Applications for November 2010 Mobile Design Boost are closing this Friday – September 17. Help spread the word to budding entrepreneurs and designers interested in developing cutting edge mobile applications for learning.

They will select up to 15 3-4 person entrepreneurial teams to participate in the Boost. Developed in conjunction with IDEO, the Mobile Design Boost is a four day building, hacking, business and human centered design immersion taking place in San Francisco, November 11-14 2010. There is no cost for the program itself, applicants just need to cover their travel and lodging costs. The application deadline is September 17 with the selected teams being notified by October 8.

Participants of prior Design Boosts have used the opportunity to fine tune products and approaches to great success. Following Startl’s first mobile learning Design Boost in March 2010, two participating companies – Launchpad Toys and Project NOAH (Networked Organisms and Habitats) – were named finalists in the Breakthroughs in Mobile Learning category for the Cooney Center Prizes for Innovation in Children’s Learning.

Details of the workshop
Day 1: Define the Idea: Participants present ideas, define the value proposition and identify the target market for their proposed mobile learning application.

Day 2: Validate the Idea: Participants engage in feedback sessions with end users and get input from learning and marketing experts about their mobile learning app.

Day 3: Refine the idea: Participants storyboard their refined idea for the mobile learning app and begin creating/ modifying their prototype.

Day 4: Share & Pitch the idea: Participants create a presentation deck to “pitch” their mobile learning app and finalize their prototype to an audience that includes a panel of users, industry experts, and market investors.

Participants will receive specific feedback on what is needed to bring the application to the next phase of product design and development. In partnerships with the Pearson Foundation’s Mobile Learning Institute, participants will have the opportunity to test their prototypes with targeted audiences.

http://www.startl.org