Let me start by saying that I am a web designer.  I love PhotoShop, HTML, and Web Standards as much as the next guy.  I feel I need to say that before I write this because it’s possible that I may be accused of being a poser or agent of “The Man”  for saying what I am about to say, or rather, asking the question that’s been on my mind for a long time now.  Why does the design community ignore SilverLight?  Not only that but why does the design community refuse to acknowledge great tools like SketchFlow and SuperPreview?  Just asking… read more…

Tomorrow I am attending Riapalooza for the first time.  The event is a platform agnostic one day conference focused on Rich Internet Platforms such as Flash, SilverLight and HTML5.  This will be my first time attending and I am looking forward to the experience. read more…

Learn, Collaborate, Help Provide Relief

Magenic Studios is issuing a 30-day challenge to create a proof of concept next generation application utilizing Microsoft Silverlight or WPF. This challenge is intended to encourage learning and community within our organization as well as promote our work with clients. We’re looking for the entry’s to have combination of WOW-factor, usability and functionality.

A single developer or a team may create an application entry for the contest. Teams can be made up of Magenic professionals, Client professionals, or even better a team made up of Magenic and Client professionals.

This application should focus on the designer/developer workflow while solving an experience design problem. This application must be written in Silverlight or WPF and every entry will receive one hour of Magenic Studio’s consultation & assistance with their project.

At the end of the competition deadline a panel of judges from Magenic leadership will evaluate the various submissions based on the criteria described below and decide a winner.

The winning application will be featured on the Magenic website as an example of our expertise in Silverlight/WPF design and development. A prize amount will be donated to the Haiti Red Cross Relief effort in the name of the winning team.

To register for the contest or schedule a consultation with Magenic Studios Design and Usability experts send mail to: studios@magenic.com

First, Second and Third place awards will be given in the following amounts:

The Rules

• The contestants must use Expression Blend and/or Visual Studio to develop their solution.
• The contestants may use any additional technologies they wish as necessary, including .NET 4 and SL4, but should be used as supporting technologies only.
• The contestants may leverage conceptual work from other projects, but should not leverage any code or design assets.
• All application user interface elements must be written in XAML, whether it is WPF or Silverlight.

• Magenic Studios may use completed contest entries as work samples for marketing purposes.

Evaluation Criteria

The contestants will be evaluated in these areas:

• Aesthetics: How visually appealing is the solution?
• Satisfaction of the Requirements: How well does the application solve a particular business need. Is the experience appropriate for the audience? How elegant is the experience?
• Technical Excellence: Was the team able to build a working solution (however limited), or is it purely a scripted prototype? Does the application tie together multiple technologies?

Timeline

Kickoff – February 22nd
Application contest officially begins.

Deadline – March 22nd
All entries are due by this date; judges will review all submitted entries.

Awards – April 1st
Judging will be completed & winners of the competition will be announced.

Disclaimer: Magenic may display the submissions on the Magenic.com website and/or other marketing materials.  All credit will be given to contest participants