Frequently Asked Questions about MCWTF's Website Design Contest for Girls

How can I enter my students?

Fill out the registration materials for your student team(s). You must also send the Public Relations Authorization signed by each girl's parent. Choose:

Fax the completed materials to 734-697-7286, or
Scan and email the completed materials to Barbkalb@sbcglobal.net, or
Mail the completed materials to:
MCWTF Website Design Contest
c/o Barbara Kalbfleisch
929 E. Huron River Drive
Belleville, MI 48111

How skilled must the girls be in order to be competitive in the contest?

We encourage even beginners to sign up! The classes we offer will help tremendously. The MCWT Foundation would encourage the girls enroll in the contest, attend the classes, and give it a good try, rather than think they couldn't possibly do it in the first place. A novice might prefer to enter as part of a two-girl team. Many of 2009's finalists were novices to the design process.

How can my students take advantage of the web design, usability and presentation skills classes?

Please indicate on your registration form if your students would be interested in attending the classes. The classes will be held at Davenport University's Livonia Campus on Saturday, October 9, 2010 from 8:30-2:30.

How will the websites be judged?

There will be two rounds of judging. The first round will focus on the technical quality, content, and usability of the website. Finalists will be chosen to compete in a second round, during which they will present their websites to the judges in December. Winners will be selected not only on their designs but also on their oral presentation to the judges. Parents of finalists are invited to Finals Day.

What could cause an entry to be disqualified?

All pages must be authored in HTML and have the .htm file extension. Teams using other authoring languages such as php, Flash or including flash movies will be disqualified. The use of a Cascading Style Sheet (.css) for text formatting is allowed.

Web design software is allowed but contest entries that use a pre-made template will be disqualified. If you use design software, make sure you begin with a blank page, NOT a template that the software may offer. A contestant can create her own template from scratch when using software and then that would be acceptable. Just be sure to start with a blank page. It goes without saying that a "Go Daddy"-type template would be disqualified, but even software such as Microsoft Publisher offers template choices. DO NOT choose a template. Instead, choose "blank page."

What are the requirements of the Finalists' presentations?

Presentations must be between seven and ten minutes in length. Teams need to introduce themselves by stating name(s), age(s) and grade(s) of all team members. Additionally, they should address the following questions while explaining their websites:

What is the overall purpose of the site?
Why will the audience find the site interesting?
What did the team members enjoy about the web design process?
What did the team struggle with?
How will the team members use this experience in the future?

How is the scoring process determined for the websites?

Each website will be carefully evaluated by a panel of judges using the following criteria:

General Features

Do you have a clear message and purpose, especially on the home page?
Can the users easily see where they are in your site and how to navigate to other areas?
Are links obviously links?

Clarity of Communication

Are you using phrases and concepts familiar to your target viewers?
Do you have any spelling or grammar errors?
Is the site interesting, informative and/or entertaining?
Is the writing clear and concise?

Aesthetic Integrity

Do the graphic elements of the site have variety and look good together?
Are the pages well balanced and visually appealing and is it easy to read the text?

Ease of Navigation

Is it easy to move around the site? Is it easy to get back to an earlier page?

Functionality

Do images show up and does everything work on the site (navigation,links, etc.)?

Use of Enhanced Features

Does the site include some graphics, scrolling text, color variety, etc.?
If you included sound or video, does it play?
(*Note: If you include sound and video on your site, you will earn extra points. If, however, they do not work correctly, additional points will be deducted.)

Technical Skill

Did you use ALT tags on images?
Can users increase the text size using browser controls?
Do the pages load in a timely manner?
Does the site work in modern browsers?

Where and when will the final judging take place?

The website presentations and final judging will take place between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at Lawrence Tech University.