Search For Design Talent Widens

Search For Design Talent Widens

Last year’s Design Distinction Awards (dDawards) were such a success; they have been made even bigger.

The dDawards are a collaboration involving UCOL, the Eastern Institute of Technology and the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, and were created as a design challenge for secondary school students in the Polytechnics’ respective regions.

The awards were so keenly contested last year; the three Polytechnics have introduced a tertiary category.

UCOL’s Head of School of Photography, Arts and Design Rachel Hoskin says the advantages of expanding the dDawards this year are many. “Not only do local school pupils get the chance to work in UCOL’s Design School environment shoulder to shoulder with tertiary students, it also gives our UCOL students the opportunity to see how their work stacks up against their peers in a competition setting.”

Based around the V48Hour Film Festival format, the dDAwards involve designing marketing collateral for a local cause or event. The theme for this year’s campaign is still a closely guarded secret but the competition will take place from 14 to 16 June.

Participating students must be 16 years or older and register through the website www.ddawards.ac.nz.

During the competition weekend, the competitors have access to resources at their local polytechnics/institutes of technology. They must submit a digital copy of their work for judging within the tight 48 hour time limit.

All submissions will be graded by a panel of judges made up of lecturing staff from each institution and a high profile industry representative, with bronze, silver and gold awards in each region for each of the Secondary School and Tertiary categories. The top school student and the top tertiary student in each region will each receive an iPad mini. From the top awardees, an overall winner will be named.

The UCOL sponsored overall winner prize is the ultimate designer weekend for two, including tickets to the Semi-Permanent Design conference with three nights’ accommodation and air travel.

The Secondary school in each region with the highest number of entries will receive an iPad mini.

To register and check entry conditions visit www.ddawards.ac.nz.

ENDS

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