The key to your door of opportunity
If you are planning to enroll at a graphic design school you already know that part of the hurdle is meeting educational expenses such as tuition, supplies, living expenses and other amenities.

The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) understands the role for economic assistance in education and states:

“Imagine you had everything you needed to share your vision with the world: talent, skill, dedication, desire.

“Everything, that is, except money.

“Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships allow young people from minority and economically disadvantaged backgrounds not only to realize their artistic dreams, but also to give back to their communities.”

Scholarship details
The individuals who are selected for the Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships are based upon their talent, ability, and need for financial assistance.

The recipients must also demonstrate their commitment to give back to their community through their work.

* Scholarships range from $2,000-$3,000
* Individuals may qualify for up to two more awards totaling up to ….$5,000
* Honorable mention prizes of $500 are also awarded
* The scholarship awards are paid directly to the recipient’s school ….for tuition costs

Application guidelines
There are several important points that all potential applicants need to know about:

* Eligibility requirements state that you must be a citizen of the U.S. or hold a green card ….(Permanent resident card/ Form I-551)
* Applicants must pursue an undergraduate or graduate degree in advertising (art direction only), ….fine arts, graphic design, illustration, interactive design/ motion graphics, or photography.

Entries will be screened by a jury of creative professionals. Winners will be notified in June 2011.

Scholarship links and other information
The deadline for all applications is April 1, 2011. See the complete guidelines and links below for crucial information about this scholarship program:

AIGA scholarship website
Complete application guidelines
About AIGA

Graphic design school and scholarships
Your wish to attend a graphic design college may be fulfilled with financial help through various grants and scholarships offered by these liberal arts schools.

There are also other scholarship opportunities or loans available through government agencies or graphic design organizations such as AIGA.

Find out more about these opportunities by speaking with your local graphic design school representative.

And…action!
These are the words you’ll hear from a movie director to alert the production crew and actors to start a scene for filming.

If you have a video or film you think is of exceptional quality, send in your creation to the Filmway Film Festival for a chance to have your work publicly shown at this annual event held in Wisconsin, USA.

Contest categories
According to the contest sponsors there are nine different categories video submissions:

* Narrative Feature (over 60 minutes)
* Narrative Short (under 60 minutes)
* Documentary Feature (over 60 minutes)
* Documentary Short (under 60 minutes)
* Children’s Feature (over 60 minutes)
* Children’s Short (under 60 minutes)
* Animation (any length)
* Student Film (any length)
* Wisconsin/Minnesota Showcase (any length)

Winning entries will be shown during the film festival from October 20-23, 2011.

Submission guidelines
* All videos must have been produced and completed after ….December 31, 2008
* The postmark deadline for submissions is July 31, 2011
* Videos must be in NTSC format (region 0 or 1)
* If you wish to have your video returned, include a ….self-addressed prepaid mailer
* Contact the jury or festival director if your entry is a work in ….progress or rough cut for possible consideration

What to submit
Send in two screeners (copies) of your work on DVD. A completed entry form must accompany your contest submission.

Include one information disc with hi-res and lo-res images, graphics, and publicity stills of your video for use by the film festival for advertising. This information will be used if your entry is selected for the Flyaway event.

Although not required, a press kit may also be part of your submission package.

Send all entries to this postal address:

Flyway Film Festival
PO Box 3 Pepin, WI 54759
USA

Other information and contest links
The deadline for this contest is July 31, 2011. If you have any questions about this event send your queries to: info [at] flywayfilmfestival.org (please replace [at] with @).

This event is free to enter. For important contest information follow these links:

* Official website
* Complete Rules and entry form (PDF document)

Graphic design school: The basics
In the advertising industry a background in graphic design may be useful in understanding how successful layouts and design components work together.

Some of this knowledge may also be useful in preparing animations and videos for marketing and ad use. Graphic design schools provide you with the solid principles of design principles and theory.

If you are interested in increasing your knowledge base in graphic arts, speak with a graphic design college representative for further information.

Game on!
One of the most popular game machines in the world is Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Gamers enjoy untold hours of entertainment exploring new worlds, fighting bad guys, and playing casual arcade games.

