Vincent van Gogh-ing in Android Code Camp (Professionals)

Develop and Design! Participants of Android Code Camp has been fed well with double treats from Mac Valmores; they not only got to learn Android basics, but also the trendy UI guidelines of Material Design.  Don’t just build apps, build better looking apps.

Devcon and a Glance inside PLDT Innolab

What better way to spend this hot sunny Saturday but with fast internet connection, soft cozy seats, and an ice-cold room? Young students and professionals who attended the Android Code Camp held on May 7, 2016, in the PLDT Innolab, got to have fun while learning!

 

Like any other Code Camps, the Devcon committee performs it’s opening ritual featuring Maricar Valenzuela, this Saturday’s Devcon Lead. For those who doesn’t know, every Code Camp starts with an introduction of what Devcon is, the events and opportunities it offers for every Filipino developer, and the volunteers behind the growing organization. You can be a volunteer too!

Maricar Valenzuela introduces Devcon to participants.

Hospitably housing this Code Camp, PLDT Innolab’s Technological Specialist, Mel Gareth R. Reamico presents us a quick tour inside the Innovation Laboratory of PLDT.

Mel Reamico welcomes participants in PLDT Innolab.

NASA (named after “Nasa baba”), an operating room which PLDT used to monitor the elections.

Art Attack with Android Studio

With years of Android experience, organizing head of PADC (Philippines Android Developers Community), and a previous developer of DOST’s Project NOAH (that map screenshots you see nowadays in Facebook where you see the Philippines burning like hell, yeah, that’s where it came from), Devcon is proud to present Mac Valmores! And boy, did he not disappoint.

 

What sets this Android seminar apart from other Android code camps I’ve seen is that aside from the usual basic programming, today’s session also teaches the implementation of the hip new Material Design, which is more than what the attendees signed up for.

 

Learning design and development is great today because a lot of local mobile developers have visually unappealing apps. With the Play Store flooding with millions of apps, an unattractive app can be go quickly unnoticed by thousands of potential users, even if it is actually useful and well-coded. Staring the aspiring mobile developers off early with design is essential. As mobile technology is rapidly evolving, we need more seminars like this.

For super newbie Android developers, they might be in real shock to see the huge blocks of code. But for those who has knowledge of basic Android, they can pick up from the codes easily. This is due to Mac’s teaching style wherein he’ll show off the whole code first and he’ll let you copy the whole thing. But after you copy it, Mac will go through each function, and from the way he explains it, you can understand his depth of knowledge of what’s under the hood.

 

Bright future for local mobile developers

Aside from some of the very few Java newbie participants who were not able to catch up, almost all of the participants were able to take home beautifully functioning Android applications. After this seminar, I hope to see visually appealing local apps on the Play Store soon.

 

Want to continue your Android development journey? Walk and discuss together with the PADC community here! Try to come by their workshops too, more details in their Facebook page.

PADC logo on a shirt as 1st place prize for the Hackathon.

Material Design Mini Hackathon

Usually, Code Camps includes an hour of independent hands-on coding, called Mini-Hackathon. This Saturday’s Mini-Hackathon challenge is for participants to play around what they learned today and may the best looking app win!

Winners!

Screenshot of the first placer’s (Rizza Francisco’s) app.

Congratulations to the following!

Mini-hackathon:

• 1^st place – Rizza Francisco
• Runner ups –Krizia Capacio, Jonathann Tongol, and Luigi Anthony Go

Facebook hashtag winner – Jonathann Tongol

Instagram hashtag winner – Willy Jan Altarehos.

Thanks for spending your Saturday with us! Want to join our next Code Camps? Stay tuned for more upcoming events and like us on Facebook!