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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.

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?

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?

Yes, any teams that submitted Round 1 requirements in time for the fall deadline will be automatically eligible to submit for Spring Round 2 (deadline is March 13, 2012 4:59 PM PT).