The Leading Entrepreneurs Organization (The LEO) is dedicated to training and educating individuals in business development, personal empowerment, and networking.

In the company’s own words, the LEO Logo Design Competition is:

“… after a high quality, distinctive logo that will be used across all branding of The LEO from two dimensional images such as website, stationery, clothing and signage right through to 3d dimensional usage of promotional products such as jewelry and soft toys.
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“The following words are the core attributes of our company: Leadership, Strength, Pride, Vibrancy, Confidence, Generosity, Vitality, and Certainty.”

Submission Requirements
Your logo design should be able to impart three ideas:

* Professional
* Elegant
* Dynamic

In addition, the contest sponsors state:

“The logo is to use a stylized image of a lion’s head, bust or body and any other elements that you feel would convey the following attributes of our company.

“There is no need to use the words “The LEO” or “The Leading Entrepreneurs Organization” as we are after a pictorial logo, which will be recognized globally…”

Other requirements are:

* Although any colors may be used, the contest sponsors would like to see gold, red, orange, ….bright yellow, brown, black or white in the design.
* Original images must be created with vector graphics in Illustrator (.ai) or eps format. Any fonts ….in the design must be translated into curves.
* For purposes of submission, a jpeg file is acceptable in RGB with a resolution of 300dpi.
* Winners will be asked to submit their work in a vector graphic file. Failure to do so will result in ….disqualification.

Judging and Prizes
Entries will be judged according to:

* Quality of work
* Ability to follow contest requirements
* Appropriate use of colors
* Good design principles
* The “X” factor (Intangibles)

There will be three cash prizes:

First Place: $500 USD
Second Place: $350 USD
Third Place: $250 USD

Contest Links and Other Information
You must be 16 years or older to enter this competition. Winners will be paid cash prizes through their PayPal accounts. Results will be published on The Leo website October 15, 2010.

The deadline for this contest is September 30^th, 2010. There are no entry fees required for this competition.

Follow these links for further contest information:

Official LEO Website
Contest Rules, Terms, and Guidelines
Recent Contest Logo Entries
Official Entry Form

Cool Radios. Cool Contest
Tivoli Audio started in 2000 with the goal of designing and building the ideal radio for music lovers who wanted excellent performance and high design qualities.

Tivoli has not only fulfilled its company mission, it also produces elegant global radios, hi-fi systems, and tabletop radios which are considered the best on the market.

To celebrate its 10-year milestone the company is announcing an open call for graphic designers, illustrators, photographers and artists to send in their entries to the  Tivoli Audio 10th Anniversary Design Challenge.

Tivoli Audio is asking for poster designs that include the elements of:

* The Tivoli Audio Model 10 Radio
* The Tivoli Audio Logo
* The Tivoli 10^th Anniversary Logo

General Guidelines and Submission Instructions
Entries to this contest must be your original work.
Registration is required at designboom.com in order to participate in this contest.

You may submit up to 3 entries. Each entry must have 3 views of your poster; one overall view and two other detailed views.

* Submit your entry in a low-res format in .gif or .jpeg.
* Resolution should be 72dpi.
* Maximum file size is 150kb for each file.
* Color mode is RGB.
* Maximum image width is 600 pixels.
* Maximum image height is 800 pixels.

Prizes
There are three cash awards for the winners of this contest.

First Prize: $3000 USD
Second Prize: $2000
Third Prize: $1000

The winning entries will be displayed on a billboard in Times Square, New York City during December 2010.

Important Links and Additional Information
The deadline for this contest is September 30, 2010.

No entry fees are required to participate in this poster competition.

Direct any contest questions to: mail [at] designboom.com. Enter “TIVOLI AUDIO 10th Anniversary” in the subject heading.
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Visit these links for further contest details:

Tivoli Audio Website
Contest Registration Site
Official Tivoli Contest Website
Contest Rules and Guidelines
Logos, Graphics, and Official Design Assets
Tutorial on Making Image Files Smaller

Design a Toy for Fun
Although toys are usually associated with children, a wise sage said that we never really stop playing with toys; we only progress to bigger and more expensive “toys” as we enter adulthood.

The 37^th Annual Toys Designed by Artists Competition celebrates the joy of toys by sending out an open call to designers, artists, and anyone who is interested in creating a unique toy or something about toys.
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The Contest
The sponsor, Arkansas Art Center, states:

“This delightful and ever popular competition was created to recognize and celebrate the playful side in each of us - artists and viewers alike.

“Toys may be functional, nonfunctional, child friendly, child proof, too delicate or scary to touch, or begging for tactile tinkering. Successful entries are creative, original, featuring excellence of design and superior craftsmanship.”

Contest Guidelines
The general rules for this contest are as follows:

* The competition is international and anyone may enter. (See ….complete rules for details)
* Up to three entries are permitted per contestant.
* Toy designs or related toy submissions must have been ….completed within the last two years.
* Shipping and insurance for any materials are the responsibility ….of the artist.
* Prepaid return shipping for return of art or materials is ….required.

Submission Guidelines
Your entries should be submitted digitally. The images should be of medium resolution and be easily viewable on a standard-sized computer monitor.

Your images should not have any information about you on the artwork such as your name, title, etc. Your entries will be categorized and marked for identification by the selection personnel.

Prizes
There will be purchase awards totaling up to $2500 for the various winning designs. The works that are purchased through the award fund will become part of the Arkansas Center Foundation Collection.

Other Information
The deadline for contest submissions is September 13, 2010. The entry fee for this contest is $15 for the first submission and $10 for each additional one.

Follow these links for information about the contest:

Official Contest Announcement (PDF File)
Contest Sponsor’s Website
Official Rules and Contest Forms

Send any questions about this contest to: toys[at]arkarts.com.

