A step-by-step guide to getting into Summer of Bitcoin (Designer’s Track)

My design proposal was 70 pages long .

Why?

1. I was new to the open-source community.
2. I wanted the job!

So, I went overboard. I didn't submit a proposal as per se, I submitted an “assignment” ~ Entire case study + Research + UX Audit + high fidelity prototype.

I didn't know better.

After this, I was shocked at how anyone could submit two proposals. Really Deeksha?

Don’t Make the mistakes I did.

P1- Priority 1, P2- Priority 2

Here’s a well-defined step-by-step guide to how to 100% Secure a seat at Summer of Bitcoin @designtrack

Part 1 — Before the Announcement of the Proposals.

Step 1 (P1) — Attend all the online sessions of the learning BootCamp.

Sob has a 75% attendance compulsion for this round and 50% of the students will drop off. But you won't.

Step 2 (P1) — Complete all the reading material provided to you + Brush up your skills

Step 3 (P2)— Start networking. Students will wait till the start of the assignment Round or the proposal round to start networking.
Who to network at this stage? Other students.

Part 2— After the Announcement of the Proposals.

Step 1 (P1) — Selection of the assignment.

You will be given a series of choices to choose from.

Choosing Criteria — The one which will have the greatest impact in the Bitcoin space Or The one you are personally passionate about.

My assignment selection — Lightning tip jar (Execution of QR code generation and Sharing in Bitcoin wallets)

1. I felt this has potential which will forever be a part of my portfolio.

2. A case study in the execution of QR codes will also be a good impression for fintech companies.

3. It was a small assignment compared to others.

Step 2 (P1)— Working on the assignment?

The golden secret — Bitcoin design has already some main frame UI design developed by experienced designers. Use them directly- it will save you time and you can put more time into UX and making a feasible system.

Spend the first 10 days on your assignment. Divide it as follows —

1. Day 1 & 2 on research— Understanding the problem + Collecting all the necessary information (docs, blogs, publications, testimonials, Discord groups, Twitter Forum, Youtube videos, Youtube comments, Telegram Channels, GitHub links, etc. ) + Creating a mental map of the solution + Scribble all your ideas and fantasy solutions.
2. Day 3 to 5 on UX documentation — User Stories (Include all the Critical and Ideal scenarios, Here is a list of Chat GPT prompts that I use for my UX research) + User journey + Concepts + Limitations/Audits/Assumptions/data Collection/Competitor Analysis + Others
3. Day 6 — Compare all your Scribbled ideas with the obtained UI to form the best Solution. (You can skip this part.)
4. Day 7 to 9 on UI creation — Create all your wireframes + Mockups + Low fidelity prototype + High fidelity design + Micro detailing.
5. Day 10 & 11 on Presentation and documentation — Don't take this lightly. Remember you are as good as your final deck, The Mentor will spend a maximum of 5 minutes going through your deck. show off! all your hard work.

By this time you will have an idea of what to do with your proposals and your proposals will be out to choose from.

step 3 (p1) Connecting with alumni —

Connect with the alumni over LinkedIn, you will get to know their details from the sob alumni's page.

Many of them will have their sob proposals, journeys, and assignments uploaded. Go through as many of them as you can. Trust me this will give you an edge over others.

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DO NOT SPAM MESSAGE THEM. DO NOT DISTURB THEM.

Step 4 (p1) Choosing of proposals —

You can choose a maximum of 3 proposals. Either for the same or different orgs.

Choosing Criteria —

1. Fields — Choose the fields you are willing to work ahead in. If you want a career in UX UI don't go for social media. If you love social media, don't go for UX. Don't choose a field just because of scarcity in others.

e.g. — In my tenure, there were 2 orgs for UX UI and 4 orgs for Social media and animation. Logically I would have applied to social media too to increase my chances, but I wouldn't have loved my job.

2. Scope — See if the company has future scope. ask questions like- Will I get a full-time job from this? Are the mentors good? How much scope this project will give me? How much scope does this project have on the Bitcoin sphere?

3. Passion — You need to be loving what you do. Get connected with the project you choose.

Step 5 (p2) —

Going through the previous winner’s proposals provided by the sob. Link

Step 6 (p1) Working on the proposals —

Similar to the assignment. But, it depends on a few simple things —

Success on the proposal depends on — The solution you provide + Your capability to do it (Your Experience + Portfolio + Resume).

If you have a strong portfolio, Then you can have liberty with how much effort you put into your proposal. But if you don't, Go for a high-end proposal.

Low-end Solution — Max page — 8 to 12, Problem overview + User reviews/Research + Competitive Analysis + Existing solutions + your solutions + final deliverables + Timeline. Add appropriate Figma files and present your solutions in prototypes

High-end solution — Max page — 25 to 30, Detailed problem overview + UX audit + User review (with snaps) + User research (figjam file) + Competitor analysis with Priority summary + Your solution + Implementation of the solutions in wireframes/low — fidelity mockups + Brief design system + Detailed delivery system + Detailed future scope of work + Timeline

let's come to the introduction part of the proposal, This will remain the same for all

Introduction part — Your background + Why are you interested in the project + Why did you choose the specific project (refer to step 4) + Why are you a good fit for the project + Your Portfolio + Your Resume.

Part 3 — Interview Round

Hurray! You made it, I knew you would.

Step 7 (P2) — Research about your mentors.

Find out what they have worked on. What is their approach to design? This will get you ahead of your competitors.

Step 8 (P1) — Know the inside out of your proposal.

Mostly questions will be on it. Other questions can be about your technical knowledge of UX and Figma. DM to get a sample for interview questions on LinkedIn.

Did I get into Summer of Bitcoin?

Yes, I did.

I am currently working on Border Wallets with my mentors Christoph and Aditya, both are very senior designers and have amazing insights on the project.

This is a link to the proposal I submitted. Don't follow it it's an overkill.

I will make another blog detailing my love for Border Wallets and my approach to re-designing their entire website.

FAQ’s

1. Which is more important Assignment or proposal?

Ans — Proposal 1 > Assignment > Proposal 2 > Proposal 3

2. Activity in the discord group will improve my chances of selection.

Ans — No, It won't.

3. Does choosing a difficult assignment help me get in?

Ans — No, all assignment has equal points. A certain problem statement doesn't have priority over another. You will only be judged on how well you did the assignment.

4. Doing more assignments give me more marks?

Ans — No, it doesn't.

5. I am late in starting the proposal.

Ans — Doesn’t matter, Check priority in answer one and follow accordingly. You don't need to start early, you need to submit proposals at par with others. Have confidence. follow the messages in the discord group.

I hope this helps you. Leave a comment to appreciate my hard work. If you have further doubts comment below and I will try to answer.

Meet you in my next blog.