Just like flowers bursting forth in spring, design contests are popping up all over. Whether you’re a print designer, photographer, or illustrator, there’s a competition for you. If you’ve never entered a design contest, why not test your mettle and give one a try? What follows is a select list of some contests for creative professionals, although if you keep your eyes open, you’ll spy others.
The competitions below are listed by discipline and then according to due date. (The deadline for admissions is stated in parentheses.)
Print Design
Print Magazine’s Regional Design Annual (April 2, 2012): The Print Regional Design Annual 2012 is open to creative professionals — art directors, designers, illustrators, photographers, typographers, and so on &$8212; in the United States who published printed work between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012. Categories are: Annual Reports; Brochures/Catalogs; Book Covers/Jackets; Environmental Graphics; Illustration/Photography; Invitations/Announcements; Letterhead/Logos; Posters/Flyers; Advertising; Editorial; Self-Promotions; Wearables; Information Graphics; and Web Design. See the Web site a more detailed breakdown and for submission fees.
Winners appear in Print Magazine’s Regional Design Annual and receive promotional perks.
In-HOWse Design Competition (April 2, 2012): This competition aims to expose the work of in-house designers whose work is usually uncredited. Categories are: Business-to-Business & Industrial Products/Services; Consumer Products/Services; Education; Entertainment; Financial; Government; Health Care; Nonprofit Institutions, Organizations & Associations; and Technology & Science. See the Web site a more detailed breakdown and for submission fees.
Winners will be featured in HOW magazine’s January 2013 issue and promotional perks.
Poster for Tomorrow Gender Equality Now! (July 10, 2012) For this international competition, design a poster about the status of women around the globe. See the Web site for more information (although what’s there is a little vague). There is no entry fee.
Winning posters will appear at sites around the globe in conjunction with International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012.
Photography
Communication Arts Photography Competition (March 16, 2012; March 30 with late fee): Any photograph first printed or taken between March 2011 and March 2012 is eligible.
Categories are: Advertising, Books, Editorial, For Sale, Institutional, Multimedia, Self-Promotion, and Unpublished. See the Web site a more detailed breakdown and for submission fees.
Winners’ photographs will appear in the Communication Arts Photography Annual, which is published in the July/August 2012 issue.
The Epson Pano Awards (April 20, 2012; April 28 with late fees): The Pano Awards are for photographers of panoramic images, whether amateur or professional.
There are three classes: Open, Amateur, and VR/360 award, for 360-degree imaging. Categories are: Nature and The Built Environment. See the Web site for more information.
Winners will receive a share of a $30,000 prize made up of cash and a variety of merchandise including Epson printers.
Multi-disciplinary
Communication Arts Design Competition (May 11, 2012; May 25 with late fee): Any design first printed, published or aired for the first time between May 2011 and May 2012 is eligible.
Categories are: Packaging/Labeling, Identity, Integrated Branding Program, Letterhead, Company Literature, Poster/Design, Editorial, Books & Jackets, Self-Promotion, Motion Graphics, Public Service, Environmental Graphics, and Miscellaneous/Design. See the Web site a more detailed breakdown and for submission fees.
Winners’ designs will be featured in they Communication Arts Design Annual, which is published the September/October 2012 issue.
Adobe Design Achievement Awards 2012 (June 22, 2012): This contest is for students and faculty who are 18 and older and currently enrolled in an accredited institute of higher learning. Oh, and they must use Adobe software to create their projects. Categories are: Interactive Media, Video and Motion, and Traditional Media. See the Web site a more detailed breakdown. There is no entry fee.
Winners will receive a cash prize of $3,000 and a trip to Los Angeles to receive the award.
This article was last modified on July 20, 2021
This article was first published on March 20, 2012
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