Participants celebrating at the Sheridan x Adobe Design Hackathon.

Students design inclusive finance solutions at Sheridan x Adobe Design Hackathon

Mar 6, 2026
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The inaugural Sheridan x Adobe Design Hackathon took place on February 26 in the Learning Commons at the Trafalgar Campus. Thirty-four students from 14 programs worked in interdisciplinary teams to prototype and present solutions to a panel of faculty and industry judges, including representatives from Adobe, Auticon, Return on Disability (ROD) and RBC.
 
Students were challenged to design an improved personal finance application to support neurodivergent users in achieving their financial goals. Working across disciplines under a live deadline, teams used Adobe tools to develop their ideas and present their concepts to judges in 10-minute pitches.
 
Throughout the day, groups worked from study rooms across the Learning Commons, combining design, technical, and business perspectives as they refined their concepts ahead of the final presentations. 
Students presenting their design proposal during the Sheridan x Adobe Design Hackathon.

The event was delivered through Sheridan’s Nova initiative, which promotes new directions in creative industries through cross-disciplinary collaborative innovation networks.

“Watching students take on the challenge of designing a personal finance app for a neurodivergent audience highlighted the skill and empathy within our community,” says Mark Jones, Dean of Sheridan’s Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design. “The quality of ideas demonstrated both technical skill and thoughtful design."

Following final presentations, judges awarded the top prize to Team Five for Froogle, a money mindfulness app designed to help neurodivergent users pause and reflect before making purchases. The team received prizes, including Adobe Creative Cloud access and EDGE entrepreneurship support.

“The hackathon highlighted the creativity and collaboration that emerge when students from different disciplines work together,” Jones adds. “The event was supported by industry partners including Adobe, Auticon, Return on Disability and RBC, reflecting a college-wide effort to bring students, faculty and industry together around inclusive design.” 

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