If you’ve ever dreamed about producing your own video game, you have a chance at fame and fortune by entering Microsoft’s Dream.Build.Play video game design contest.

According to Microsoft:

“To earn your spot in the Dream.Build.Play universe, bring your dream-world to life by creating an outstanding, playable game for Xbox 360 using XNA Game Studio 4.0…

“Whatever your style - whatever your dream - it’s time to unleash your creativity and show what you’ve got!”

Contest Parameters
Your game must be developed using Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio 4.0 software. Your game should be fun and exciting. Microsoft is especially looking for games in the action and adventure genres.

According to Microsoft game entries will be judged according to the following criteria:

* Fun factor (40%) - A key indicator will be the desire to keep playing
* Innovation (30%) - Based on how creative and technically unique your game is
* Production quality (30%) - Make your game world as polished as possible

Entries must be developed for English speaking individuals. Certain restrictions apply to whom or who may not enter this contest. You must register on the official contest site before you can enter this competition.

Please see complete guidelines and rules for more information.

Prizes

There are four cash awards:

* Grand prize: $40,000
* 1st prize: $20,000
* 2nd prize: $10,000
* 3rd prize: $5,000

Winners will also be given the chance to sign up for a publishing contract with Xbox LIVE. Winning games will also be featured on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Contest links and additional information
The deadline for registration is May 17, 2011. You cannot enter unless you are officially registered. The deadline for submitting your game candidate is June 11, 2011.

These links provide more contest information:

Official contest site
Full contest rules and guidelines
Registration form
Free download XNA Game Studio 4.0

Graphic Design school and video games
Video game graphics and artwork have never been more realistic and cutting-edge than today. 3D programs such as Maya and LightWave 3D allow artists and illustrators to bring their drawings to life in video games.

Attending graphic design school is one of the first steps you can take in order to learn about layout, computer assisted art programs, design theory and application, and many other related courses.

Speak with a graphic design college representative and find out how graphic design can help you in your career development.

Look before you eat
A popular saying with foodies and professional chefs is that you eat with your eyes first. That is why presentation is so important when restaurants serve food to their clientele.

In the same manner, when you shop at supermarkets and department stores, if the packaging on the products you view are pleasantly designed you’ll be more open to the possibility of buying the items.

Walking down the aisle of your local grocery store can be a visual overload as the packaging from hundreds of items tries to vie for your attention.

In part 2 of ‘Graphic design inspiration from packaging’ we’ll see that in some cases, going minimalist is the way to attract attention to a product.

Pass the pappardelle pasta, please
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Most pastas are packaged in nondescript boxes with a small cutout or photo so you can see what the product looks like. In this packaging by R Design Studio, the simple but classy design works well.

The packaging makes the product look like a premium brand. It might or might not be but the effect of the design leaves that impression.

Pop goes the soda
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Businesses need advertising to increase their sales. No advertising usually means no expansion of revenues.

But think again. Izze Soda Company increased their sales by 450% in each of its first two years without one bit of advertising. No doubt, the eye-catching graphic and simple design of its product is one of the factors in the drink’s success.

High-tech wine, anyone?
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Most people are used to seeing wine labels that are classic in style and design. But this wine company has elected to drop this genre and upgrade the look for the 21^st century.

The colored dots and patterns on the bottle draw you in, while also piquing your curiosity to inspect the bottle and packaging.

Upscale water
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How would you market bottled water? In the case of Ferrarelle, it has decided to make the water the star of the show.

With decidedly minimalist graphics, the water takes the main stage. Because the graphics are so starkly simple, this design actually draws more attention to the product with just a few slashes of red.

Graphic design school and design principles
You’ve seen that sometimes ‘less is more’ when it comes to packaging design. If you are interested in a career in this field, a graphic design college can help you understand the essentials of design technique.

Call a graphic design school representative or sign-up for more information to evaluate what each school can offer you.

Earliest memories
Do you remember the excitement you felt as a kid when you finally received the special toy you were hoping for?

The packaging probably displayed nice bold colors, fuzzy little animals or bright graphics.

The clear blister plastic enticed you by letting you view the precious treasure within the box.

Although we may not consciously know it, graphic design and packaging have been an influence in our lives since we were children and continues on through to adulthood.

