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Software Design Competition FAQ

The rules say I can submit a Wireframe for Round 1 of the Software Design Competition, but what's a Wireframe?

A wireframe is a basic visual guide used in interface design to suggest the structure of an interface and relationships between its pages.

Typically, wireframes are completed before any artwork is developed.

Wireframes allow for the development of variations of a layout to maintain design consistency throughout the application. This is an important part of the initial development stage because it creates user expectations and helps to develop an awareness of and familiarity with the site.

Microsoft has lots of great resources for learning more about Wireframes and the Wireframing process.

You can check out the official U.S. Imagine Cup Software Design Competition Rules for more details on submissions.

How does the Mobile Device Award work?

The Software Design Invitational (SDI) – The Mobile Device Award category is open to Teams who's projects are developed for Windows Mobile Devices. 10 select teams who have developed Windows Mobile Software for their Software Design project may be invited to participate in Round 3 of the SDI Competition. These 10 teams will be given one Windows Mobile phone per student team member to help them in their further projects!

During the U.S. Finals, if their project meets the technology requirements of the award, one project will be picked for the Mobile Device Award based on the following criteria:

• 30% Impact—Does the software application have potential to make a large impact in solving problems?
• 30% User experience—Taking into consideration the user interface (UI) and functionality, is the software application easy to use?
• 40% Windows Mobile integration—How well does the software application integrate Windows Mobile functionality?

That team will win a prize package including:

• U.S. $3,000 cash, to be divided equally among each member of the team.
• Winners who are interested in pursuing an internship with Microsoft will be contacted by a recruiter.

How does the Windows Azure Award work?

The Software Design Invitational (SDI) – The Windows Azure Award category is open to Teams who's project best integrates Windows Azure functionality.

During the U.S. Finals, if their project meets the technology requirements of the award, one project will be picked for the Windows Azure Award based on the following criteria:

• 30%: Impact: Does the software application have potential to make a large impact in solving problems?
• 30%: User Experience: Taking into consideration the user interface (UI) and functionality, is the software application easy to use?
• 40%: Windows Azure Integration: How well does the software application integrate Windows Azure functionality?

That team will win a prize package including:

• U.S. $3,000 cash, to be divided equally among each member of the team.
• Winners who are interested in pursuing an internship with Microsoft will be contacted by a recruiter.

Can a team have more than one Mentor?

The team can have more than one professional or faculty advising them on their project, but they may only have one Mentor on the Imagine Cup site. We recommend you ask the Mentor who is working closest with your team to officially become a Mentor on the site. For more information in becoming a Mentor, see the Mentor FAQ.

If I submit an entry in Round 1 of the Software Design Competition in the Fall, but didn't complete my submission in Round 2, will I have to start over at Round 1 if I compete in the Spring Competition?

Yes. If you didn't meet the Fall competition deadline for Round 2, we recommend you submit an updated version of your Round 1 deliverables again in the Spring competitions.

If I submit in Round 1 of the Software Design Competition in the Fall, can I submit in Round 2 in the Spring?

If you would like to compete in the Spring Round 2, we recommend you submit an updated version of your Fall Round 1 deliverables in the Spring.