my open door.net » Design Competitions

Flux competition

opendoordesign — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:03:56 +0000

The Flux design competition is sponsored by AIGA Blue Ridge, and is a great way to get your design work noticed. With 5 categories and just a $5 entry fee, everyone should enter something. The deadline is Friday, September 25.

My open door is temporarily closed.

opendoordesign — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:40:53 +0000

I know all my students are out quaffing cold one and celebrating the end of another semester. What they might not know is… so am I. Once grades are filed, faculty members lock up their offices to return to the serious business of summer creative projects. In my case that means doing some book design, letterpress printing, and leading a study abroad program.

As most of my readers know by now, I’m going to spend the month of June in the Netherlands teaching History of Graphic Design and galavanting around. In between galavanting I’ll be posting on yet another blog. Imagine. I hope you’ll all follow the Going Dutch Blog and post lots of comments.

I’ll be back with more graphic design resources, musings, and semi-witty banter later this summer. (Photo by Alejandro Cantarero.)

Enter the Addys

opendoordesign — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:30:36 +0000

This year’s Addy Awards include a category for student work, and costs just $20 per entry. Awards look great on your resume when you graduate, so dig out your best projects for last semester and enter. Note they do not have to be mounted! Deadline: Thursday 1/22

Update: I just got an email that says the first 10 entries dropped off will be free!

Update 2: Our own Cordelia Norris won an Addy!

Growing into a professional and avoiding spec work

opendoordesign — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:02:40 +0000

I just received an e-mail promoting yet another design contest. Contest are great when they allow designers to show off work they are already creating, or create work that serves the public good. The AIGA Blue Ridge’s Flux 08 competition is a good example of the former, and the Get Out the Vote Campaign is an example of the latter. But this contest by Massify invites students to design a film poster for actual use, which is bad for our industry.

“Why?” You might ask, “What’s wrong with inviting students to design something nifty and offering a prize to the winner?”

Because it’s “spec work” done without pay in the hopes of winning a contract, or in this case, a Wacom tablet. And because spec work takes a job away from a professional. We work hard in design and design education to support an industry that offers a valuable service to paying clients, and occasionally does pro bono work for selected non-profits. As an educator I send my students out into a job market, and I owe it to them not to help support fair compensation instead of a race to the bottom.

Hopefully the producers of Perkins 14 will discontinue this contest and hire a professional to design their poster instead. AIGA’s policy about spec work is here.

Flux ‘08 Student Competition

opendoordesign — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:27:11 +0000

I just got an e-mail about the Flux student design competition, and it sounds like something our students should enter. The deadline is just 2 weeks away, the work can be uploaded instead of printing and mounting, and the entry fees are low. Call for entries for the Third Annual AIGA BlueRidge Flux Student Design Competition. The Panel of judges include Jessica Hische, Jeffery Everett, and Rachel Elnar.

Graduate and undergraduate school projects, freelance and pro bono work created between August 2007–October 2008 are eligible. Yep, that means anything done in the last year. Categories include posters, packaging, publication, identity, web & interactive. Fees are $5 per entry. Register and upload your entry online. Selected entries will be posted in the online gallery. A reception & award ceremony will be held October 25 at the Blue Elephant Art Center in Frederick, MD. Ten awards will be given for Best and Honorable Mention in each category. Work must be received by Friday, October 3 to be eligible.

Obama Art Opportunity

opendoordesign — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:45:12 +0000

It should come as no surprise to those who know me that I support the Obama campaign. Barack Obama’s persona, his platform, and his campaign all give me hope that America can regain its position as a world leader and champion of justice. It’s fair to say that I am a huge Obama fan. For the first time since I was twelve the candidate I voted for has won the primary and is now is positioned to win the election.

Today I got an e-mail about the Barack Obama Manifest Hope campaign. In part it said:

Barack Obama’s historic candidacy has sparked an unprecedented artistic outpouring. Now, in partnership with Shepard Fairey and his Obey Giant collective, we’re offering a new way for artists—anyone with a pen and paper qualifies—to share their talents and help elect Barack Obama at the same time

If you’re as excited about the campaign as I am, why not check it out?

U-Printing International Poster Design Competition

opendoordesign — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:05:19 +0000

Here’s a nifty-sounding design competition, especially for you poster fans. And hey, who doesn’t want an iPhone. I feel completely inadequate without one. Here’s the skinny:

In round one you use their vector stock art to create your poster and upload the results to flickr. In following rounds (photos, then typography) folks will remix the winner’s artwork. Sort of a Grandmaster Flash approach to design. Interesting. The deadline is March 21st. After 3 rounds, final winning artwork will get published as a full-page ad in one of the top design magazines.

Check out the contest home page for further details.

Ten Show: Enter Your Work Now!

opendoordesign — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:38:25 +0000

The Ten Show is AIGA’s annual design state-wide competition for professional and student designers. Last year it was hosted in Chattanooga, and this year it’s in Memphis. This competition is the best thing going for designers in the volunteer state. Check out the wonderfully chartreuse web site for details and deadlines. With ten categories and a deep discount for students, this competition is a must for design students who want to stand out.

Update: The deadline has been extended 2 weeks! now you can get those terrific web or print projects ready. I’ll be available for advice and labs will be open for the next two Friday mornings for students to prepare. Check the website for details.

Ho, ho, ho O. Henry

opendoordesign — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 23:31:23 +0000

I just finished my design for the AIGA holiday card competition. This is Verizon meets “Gift of the Magi.” I began with the pocket watch and lock of hair from the story, but struggled with how to include text. I finally hit on the idea of updating the love story of broke urban newlyweds by having them text message each other just before discovering that each has sacrificed their most prized possession for the other.

I like the subversiveness of hiding literary references in a product shot. OK, so Thanksgiving is in two days, and the Christmas season is now officially here. “And now suppose you put the chops on.”

Ad Campaign Pitches

opendoordesign — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:39:09 +0000

Today my Design II students presented their ad campaign pitches. Each student was assigned a brand for which they created an ad campaign idea. Click on the links below to see each student’s work. Students may leave three positive comments as votes for their favorite ad campaign ideas. The top three designers by votes will become the art directors, choosing a team for their ad campaign and presenting their campaign at the end of the semester.