Doja Cat and Girls Who Code: my coding foray with ‘DojaCode’ makes me want more
Earlier this month rap sensation Doja Cat and non-profit organisation, Girls Who Code, released DojaCode: an interactive experience for the rapper’s music video and hit single Woman. So, naturally we had to try it out! Girls Who Code aims to support and increase the number of women in computer science by equipping young women with the necessary computing skills to pursue career opportunities within the technology industry.
By visiting the DojaCode site, you unlock hidden video content by using coding languages such as CSS, Javascript and Python. From changing nail designs, to manifesting Doja herself out of thin air, DojaCode gives fans the opportunity to play the role of music video director by controlling key creative elements and unveiling hidden easter eggs.
While I consider myself rather knowledgeable when it comes to new technologies and operating systems, I’ve never used code until now so this sounded like a fun and unique experience. My first impression of code is that it looks rather intimidating (just a bunch of lines, dots and random words!). But the simple instructions provided allowed me to focus on a specific element of the music video to code e.g nail polish colour (pictured).
Upon completion of the three coding experiences you are presented with a ‘coded by me’ image and encouraged to share it on your social media channels (pictured below). This is a clever strategy as it further gamifies the user experience and raises awareness to the issues Girls Who Code want to address e.g the lack of visibility and support for young women in the tech and coding community.
I hope we will see more of this type of interactive, educational experience. With the metaverse edging closer everyday it’s bound to bring more immersive experiences like this – perhaps we’ll get to be in a virtual music video someday in the future!
The ingenuity of DojaCode is that it subtly highlights the disparity between men and women within tech by targeting a demographic that is unlikely to have previous coding experience. By collaborating with Doja Cat, Girls Who Code are able to engage with a group of young women who may be the next generation of coders.
To build upon this initial experience, it would be interesting to explore coding further as the music video only gives you three opportunities to do some very limited coding. Perhaps in the future we could see a beginner, intermediate and advanced offering to entice women to explore the world of coding at a more in-depth level .
Overall though, this was an immersive and educational experience and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for more like this!