Justified: AIGA Annual Design Competition

Images

You will be asked to upload images to illustrate your project. Although only one image is required, at least four images are recommended per submission (maximum 12).

• Images must be 640 pixels wide (height variable), 500 kb or less, 72 dpi, quality 12
• JPG, GIF and PNG formats are accepted in RGB
• File names should include the entry title, image number (001, 002, 003, etc.) and contain no spaces (use an underscore, i.e., title_001.png)

For each image there will be two additional fields. You will need to provide the following information (100 words or fewer) for each image:

• Caption to briefly describe/label the image
• Credit to acknowledge the photographer

Project information

Brevity is encouraged; thoughtfulness and completeness are critical. (The word limits below are maximums, not targets!)

Personal information and project details

This information will help the judges understand the context for the project. Provide: contact name, project title, client, industry, discipline, project duration and release date.

The brief

This section should summarize the project brief, including a project's objectives and a description of the audience or market that it is intended to reach and influence.

Address some or all of the following questions (350 words or less):*

• What were the implicit/explicit goals of the project? Determined by whom?
• Who is the intended audience/user?
• Why would they care or need the solution? Does it even matter?
• If you can, describe the issue that needed to be solved or addressed.

Provide background about the industry and/or market info (350 words or less).*
Some questions you might consider in responding:

• Is it a consumer or business-to-business market?
• Is it highly competitive or a new niche?
• Is the sector buffeted by demographic changes or stable?
• Is the work competing against similar design considerations?

Strategy and approach

Many design solutions are necessarily part of a broader strategy. This section should identify the related ideas or concepts that define the solution as well as the plans for implementation that address challenges and satisfy market demand. Please provide links to studies, reports or reference materials if you feel this would shed additional light on the challenge.

Address some or all of the following questions (500 words or less)*

• What informed how you approached the project?
• What didn't you know? What did you know?
• What insights or learning were imparted on the solution or approach?
• Was there a deadline and/or a milestone that drove this project?

What formal or informal research did you do? (250 words or less)*
Research can contribute to a design’s success at both its formative stage and in evaluation. Research undertaken to inform the design process should be listed, as well as any research that was undertaken to measure effectiveness. Please describe the consequence of the research. Anecdotal evidence is just that—please don't confuse this as a measure of effectiveness.

Project team (200 words or less)*
What was the composition of the team, their role and involvement? Please include members of partner firms if it's applicable.
List team members using the format “Title/role: First_name Last_name” (e.g., “Art director: “Sarah Smith” or “Copywriter: John Bains”).

The design solution

This section addresses your design solution and includes the opportunity to describe the challenges you faced.

Address some or all of the following questions (500 words or less)*

• Describe why the design solution was appropriate to the project's objectives.
• How do the design directions initially presented compare with the final results?
• What design constraints were placed from the outset?
• Was the design solution seen as an evolutionary change or a radical departure?
• Was it met with initial objections from the client?

What challenges were inherent in the project? (350 words or less)*

Results

Tell us how your project was received by your client/users/customers. To the extent that you are able, provide data measuring the effectiveness of your design solution.

Project effectiveness (350 words or less)*
Why do you think the solution meets and/or exceeds the goal(s) initially set?

Measures of effectiveness (350 words or less)*
If quantifiable results about sales, website traffic, viewers, users and/or market share information are available, please provide them.

Additional information

As a tool for learning, case studies will be most useful if there is budget information. Additional information may be published if your case study is selected.

Finance/funding 

• Development budget
• Indicate if this project is a retainer relationship or an in-house ongoing relationship
• Production/execution budget (media, printing, fabrication)
• Source of funding (Client, Funded internally, Trade/barter, Donations/crowdsourcing, Nonprofit/NGO/trust fund)

Reviews, mentions, honors by users, customers or clients (250 words or less)
Provide any feedback, quotes, citations and/or URLs from users, customers or clients. This information will be used to give the jury context about your project and may be published if your work is selected. (optional)

Anything else you’d like to share? (350 words or less)
Include anything else you'd like to share with the jury! You may use this section to share project-related website URLs. (optional)

Project images and video

To give the jury the best representation of your project, you are encouraged to upload more than one image. In addition to the final product/design, upload “process,” prototype or development images.

Images (minimum one; maximum 12)*
If possible, provide photos or image documentation of the project prior to your involvement, including anything that you were not able to explain in the written format (e.g., photo of competitors, before shot, old logo).

For each image, you will need to provide:

• Caption to briefly describe/label the image (100 words or less)
• Credit to acknowledge the photographer/source (100 words or less)

Video (maximum 3)
If you'd like to share a video clip or reel for your project, please enter the URL. (optional)

For each URL, you will need to provide:

• Caption to briefly describe/label the video (100 words or less)
• Credit to acknowledge the videographer/source (100 words or less)