Brazil redefines fashion, wins Microsoft tech tournament

An inside look at Microsoft's global tech competition for young programmers and developers

SEATTLE: Five minutes, three teams, one trophy. It was a fierce battle and there could only be one winner.

Tech students from around the world battled it out in their respective countries for the most innovative app, the winner from each country was then invited to be part of Imagine Cup 2015 World Finals held in Seattle between July 27 and 31.

Scores of tech students from across the globe trotted to Emerald City for the final showdown. Each team fell in one of the three categories -- Games, Innovation and World Citizenship -- winners from each category received $50,000 and went on to fight in the grand finale. Years of hard work had to be condensed in mere minutes before the judges.

PHOTO: MSDN

It all boiled down to Brazil vs Russia vs Australia -- finalists in their respective categories -- for the World Championship.

Brazil (team name: eFit) brought tailored fashion to the online platform by providing people with personalised clothes at the touch of a finger; Russia (IzHard) introduced a challenging monochromatic game which defied gravity; and Australia (Virtual Dementia Experience) was all about empathy with an intelligent software, which simulated effects of dementia.

"Imagine Cup's history has been defined by projects that are more towards social good (World Citizenship), but I would love to see a Game or an Innovation project take the trophy this year," said Microsoft Spokesperson John Scott in an exclusive interview with The Express Tribune, days before the final winner was announced.

Would John finally get to see someone from Innovation or Games take home the trophy?

PHOTO: MUNNAZZAH RAZA

All three finalists were neck-to-neck in a nail-biting, nerve-racking barnburner.

Breaking the winning streak of World Citizenship category, Brazil (eFit) from Innovation delivered a mighty blow to the other two teams and bagged the coveted trophy. Crowds cheered as Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella awarded eFit the trophy, crowning them World Champions of Imagine Cup 2015.

PHOTO: MUNNAZZAH RAZA

PHOTO: MICROSOFT

So what exactly were the judges looking for?

John, who is also the Imagine Program Lead at Microsoft, answers this query: "Great ideas and great execution. Those are the two biggest things that the judges want to see.

"It's not just that it (project) works, but it does so in a way that the intended customers for the project can use it and that it has a high level of quality and polish. The value of design and experience for the user is really important. So these students don't just have to have a great idea but they also need to execute it at a very high level quality," he stressed.

This is where eFit Fashion got it right; adding innovation, design and great user experience, they proved their mettle.

It took the eFit team three years of hard work to create a synthesis of fashion and technology to bring tailor-made clothes to the online platform called Clothes For Me. Long gone are the days when people required time and money (and lots of patience!) for their desired attire. This project introduces an app which generates perfect patterns based on a person's inserted measurements.

PHOTO: MYMAMIHOOD

Their belief? You should not have to fit into clothes, clothes should be made to fit you.

At a glance, it may seem to be just about clothing, however, the team believes in giving back to society and claims that this app has generated employment for a number of seamstresses, while providing customers with a personalised experience.

The evolution of Microsoft Imagine Cup has grown and broadened in recent years from a pure focus on technology to incorporating business models, marketing and demographics of aimed consumers.

John explained how they have changed the way their competition works now. "We want our students to learn more than just the coding, we want them to actually be able to communicate with business people, marketing people and designers, and so forth; so, we changed the rules over time to reflect that.

"When they go off to vendors with a business model, if they can communicate across disciplines they're going to have much more successful careers, that's what Imagine Cup aims to teach," he explained.

PHOTO: MICROSOFT

The competition has managed to grow bigger with time; this year it introduced Break Into Code for ages 9-18 -- a beginner level challenge to aid kids about coding so they can make their own games. With younger generations rapidly learning and using new tools of technology, John believes "they don't just have to be consumers of technology, they can be creators as well."

Microsoft is leaving no stone unturned, aiming high and seeking innovation from younger, tech savvy crowds to nurture growth in the tech world.