Hands-on Workshop: App Making with AI (beginner-friendly)

Have a great idea for an app or website but don't know how to code? This full-day workshop is designed for entrepreneurs, small business owners, community members, and the simply curious — especially those from a non-tech background — who want to learn how to build real, functional applications using the latest AI-powered no-code tools.

Working in teams of three, you'll share a provided laptop with access to leading AI app-building platforms. Together, we'll brainstorm ideas, design user interfaces, and bring a real app concept to life in a single day — no programming experience required.

The day is split between learning the fundamentals of "vibe coding" (using AI to describe what you want and watching it build for you) and then tackling a team challenge: building and pitching a simple app that solves a real-world problem. You'll present your team's creation at the end of the day in a supportive, experimental, and high-energy environment.

What you'll learn: What "vibe coding" is and how AI is changing software creation forever; How to use AI to help design and build a functional application with zero coding; Team-based rapid prototyping: turning an idea into a working app; The possibilities and current limits of AI in software development; How these skills connect to the broader AI Summit & Hackathon journey.

What's provided: One shared team laptop (per team of three) with pre-loaded AI app-building tool subscriptions; Light food for lunch; A guided, simple workflow — no tech overload; Access to WSTI facilitators and mentors throughout the day.

What to bring: Optional but recommended — your own laptop (BYOD) for research, documentation, and preparing your final pitch; Your ideas, projects, and problems you'd like to solve; A collaborative spirit!

You will not need to have your own paid AI tool subscriptions, be expected to know coding or app design beforehand, or leave with a "perfect" market-ready app — this is about learning and rapid prototyping.

You will collaborate with new people or friends in a fun, creative environment, build a real working app prototype with AI and no-code tools, get a feel for the future of software creation, leave with a team project you can keep developing later, and be part of the Western Sydney AI Innovation Summit & Hackathon community with opportunities to continue into the April Hackathon and beyond.

This workshop is one of several hands-on events in the Western Sydney AI Innovation Summit & Hackathon (February–April 2026). Participants are encouraged to continue the journey through Weekly AI Project Hub sessions every Thursday evening, the April Hackathon on 11th–12th April, and the Demo & Pitch Night finale on 30th April.