Can you believe it, Virtual Design Master is five years young!
I can still remember those early days when Eric, Melissa and I had thoughts about creating some fun way to engage the virtual community throughout the year. Something that would challenge everyone to learn and develop their skillset.
At the time, food challenge shows like Top Chef were very popular and we thought what if we could follow a similar model, but instead of surprise food ingredients, we would offer deep technical design challenges.
What twists will Melissa include this year?
We also wanted to go one step further; not only did we want to make the competition exciting for the folks participating but also for the folks watching, and cheering on their favorite competitor. That’s where the genius of Melissa and her exceptional storytelling skills made the entire competition unpredictable each week. Complementing Melissa was Eric with his wizardry technical expertise, which made for a lot of fun.
The storylines help challenge the participants to think outside the box and develop innovative solutions to problems. But more than getting the answer right, it’s all about stretching your thinking, questioning yourself and rapidly learning new skills.
Many of our participants are system administrators who may not have the chance to participate on a design team or lead a design project. But Virtual Design Master gives them that opportunity, with a vibrant community supporting them throughout the competition.
One of the main benefits of the contest is, as participants move through the stages, you have an opportunity to review all the design documents produced. Providing these documents was one of our founding goals, to share material so individuals can learn.
Great way to give back to the community
We’ve had many folks join us in season 1-4, many learned a new skill which they brought back to their workplace, whether it’s a technical skill or non-technical like ‘How to produce a design document” or “How to present and field questions from an audience.” They are the stars of the show!
Now it’s your turn; Season five is just around the corner and what better way to get involved with the virtual community.
- Do you have a passion for systems design?
- Do you have an interest in rapid learning?
- Ever wanted to know what a VCDX could be?
- Like to win lots and lots of prizes?
Now is your chance, consider putting your skills to the test. Virtual Desing Master is an excellent way to develop your skills, and help others in the community learn from your design documents.
One of the key takeaways for me is the lasting friendships made during the competition.
Consider joining us for Season five – it’s your time to shine, you have the skill set to compete. Nothing is stopping you from becoming the winner of Virtual Design Master – Season Five, sign up today.
Register to be a participant on Virtual Design Master – Season Five
Have you watched Virtual Design Master? Has it inspired you to learn and engage the community? Let me know on Twitter and thanks for reading.