apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Great idea!
1. Yes, judges are necessary. Experts who can be objective. Avoid the entrants who get votes from a million facebook friends or huge church group.
2. Two categories - Student category. Indy category.
3. Yes, one design. But in the finals, be allowed to submit more.
4. How do you determine when it was designed??
5. Press coverage, just like the winner of the Teeny Tiny Small Cool winner got this year.

Don't mind judges. In my opinion, the winner of American Idol won out of popularity, not talent. Judges help prevent this from happening.

I suggest two different categories one for students and one for independent designers.

Yes, submit one design, you can restrict this by letting only registered members of AT be able to submit through their user name.

I don't understand #4, do you mean original?

winner: internship/job with a notable designer/brand/firm

Would this be for product design, furniture design, or interior design? If you include furniture, would the piece have to be in production or could it be a prototype? If it's the latter, a large amount of press is great, but opening some manufacturing avenues would be invaluable.

Sounds like a great idea. I think it'd be fun to open it up too all. Some of the best product stuff I've seen on here (that cute little white night stand that leans against the wall, comes to mind) come from nontraditional designers. IDSA with Business Week, ID Magazine, and schools offer a lot of contests for students and professional designers.

You could also have a theme.

Seems like it would be rather difficult to regulate "new 2009" design. If it hasn't been published, and it hasn't been sold... it's new enough for me, even if it was dreamed up 5 years ago.

Like azure, I'm curious whether the items would have to actually be in production to qualify.

Seems like it would be fair to split the contest by students and indy designers- each have different means and advantages.

Also, judges please. If the point is to feature an unknown, you'll want to make sure that nobody wins based only on an established following or social networking.

Interesting...

What Azure said. Furniture? Gadget? Print/textile/decorative?

Perhaps the judges can winnow the field - each judge chooses their top-3 designs and then the public votes on the judge selections.

Or maybe the other way...the public votes and reduces the field to top-10 and the judges select the winners...

Judges - Yes, some experienced tastemakers should be available to guide the voters

Students and Independent designers should all be allowed to enter, but all should be amateurs - No designers for Oxo or Pottery Barn. IMO, Good design is independent of the age of it's creator.

Yes, One design per entrant - and that design should neither be in mainstream production nor sold anywhere, therefore it is "New"

The value of winning would be in exposure and publicity, and the possibility of seeing this new wunder-product produced for mainstream consumption.

1. Judges and a separate people's choice award, I think.

2. Separate categories, as students have resources indies don't, and vice-versa. Drawing the line on indie is harder, as there are plenty of good designers working for large firms not getting to do their own thing. Maybe, "not employed in the field your entry is in, unless self-employed"?

3. & 4. One entry, and neither in production nor featured on design blogs yet.

5. Press, press, press. Maybe a chance to talk about their work at an industry event as well.

1. Judges. They're objective and can address design topics/issues/details that an average reader would not be privy to or would miss.
2. Both. Both groups in the US get looked over.
5. Press, Materials, Showcase Event

Okay, given my mini rant about the BLUDOT lamps and the ugly cords...

Perhaps the design contest should be about designing a better *mousetrap*.

That is to say, AT identifies one (or a few areas) where there is a design vacuum and contest challenges designers to fill that vacuum...

1. Judges can narrow down the results and pick a design that is most desirable for the contest. Just votes can lead to random results.

2. I think the contest should be open to both independently or to just students. Supporting young designers and education is important!

3. Only one entry should be allowed. I think this would keep entries from posting a bunch of designs already produced.

4. Original designs should only be accepted.

5. A trip where the designer can learn about design and be educated, and to relax and create as well! Or to have something published to gain recognition (and something to add to a resume!)

What is the golden squiggle and how did it come about? Why was it chosen as a logo? I've been wondering for a couple years now!!!

Support all of your ideas.
On the prize front, I think the exposure is obviously a big draw already, but the ability to have your design either licensed (e.g. for a graphic designer) or manufactured (e.g. for a product/furniture designer) would be terrific.

First a question - is this for a new AT logo or just some broad, design contest? Needs a focus of some sort, IMO.

To answer the questions posed:
1. I like the idea of an Audience Favorite award as well as a Professional Jury award. Both have distinct merits.
2. As an independent designer I would love to be involved. Maybe 'independent' means self-taught or no current or prior association with a firm. Schedule C/1099 all the way...!
3. One design.
4. Not sure I understand - wouldn't this by default be a new design?
5. Non-monetary prizes could be industry-specific, donated items from Apple or Adobe? That would get my attention. In addition to the fame and glory, of course.

Oh, and my final note would be to make sure you don't put in one of those legalese, small print details that claims AT would own all entries or can use them all whenever and however in perpetuity. Whenever I get excited about a contest but then see something like that hidden in the fine print, I immediately cross it off my list as being a promotional stunt to get free design.

why only amateurs bepsf?
Many who work in product development/manufacturing are often limited to being trained seals who do tricks for fish.
They often work for others who do not value originality & clients who know nothing about art or design.
So the opportunity to go sideways & design something among friends in this forum would be fun and challenging.
yes, judges.

