hosting LLMs like Ollama, combined with interfaces like OpenWebUI, can empower teams to boost productivity. We also discussed responsible AI usage, emphasizing the importance of ethical considerations and data privacy.

But the real fun began with the "Worst UI Competition."  The challenge? Design a fully functional, yet utterly terrible, user interface for awarding points during the Olympic Games. This playful exercise encouraged participants to think outside the box, push the boundaries of conventional UI design, and unleash their creativity.  We gave them two weeks to build their masterpieces of mayhem.

The response was fantastic. We received a flood of submissions, each more hilariously unusable than the last. After careful deliberation (and much laughter), we selected the top 10 most creative and on-theme entries.

Here are the masterminds behind the winning entries:

• Rafhael Gaspar: Rafhael0069/worst_ui_competition: "Olympics: The Worst UI Ever Created!" is a satirical project designed as part of a competition to create the most frustrating and confusing user interface imaginable. Built with Vue.js 3 and Vuetify 3, this project deliberately defies best practices in UI design.‍
• João Victor: JoaoVictor-dev1/worst_ui_competition ‍
• Emileny Rocha: EmilenyRochaLeal/worst_ui_competition: Julgue se for capaz  ‍
• Artur Martins Silva: ArturMSilva/worst_ui_competition ‍
• Rodrigo Fontes: RodrigoFontes377/worst_ui_competition-rodrigo-fontes ‍
• Carolyne Ferreira: karolyne04/worst_ui_competition‍
• Kedna Leal: lealkedna/worst_ui_competition ‍
• Marcos Paulo Soares: Marcos-P-Soares/worst_ui_competition ‍
• Kauê Alves Silva: Kaue-Alves/worst_ui_competition ‍
• Francisco Carvalho: ciscocarvalho/worst_ui_competition

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Conclusion

The Generative AI workshop and "Worst UI Competition" were a resounding success. They demonstrated that learning can be fun, engaging, and even a little bit chaotic.  The challenge highlighted the importance of creativity, problem-solving, and thinking differently.  By combining a serious exploration of AI with a lighthearted design challenge, we inspired participants to explore new possibilities and push the boundaries of their skills.

Want to see all the submissions? Check out the forked repositories on the main challenge page: petetechnology/worst_ui_competition. Feel free to fork the repository and add your own gloriously bad UI creation!