14 DAY TRIAL // Mozilla is looking to catalyze innovation when it comes down to user interfaces for browsers. Inviting students to design the next generation browser UI, Mozilla Labs has kicked off Design Challenges as an integral part of its Concept Series. Telling designers to tailor their creations to scenarios in which the “Web was all there was,” Mozilla's Pascal Finette extended an invitation to design-focused students worldwide to come up with new ideas and the prototypes to accompany them in an elaborate effort to shape the future of the Web.
“In this first edition of the Design Challenge, we’ll only be accepting and mentoring 20 students from around the world. We’ll then be inviting the 'best in class' to mentor the next round of participants, and scale the design effort,” Finette stated. “Each edition of the Design Challenge will focus on a different question. The first question we’re looking to address is: 'What would a browser look like if the Web was all there was?': As the Web becomes even more ubiquitous, we’ll never have to leave it.”
The submission deadlines for the Initial Mockups is March 1, 2009. Subsequently, Mozilla Labs will invite participants in the mentorship phase until March 6, and allow until March 27 for all the concepts and mockups to be refined. Then, by April 12, Mozilla will be accepting prototypes and will indicate the winners by the end of April. The first Design Challenge is focused on driving innovation in UI design for the Web.
“To get started, you’ll need to submit a mockup of your idea. This can be anything from a napkin drawing, to a wireframe, to a polished graphic or video. Through the Labs discussion forums, you’ll be able to exchange and discuss ideas with fellow students. (To facilitate the free exchange of ideas, all content and contributions will be licensed under appropriate open source licenses),” Finette stated. “We’ll then identify the most promising ideas, and their creators will be invited to participate in a mentoring program where we’ll work together to refine ideas & mockups into interactive prototypes.”