- At one point design competitions were the only
way to be recognized at the beginning of a career.
Today that's not true but they still make a difference.
Work that has been selected for a competition
or won Best in Show has more validity than
something simply posted online.
Clients and other designers understand that
this work was curated and judged against others.
That has power.
Design competitions are like Winston Churchill's
comment on democracy.
To paraphrase, democracy is the worst form of
government but it's the best one ever invented.
Design competitions are inherently flawed.
Regardless of the amount of information provided,
work is judged on aesthethics and concepts,
not whether it failed or succeeded.
That's both bad and good.
Some of the work that moved the profession
forward failed commercially but inspired
other ideas and movements.
The point here is to not take inclusion or
exclusion in a competition too seriously.
It's not personal and often the most unique work
is passed over because a group of people
need to agree on the choices.
If a piece is chosen, you can use the news online,
add it to your bio, and let your client know.
I'm always surprised how excited a client is
when I let them know their project was chosen.
If you're asked to be on a jury for a competition,
there are several ways the process works.
If you're doing the judging in person, the work
may be spread out on many tables.
Each judge will be given a set of colored dots.
If you like a piece, you put your dot on the back
of the piece.
The coordinators will remove the work with
no dots.
The judges will then have a chance to go back
and pare down the selections.
Many competitions have a Best in Show.
The judges will gather together and argue for
the piece he or she believes is the right choice.
Don't be scared.
There are relatively few fist fights.
In fact, almost always, everyone quickly agrees.
Some competitions will also have a
Judge's Choice, where you can choose a
piece you personally believe is best.
You'll be asked to state why and this will
be published with the results of the judging.
The same process is typical for online judging
also, except for the colored dots.
Design competitions provide an opportunity
for your work to be seen as preeminent.
They are great for news and credibility.
Judging a competition tells your audience
that you are an industry leader and expert,
but remember, this is still a process based
on subjective issues.
If your work isn't chosen, no worries.
Keep submitting.
If it's chosen, congratulations, but don't get a fat head.