Inspiration on store shelves
Becoming a good graphic designer takes creative thinking, good visual acumen, and even a sense of humor. But every graphic designer needs some sort of inspiration in order to keep the creative juices flowing.

In this series we’ll explore the Internet to glean some of the most imaginative and inventive packaging produced by graphic designers.

If you are looking for creative inspiration, the lowly package is certainly a good place to start.

Tea bag container
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Here is a concept design for a new way to package tea bags. Each individual bag is enclosed in a pyramid shaped box. The design was created by designer Gabriello Re.

It’s coffee; not a USB stick
…....
Those who like tech will immediately see the resemblance of this packaging to a thumb drive or USB memory stick. But it is neither. It is actually a unique way to package fresh coffee. The designs were produced by Fizi Pao.

Let them eat (butter) cake
…
We’ve all seen cake boxes. Sometimes they are plain white or in some cases, they have simple decorations on them. But the butter cakes baked and packaged in Nanatsukahara, Japan, well, takes the cake.

The box design, by T-Square Design Associates, is elegant and simple on the outside. The inside liner is decorated with a printed scene of the outdoors. You get a treat for the eyes as well as your palette in one sitting.

It was a dark and stormy night…
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When cold weather sets in at home, one of the ways to warm up is to bundle up in a warm sweater and enjoy a good, hot bowl of soup.

Thirdperson Designs has taken this literally and created hot beverage sleeves to wrap around winter soup products. Feeling toasty yet?

Graphic design school and packaging courses
If you are interested in designing graphics that virtually everyone will see, you may want to explore the realm of packaging design.

Graphic design colleges can provide you with the essential education you need to qualify for jobs in the industry. Speak to a graphic design school representative today to find out more about packaging and design courses.

Show off your talent
If you use CorelDRAW or are a newcomer to this excellent program you have a chance of winning prizes by entering your best work in the CorelDRAW International design contest 2011.

The contest details
All entries must be submitted as a CorelDRAW® X5 or Corel® PHOTO-PAINT^TM X5 file.

For those who do not have access to these software programs, you may download the free trial version of CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite X5.
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Corel states that there are 6 categories in this competition:

* Advertising/Marketing: Flyers, brochures, logos and other designs related to advertising, ….marketing or point of purchase (POP)
* Signs/Awards/Personalization: Designs to be used in sign ….making, engraving, awards, dye sublimation and other ….related industries
* Vehicle Wraps: Designs to be used for car, truck, boat or ….other vehicle wraps
* Textile/Fashion Design: Designs for fashion, embroidery and ….direct-to-garment printing
* General Illustration & Fine Art: Artistic, creative and unique ….designs
* CorelDRAW Marketing Campaign: Create a design to be ….featured in a CorelDRAW marketing campaign. Entries can ….be of any style, and will be judged on creativity and overall ….theme

There will also be student winners selected for each of the categories.

Prizes
Each of the winners will receive various software and hardware packages from favorites such as Roland®, Wilcom®, Euro-Systems®, Digital Designware, Apple®, Digital Art Solutions, Wacom®, Canon®, HP, Seagate® and Corel®.

The total value of all prizes awarded is over $75,000 US.

One Grand Prize winner will be awarded a Roland VersaCAMM SP-300i printer valued at $13,450 USD.

General submission guidelines

* The maximum file size for each entry is 50MB
* You may submit only one entry per category (total six)
* Individuals from certain countries or regions in the U.S. are not eligible to ….participate. (See full contest rules for details)
* Your entries must be created using CorelDraw X5, Corel Photo-Paint XB or ….the trial versions of these products.
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Contest links and details
This contest has no entry fee and ends on June 30, 2011.The following links provide additional contest information:

Official Corel contest website
Complete contest rules and guidelines
Online submission form
Complete prize list
Free trial CorelDRAW Suite X5
CorelDraw gallery

Graphic design school and design software
Enrolling in graphic design school is a large step in preparing for a career in graphic design. You will learn essential skills in using the best design software and hardware in the industry.

If you are a graphic designer who wants to increase your skill level and become more proficient in design software such as CorelDraw Suite, Photoshop Suite, and other cutting edge programs, speak to a graphic design college representative to see what courses are available.