The Diagnostics by Design hackathon is a cross-communities effort to bridge the gap between makers and do-it-yourself innovators and the sphere of global health. The event is posed as a challenge to participants: with minimal materials or through innovative coding, tackle a technological or informatic need in the space of point of care diagnostics. These can range from generating DIY lab equipment alternatives for medical clinics with limited resources, informatics for disease monitoring, or redesign of diagnostic tools for resource limited settings. Attendees from the maker communities will work with participants from academic and professional spaces: the goal is an interface between the innovative expertise of the former with the needs assessments and field knowledge of the latter. We not only explore but get hands on experience with pressing health and design needs.