Down the hall in your resource library, a shelf is overflowing with carpet samples. Rethink these beautiful, fashion-forward textiles…they aren’t trash, destined for the dumpster. They’re design materials.

So what to do with these samples? After they’ve served their purpose for your design project, we say re-use them to make a design product. Recycled materials became design elements because designers chose to see them as such. Why not carpet samples, which are high style, high performance, and wonderfully ‘reuseful’?

Create a design that will transform these textiles into a beautiful and/or functional fixture, piece of furniture…or any interior product you dream up. The winners will be promoted at NeoCon and in Floor Focus, and have blueprints of their design posted for free download, to forward-thinking designers around the world. Visit the site for details. Deadline: 15 May.

The Vermont Arts Council is seeking proposals for fun and eye-catching artwork to be used on the company van, a Chevy G-2500 Express. The design will be printed on vinyl laminate and professionally “wrapped” around all surfaces of the vehicle. Artwork should be representative of the Council’s mission, “to advance and preserve arts at the center of Vermont communities: and/or the Council’s tag line, “inspiring a creative state.”

The winning design will receive an award of $1,000 and the artist’s name will be featured on the van. Priority will be given to designs that are of high artistic quality; reflect the Council’s mission and values; are creative, original and unique; are appropriate in content and theme; and address the entire vehicle surface.

To see the template of the detailed layout of the van, view examples of what a “wrapped” vehicle looks like, and fill out the competition application form, visit the council’s Web site at www.vermontartscouncil.org. The application deadline is 1 May.

The DVD Association has issued its Call for Entries in the 2007 DVDA Excellence Awards, one of the industry’s longest running events and the only DVD awards program judged exclusively by peers, who recognize several titles in each category as best of class.

The purpose of the DVDA Excellence Awards is to honor skill, creativity and craftsmanship in various aspects of DVD production and authoring. Overall quality of a finished DVD title is considered, but skills used in the production of each title determine which entries will win.
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Rethink Breast Cancer has challenged everyone interested in fashion across Canada to design/create a unique ‘target’ inspired t-shirt that represents their take on the issue of breast cancer or how the cause has affected them.

The design must:

• Creatively incorporate the signature ‘target’ logo (please see above)
• The colours, shape and placement of the ‘target’ logo can be manipulated as the designer sees fit
• Must be a t-shirt (short, long, sleeves or sleeveless, etc. – students are encouraged to be as creative as possible!)
• Represent the designer’s take on the issue of breast cancer, or how the cause has affected them

Visit the site for further details. Deadline: 10 April.

An integral portion of the Schedium series is a portfolio Call for Entries, intended to celebrate the drawing abilities of emerging architects. Winners may be asked to participate in the live drawing series. To be eligible, you must possess a degree in architecture, or an equivalent international degree. Entrants must have either received their degree after January 1, 1991 or have received their architectural license after January 1, 1997 (whichever criterion is less restrictive). International practitioners are welcomed. The jury will consist of a five-person team, selected to represent a cross-section of the profession today. Schedium portfolio registration closes on 1 June 2007. Visit the site for detailed instructions.

The Guild of Accessible Web Designers want a new Website that reflects their aims, that embodies their message, and that reflects their brand. The site entries will be judged on aesthetics, usability, and cross platform and browser compatibility. The design should be a liquid or 100% width layout, and while client-side scripting is allowed, the site must still work if that scripting is turned off. Members and nonmembers are invited to participate. Although the prizes are minimal, the distinction for the winning design is huge. Visit the site for details. Deadline 30 April.