Galavate Innovation Challenge 2026
Register

Good Design Week 2026 · Swinburne Sarawak

Galavate Innovation Challenge

Find a real business workflow that wastes time. Understand how it works, then build and test the software that improves it.

RM2,000 Total prize pool

1st RM1,000 · 2nd RM600 · 3rd RM400

Register your team

Register by Friday 30 October.

Read the official callPDF
  • Swinburne Sarawak students, any school
  • Teams of 1–4
  • About 5 hours a week each

Final presentation and demo at Good Design Week, Wednesday 2 December.

Find a workflow worth fixing.

Work with a real business or organisation in any industry. Speak to the people doing the work, observe the process and choose one workflow you can meaningfully improve during the challenge.

For example

  • Retyping WhatsApp orders into invoices.
  • Compiling timesheets from photos and messages.
  • Chasing approvals across emails and spreadsheets.

Focus on how an organisation gets its work done. Consumer apps, personal productivity tools and hobby trackers are outside this challenge.

Show how you arrived at your solution.

  1. Understand.

    Speak to users, observe the work and identify what creates delay or errors. Time the process where practical.

  2. Explore.

    Consider alternatives, question unnecessary steps and keep the reasons behind your choices.

  3. Build.

    Develop a working core workflow. Simplify the process and automate repetitive steps where useful.

  4. Test and improve.

    Let users try it. Record feedback, changes, results and remaining limitations.

Three workshops, two weeks apart.

Learn how to identify a worthwhile problem, develop your ideas and turn a chosen workflow into working software, then review your work before you submit. All three sessions are led by Gregory Chan from Galavate.

  1. Workshop 1 · Week of 19 October

    Find and validate the problem

    Learn how to understand the people doing the work, map their current process and identify what could be improved. Explore different approaches and choose a realistic scope for your prototype.

    • Speaking to users and asking useful questions.
    • Finding delays, repeated work and unnecessary steps.
    • Comparing ideas and checking whether they address a real need.
    • Defining a manageable workflow to build and test.

    Your next step: speak to potential users, map one workflow and bring your proposed improvement to the second workshop.

  2. Workshop 2 · Week of 2 November

    Build and test the solution

    See how a simple business workflow becomes working software. Learn a practical approach to developing with AI coding tools, connecting forms and data, and testing what you build.

    • Turning a workflow into clear development requirements.
    • Using AI coding tools to build and iterate.
    • Connecting inputs, stored data and workflow actions.
    • Debugging, gathering user feedback and improving the prototype.

    Your next step: apply the approach to your team’s project, test it with users and bring your prototype to the third workshop.

  3. Workshop 3 · Week of 16 November

    Review and prepare your submission

    Bring your working prototype and what users have told you so far. Review your progress, close the gaps that matter and prepare to explain your thinking.

    • Reviewing your core workflow and the errors it handles.
    • Turning user feedback and measurements into evidence.
    • Structuring your write-up and three-minute video.
    • Planning a presentation that explains your thinking before the demo.

    Your next step: finish testing with users and submit all three items by Friday 27 November, 11:59 pm MYT.

  • You can register without an idea. The workshops guide you through the challenge, with independent work between sessions. A Challenge group chat will support questions throughout.

  • Any tools are allowed, including AI coding tools. Your team must be able to explain how your build works.

  • Workshop times, locations and preparation details will be shared with registered teams.

RM2,000 total prize pool

1st
RM1,000
2nd
RM600
3rd
RM400

Prizes are paid to the team. All three winning teams also receive an internship interview at Galavate.

From first idea to the final.

Key dates, 2026
Date, 2026Milestone
Fri 30 OctRegistration closes
Week of 19 OctWorkshop 1: Find and validate the problem
Week of 2 NovWorkshop 2: Build and test the solution
Week of 16 NovWorkshop 3: Review and prepare your submission
Fri 27 Nov, 11:59 pmSubmissions close
Sun 29 NovFinalists announced
Wed 2 DecFinal and awards at Good Design Week

All dates are in 2026. All times are Malaysia time (MYT).

Workshop times and locations will be shared with registered teams.

Build it. Test it. Show your thinking.

Submit all three items by Friday 27 November, 11:59 pm MYT.

The submission link will be emailed to registered teams.

  • Two-page write-up

    Problem, user research, alternatives considered, chosen approach, testing and results. Include time saved if measured.

  • Three-minute video

    Narrated screen recording of the working prototype. A simple recording is enough; editing quality earns no marks.

  • Code repository

    Accessible repository with basic setup instructions for technical verification.

Judging criteria

CriterionWeight
Problem understandingWorthwhile problem, grounded in real user research25%
Solution quality and originalityThoughtful workflow improvements and appropriate technology25%
Ideation and decision-makingAlternatives explored, justified choices and feedback-led changes20%
Working prototypeUsable core workflow that handles relevant errors15%
User testing and impactEvidence from real users; qualitative feedback or measurements10%
CommunicationClear explanation of the work and decisions5%
Total100%

Final format

Up to 10 teams present at Good Design Week on Wednesday 2 December. Each team has 7 minutes to present, followed by 3 minutes of questions. Explain your thinking before the demo and bring a backup recording.

Suggested presentation split

  • Problem 1 minute
  • Ideation and choices 2 minutes
  • Demo 3 minutes
  • Testing and reflection 1 minute
  • Questions 3 minutes
How finalists are selected

If more than 10 teams submit, two reviewers independently score each entry using the published weights. Weighted scores are averaged, and major scoring differences are reviewed. The top 10 are selected, with up to two reserves. Reviewers declare conflicts and do not assess affected teams.

Final scores start fresh. Ties are resolved by problem understanding, then solution quality.

Register your team.

One registration per team, completed by the team lead. You can enter alone or with up to three other Swinburne Sarawak students.

Deadline
Register by Friday 30 October.
Who can enter
Swinburne Sarawak students, any school, undergraduate or postgraduate. Teams of 1–4.
Team
Team lead
Other members

Add up to three more members, or leave this empty to enter alone.

Team of 1

Common questions

Questions: Gregory Chan, hello@galavate.com, WhatsApp +60 17 783 8848.

Can I enter alone?

Yes, teams can have 1 to 4 members.

Do I need to study computing?

No. Students from any school, undergraduate or postgraduate, can enter. Mixed teams can contribute through user research, process design, development, testing and presentation. Every entry must include working software, and the second workshop introduces a practical development approach using AI coding tools.

Do we need a problem before registering?

No. You can register without an idea. The first workshop helps you identify and assess a suitable problem. Between workshops, speak to potential users and develop your proposed workflow.

Can we use AI coding tools?

Yes, but the team must explain how the build works.

Must we measure time saved?

Include it if measured. Qualitative feedback and other testing evidence also count.

Who owns our work?

Your work stays yours. Galavate may showcase it with credit when discussing the Challenge.

Will we all present at the final?

Up to 10 teams present. If more than 10 submit, finalists are chosen by the published shortlisting process: see How finalists are selected.