I've been a senior interactive designer for over 16 years and have directed sites for clients such as Sony, Illy Coffee, OfficeMax and Yahoo among many others. I have studied UI design and standards for nearly as long and have a pretty solid area of expertise in how users navigate information on the web.

That said, I would LOVE to see:

a) A cohesive, unifying design that applies to all sub directories of AT. -One exists now, but that should carry into the new design as well.

b) There *needs* to be a direct link to key services in your universal nav. i.e. Classifieds.

c) The "Welcome to our new design" tag shouldn't be in the masthead. It's still up there now and has outlived it's timeliness. Whack it!

d) The intuitiveness of the product highlight slide shows does not work right. You should not have to click the same image twice to get to the content you want.

e) The look and feel of the home showcases should keep the look and feel of the parent site. Right now it feels like a departure.

These are just a small handful of things that would really elevate the usability of the site and take it to the next level.

Design requirements need to be CLEARLY defined. What *looks* good and what *functions* well are too easily 2 different things that can be one and the same if clearly directed. This can't just be about design. Form follows function. If it's pretty and people can't navigate, the site visits will drop.

Just some stuff to consider. I LOVE this site and visit it every day. It's exciting to know that it'll be evolving and I look forward to seeing what form it takes. :)

- Alana@alanawaters.com

One last VERY IMPORTANT note.

Design by committee is a crime against humanity. :)

I would have the key stakeholders (2-3 MAX!!!) drive the initial design refinement and then put 3 designs out for final user selection with the understanding that they pick one AS IS.

Otherwise you'll spin those subjective wheels for all eternity.

huh?

Just note, the original topic of discussion is about student and independent designers with new 2009 designs that we'd like to highlight. Some people seemed to have "navigated" over to other topics altogether :D

I have over 30 years experience being alive and I've worked with products such as my Mac Book Pro, iPod, LG vu, and Ikea furniture among many others. I am a professional student and have been using a computer since before the internets.

That said, design by committee is a crime committed by humanity. While I often don't like other people's opinions and would rather trust the job of judging to professionals, crowd sourcing is big and important and it's now. We want to customize things, have a say, interact, etc.

I like the suggestions above that support a judge panel to narrow down the entries allowing for the AT patrons to still interact by deciding the winner.

Still wondering if the "Golden Squiggle Design Contest" is a contest to re-design the golden squiggle, as that title implies, or one hosted by the golden squiggle (aka Apartment Therapy?) Seems like a very basic, straightforward question to me, and if it is the latter I would suggest calling the contest "Apartment Therapy Design Contest" to clarify.

I'm not really clear on if you're talking about new products (and furniture would be a product IMO) that are currently being manufactured and can be for sale; or prototypes for things that aren't in production but could be. I imagine students would have more "ideas not yet in production" and independent designers would be more likely to have stuff that IS available for sale, either wholesale or to the public.

I would suggest doing 2 divisions, one for prototypes, whereby the prize can be something that helps it become a produced product, services of an expert in manufacturing maybe... and one for new items already being manufactured, whereby the prize can be something that helps get it more publicity, like graphic design or PR services maybe. I don't think you need 3 winners per category, 1 or 2 in each would be great.

I actually like the voting via public opinion system. Judges can be a little flakey and elitist sometimes. If you're looking at putting products on the market, I think it's more important to create things that the public wants and will buy, not something a judge or two likes but the public will scoff at.

As for the dating of what makes something "new," why not something like "The item must not have been for sale to the public (or to the trade/wholesale if you want newer stuff) for more than 1 calendar year of the start of the contest." and anything in a prototype form is then applicable, because it isn't available for sale yet.

As for how many designs... perhaps like they do for art shows, someone can submit up to 3 or 5 products, but you will post only 1 per designer into the competition. Or else only submit 1. Dozens from one designer would get tiring IMO as a reader.

1. I would prefer seeing a panel of judges, from a cross-section of backgrounds, maybe even a couple of design students in there... It's tiring to see people rallying for the support of friends & family in these types of contests, and aren't really "fair". But, as a secondary facet of the competition, a popular vote would be okay, with a small prize.

2. I think a mix of students & professionals is fine.

3. Just one design each, for fairness to the judges. Also, this challenges people to put forward only their best.

4. Of course only new objects/concepts. Things that are not in production, under contract or for sale as of a specific date, maybe July 1st?

5. Prizes- yes to swag, no to cash or an "opportunity" that would require travel. (I think cash prizes complicate things with taxes?)

Also, anything you can do to keep the contest open to international contestants is muy appreciated!

Wow! Meow!

Hey, all I'm sayin' is that you haven't LIVED until you've managed a 20 person design steering committee, trying to get them to all like the same, very subjective, thing without going home and drinking yourself into a stupor. Oh, and with none of them knowing a lick about usability or design standards. It's not fair to any designer to expect them to please everyone. And it's even less fair not to set the objectives out for them so they know where they're supposed to end up. Most pros are going to want to get paid, so you can assume you won't get many if any. Most students will be horribly overwhelmed by massive amounts of feedback, mostly contradictory, coming from a hundred different angles. And any design will fail if you don't tell people what the subjective medium they're reviewing should be judged on.

!you go pxlchk. Would be happy to go out & get into a drunken stupor with you as I related very much to your rant.
can't we just have a freakin contest where we can make somethin really cool?