Nicolás Bianchi, a student in the Web Application Analyst and Programmer program and owner of the digital agency Userboss, and Nicolás Saúl, a Systems Engineering student at Universidad ORT Uruguay part of the team behind the project “Viewnity” (the name comes from the combination of the terms “view” and “community”), winner of the 24 Hours of Innovation contest, in which participants had 24 hours to design an innovative solution to the problems presented.
The rest of the team includes Diego Ventura, a student in the International Studies program at ORT; Natalia Campos, an Industrial Design student; Magdalena López, a Chemical Engineering student; Sylvia Schenck, a Food Engineering student at the University of the Republic; and Federico Masini, owner of the audiovisual production company Popup!FX.
The proposal aims to develop a mobile app to help people with visual impairments obtain voice-based information about elements of the city, such as traffic lights and public transportation, among others. The jury considered the project an innovative solution that highlights the concept of “crowdsourcing”—a model that harnesses collective intelligence, knowledge, and talent. For its part, the international jury awarded the team the Innovation America prize as the best project among all those submitted in the Americas.
Are you currently working?
Nicolás Bianchi (NB): Yes, I have my own digital advertising agency, Userboss. At the agency, I am the Director and head of the Design and Development department.
Nicolás Saul (NS): I don’t currently have a steady job, but I’m working on a couple of business ventures together with some of the people who were on the contest team.
Why did you decide to enter the 24 Hours of Innovation competition?
NB: Whenever I can, I try to attend these events because the experience is very enriching on both a personal and professional level. The networking and the friendships you can build are also a big part of it and strengthen you in many ways. In the specific case of the 24 Hours of Innovation competition, I think it takes you out of your daily routine, out of your comfort zone, and lets you experience a few hours of intense adrenaline. These types of events help you a lot as a professional; they allow you to meet new people and discover new talent, with whom you often stay in touch for work-related matters.
NS: A friend suggested I participate because he knew I was interested in innovation and entrepreneurship. To be honest, I was motivated from the start by the idea of taking part in an event where we had 24 hours to present a solution to a global problem.
Did the team come together during the competition, or did they already know each other?
NB: The great thing about this team is that only four people knew each other beforehand. Then three more people joined, and finally I joined—I knew one of the members—and we formed a group of eight.
NS: We were a group of friends who got together before the competition, and once we were there, we had the chance to bring in people we didn’t know, but after spending 24 hours working together, it felt like we’d known each other our whole lives.
What criteria did you consider when putting the group together?
NB: None. As I was telling you, four members were already friends beforehand, then the three girls joined, and finally me—I knew one of the original four friends. I think from the very beginning there was a vibe of good energy, camaraderie, and humility, something that was evident throughout the 24 hours, and that’s still evident today as we remain in touch.
NS: We were all people interested in new technologies and innovation.
How did teamwork go for you in such a short period of time, when you have to reach an agreement quickly and there’s no room for lengthy discussions?
Note: Many of us already had prior professional training and experience with large-scale projects, since three of us on the team work in advertising—a profession that always has you working against the clock and planning ahead to avoid wasting time. In any case, we took a few hours to discuss many conceptual and theoretical aspects, as well as the project’s feasibility, and so on, but always with a very clear and defined direction.
NS: It was one of the few things we talked about before the competition; we knew we had to be organized so we could make decisions as quickly as possible.