AWS BuilderCards: The Game Changer for Learning AWS

AWS Community Day Belfast

Last week, I had the fantastic opportunity to speak at AWS Community Day BelfAWSt, where I shared my journey from a fresh graduate to a Junior Software Engineer at Hamilton Robson. It’s been just over a year since I joined the company, and throughout this time, I’ve been immersed in AWS, a cloud services provider I hadn’t encountered during my studies at University until I started with the team at Hamilton Robson.

Diving into the World of AWS

When I first encountered AWS, I was struck by the sheer scale of it. The fact that there is over 200+ services is very daunting. This can be very overwhelming for new engineers to the field as well as experienced engineers transitioning from other cloud platforms like GCP or Azure to AWS. That’s why I wanted to make AWS more approachable, not only for myself but also for my team at Hamilton Robson, through an innovative and fun way of learning.

The Complexity of AWS – And How We Make It Fun

In my talk, I shared a simple but revealing experiment - a set of 12 AWS icons. One was a fake, a subtly altered version of the Amplify icon. The goal wasn’t just to spot the imposter but to show how easy it is to get lost in the sea of AWS services. But understanding AWS isn’t just about recognising icons or names—it’s about understanding how to connect these services in a meaningful way, especially when faced with architectural challenges.

To give a clearer picture of how AWS services fit into real projects, I showcased a simplified version of an architecture we’ve been working on at Hamilton Robson: Marvel—a media platform we developed that allows users to upload and store audio and images. This project leverages essential AWS services like API Gateway, Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, and CloudFront. These services form the backbone of the system, but we’ve added an extra layer to learning them: AWS BuilderCards.

Introducing AWS BuilderCards

AWS BuilderCards have transformed the way we learn cloud architecture at Hamilton Robson. These cards represent various AWS services and are designed to help visualise and piece together components of an architecture. Each card tells you what the service is, its primary and secondary effects, and includes a QR code that links to the service’s AWS page for more in-depth information.

We’ve gone a step further and created a set of custom games around these cards to make learning even more engaging. One of my favourite games is AWS QuickDraw, where each team member draws a random card and gives a one-minute presentation on that service later in the day. It’s a fun and fast-paced way to deepen our understanding of AWS.

Taking Learning to the Next Level – AWS Battle of the Architects

Beyond QuickDraw, we developed another game called AWS Battle of the Architects. In this game, the challenge is to design the best possible architecture for a given technical spike using only the BuilderCards drawn during the game. The strategy comes into play when justifying your choices, especially if the cards you’ve drawn lead to unconventional solutions.

The best part is the retro session we hold at the end of the game, where we come together as a team to discuss the ideal services and architecture for each spike. This process not only deepens our technical knowledge but also strengthens our collaborative skills.

Making Learning Fun and Effective

By turning AWS learning into a game, we’ve created an engaging environment that encourages active participation and critical thinking. AWS BuilderCards have become an essential tool in our learning arsenal, not just for understanding services in isolation but for exploring how they work together in real-world scenarios.

In my talk, I also highlighted the fun we’ve had adapting these BuilderCards for another popular game—Uno. It may not be as educational as the other games, but it definitely adds a fun twist to learning cloud services!

Wrapping Up

My experience presenting at the AWS event was a fantastic opportunity to share how we’re pushing the boundaries of learning at Hamilton Robson. Through AWS BuilderCards and custom games, we’ve transformed what can sometimes feel like a daunting cloud ecosystem into an interactive and collaborative learning journey.

If you’re just starting out with AWS, remember: it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. But with the right approach and tools, like BuilderCards, the learning process can be both manageable and enjoyable. If you’d like to discuss any of these ideas further, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.