The Adobe Express Add-ons Hackathon is an exciting opportunity for developers, designers, and creative builders of all backgrounds to bring their idea to life and shape the future of Express for millions of users.
Adobe Express 🎨 is the quick and easy create-anything app that empowers anyone to create standout designs to promote your ideas, passions, and business. It's a powerful tool that can be used by everyone, from business pros and marketers to educators and entrepreneurs, to create stunning content in minutes. 💪
(New to Express? Join us for Adobe Developers Live on June 24-25 and learn about the Express platform from the folks building it.)
Design and pitch your idea for an Adobe Express Add-on, then get paid to build and ship if you win! Express Add-ons are like mini-apps that run in Express. They expand and enhance what users can do in Express by adding new features, workflows, or integrations.
Requirements
To participate, you'll create a video that pitches your idea or concept, shows you've explored how to build it as an Express Add-on, and demonstrates your readiness to bring it to life. We're not looking for polished or finished products.
We care about three things:
1. đź§ You have a strong idea for an Express Add-on.
2. ⚙️ You proved the Add-on is technically possible in the Express platform.
3. 🚀 You're ready and motivated to ship if you win.
REQUIRED
🎥 -- Pitch video (~3 minute length - judges will only watch 3 min)
This is your main submission—make it shine.
• Introduce yourself and your idea for an Add-on. Explain what it is, who it's for, and the problem it solves.
• Demonstrate the core features of your idea running in an Express Add-on environment (local project or Code Playground) and explain which features support your technical requirements.
• Briefly tell us your plan to ship the Add-on to production if you win.
OPTIONAL
• Mockups, sketches, or images
• Private link to your Add-on proof of concept
• Build plans or technical docs
• User insights, research, or other supporting evidence
• Anything that proves your concept and commitment to building it
Supporting materials can help you win, but only the pitch video is required.
Tips for participants
đź’… Don't stress about polish - rough demos, prototypes, or even annotated mockups are fine as long as the core idea and compatibility with the Express platform are clear.
🚢 Convince us you'll ship - show your enthusiasm and intent to build if you win.
📋❓Optional materials (mockups, build plans, etc.) strengthen your project, but your pitch video is most important.
Prizes
Most valuable to Express users
• Meeting with Adobe Express Extensibility Team to discuss and get mentorship on building and shipping Project.
• Project featured in Adobe Developers Blog post
Best AI-enhanced experience
• Meeting with Adobe Express Extensibility Team to discuss and get mentorship on building and shipping Project.
• Project featured in Adobe Developers Blog post
Best integration or workflow hack
• Meeting with Adobe Express Extensibility Team to discuss and get mentorship on building and shipping Project.
• Project featured in Adobe Developers Blog post
Best new video innovation
• Meeting with Adobe Express Extensibility Team to discuss and get mentorship on building and shipping Project.
• Project featured in Adobe Developers Blog post
Collaboration Catalyst
• Meeting with Adobe Express Extensibility Team to discuss and get mentorship on building and shipping Project.
• Project featured in Adobe Developers Blog post
"Express Yourself" wildcard
• Meeting with Adobe Express Extensibility Team to discuss and get mentorship on building and shipping Project.
• Project featured in Adobe Developers Blog post
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Taylor Krusen
Sr Developer Advocate at Adobe
Ruben Rincon giraldo
Group Product Manager
Steph Corrales
Sr Experience Designer at Adobe
Holly Schinsky
Sr DevRel Engineer at Adobe
Alex Castanheira
Platform Partnership at Adobe
Gloria Wang
Sr Software Engineer at Adobe
Tate Masi
Sr Product Manager at Adobe
Chris Zang
Product Manager at Adobe
Ingo Eichel
Sr Manager of Developer Community at Adobe
Erin Finnegan
Sr. Community Manager at Adobe
Ingo Eichel
Sr Manager of Developer Community at Adobe
Judging Criteria
-
Value for Express Users
Who is your target user? How does your add-on make their work faster, easier, or more effective? Does it offer broad value to many or deep value to a specific group? -
Innovation ("uniqueness")
Is your add-on creative or unexpected in tech, design, or workflow? If similar ideas exist, how is yours better? What’s original or delightful about it? -
Feasibility and Intent to Build
How have you confirmed the Express platform supports your add-on’s needs? Did you make a prototype or mockup? What’s your launch plan if you win? Do you have the skills and motivation to deliver? -
Relevance to Prize Categories
Why did you pick this category and how does your add-on fit? If you chose more than one category, why? Which feature best matches the category’s intent? -
Clarity of Add-on Concept
Can a new Express user quickly grasp what your add-on does and why it’s useful? Does your video clearly show its main use and benefits? Is your core idea easy to communicate?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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