The Difference between a Pessimist and an Optimist
There’s an old saying that states the difference between a pessimist and an optimist is how they view a glass of water; it’s either half-full or half-empty.

And of course, if an existentialist were in the room, he would just drink the water…

One famous American inventor and statesman said:

“I haven’t failed; I’ve had 10,000 ideas that didn’t work.”

……………………………………………..////………………- Benjamin Franklin

Design a Positive Poster
Positive-Posters.com likes this sort of optimistic view and is basing its International Poster Competition on the theme of “A Glass Half Full.” According to the sponsors:

“We would like you to design a positive poster in response to this theme. Judges will be looking for original concepts, lateral thinking and inspired designs. The poster will be up in Melbourne [Australia] streets, so keep in mind it should also standout against the city landscape.”

Contest Details
The general entry rules for submitted poster designs to this contest are:

* Design a poster in portrait mode with the theme “A Glass Half Full.”
* The physical size of the poster should be in CMYK, 300dpi, and A1 ….size (594 x 841mm).
* Upload a digital version of your poster in A3 size with a resolution of ….72dpi.
* Include a brief description of your design and how it fulfills the contest ….theme (100 words maximum).
* Only one entry per person is allowed.

Judging and Prizes
Entries that are approved by the contest submissions coordinator will be uploaded to Positive Posters’ online gallery. From these entries, 30 finalists will be selected. Six international judges will review the final submissions and select the winners.

The following prizes will be awarded to the winners:

First Place

* 3,500 copies of the first place winning design will be printed and pasted up on the streets of ….Melbourne, Australia.
* 1-Adobe CS5, 1-Wacom Intuos 4 Tablet, 1-IdN Feature Article & Subscription,1- Spook Mag ….Subscription, 1-Pantone Color Bridge, 1-KeepCup

Second and Third Place

* 1-IdN Subscription, 1-KeepCup

Contest Website Links and Information
The following links provide important details about this contest:

Official Positive Poster Website
General Contest Guidelines
Contest Entry Form
Complete Contest Rules (Downloadable PDF file)

This contest requires no entry fee. The deadline for submissions is September 10, 2010.

All Things Button
Button badges can be fashion statements, humorous, politically motivated or just plain fun. Virtually all of us have worn a button badge at one time or another.

The wearing of button badges was highlighted in a scene in the comedy film Office Space, where Jennifer Aniston’s character is severely criticized by her restaurant manager for not having enough “flair” or button badges on her uniform.

Stereohype.com, an online graphic art and fashion boutique, is demonstrating its support and love of button badges by holding its 6^th Annual Stereohype Button Badge Design Competition.

If you are a graphic designer, an illustrator or someone who just likes to design, this competition is just for you.

The Contest Rules
Button badge artwork can be up to 22mm in diameter. The actual size of the button badge is 35mm. (See the links below for the design templates.

Each entrant may submit up to three different button designs to the contest. The sponsors prefer sets of three but are also interested in single pieces as well.

Submissions should adhere to the following guidelines for artwork:

* All design colors should be in CYMK
* Only PSD (Photoshop) files will be excepted
* Submit only ONE PSD file per artwork.
* Designs in color should be in hi-res (300dpi)
* Black and white or grayscale designs should be in 900dpi resolution
* Submit your entry in the “set of three” or “single badge” category

Prizes
The winners of this competition will receive various products from Stereohype such as t-shirts, samples of your winning design on button badges, and discounts on merchandise from Stereohype.

The prizes for the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th place winners vary. For a complete listing of awards see the links below.

Contest Links and Other Information
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Official Stereohype.com Contest Site
Contest Rules and Design Templates (downloadable PDF file)
Former Contest Winning Designs for Inspiration
Photoshop Template File for Color Entries (downloadable Photoshop file)
Photoshop Template File for Black and White Entries
(downloadable Photoshop file)

The deadline for entries for this contest is September 14, 2010. There are no entry fees for this contest. All submissions should be uploaded to submit [at] stereohype.com.

“Danger, Danger, Danger Will Robinson!”
Most fans of science fiction recognize these words as the warning mantra from the robot of the classic television series Lost in Space.

The show was produced in the mid 1960s but through the magic of syndication and DVD boxed sets the classic series continues to be popular with fans, new and old alike.

The fascination with robots has been a mainstay for the imaginations of individuals in science, literature and the general public.

Robots are now a part of our daily lives, although a great deal of their contributions is unseen. Robots assemble our cars, fabricate household appliances and are essential in the production of electronics, consumer goods, and pharmaceuticals.

But what will robots of the future do? Will they be involved in the social aspects of our lives rather than just automatons that assemble products?

The International Conference on Social Robots (ICSR) believes that the importance of the social function of robots is where robotics is heading and is announcing an open call for ideas and designs of what the robots of the future will be like.

The Contest
The sponsors want your unique ideas of how robots will interact with humans. Will they become electronic friends, robots that can tend to our children or act as sports competitors? The ICSR states:

“We invite you (not limited to Industrial Design undergrad, graduate & professionals) to create [design] a social robot (robot interactions) for the year 2020, an age where intelligent social robots built with consilience (unity of different knowledge) will gray the boundaries of human & machine interaction.”

Your submission should demonstrate visually and through written descriptions how your design fulfills the contest theme of the social robot while also adhering to Asimov’s 3 Laws of Robotics.  Contest entries must include:

* A passport photo of the applicant. (35×45mm, jpeg)
* PDF document (no more than 3 pages) with visuals and an overview of your concept
* Related materials that explain the creative process of your entry and any innovative aspects ….related to your robot design.

Full submissions guidelines can be found in the submission links section of this article.

Judging Criteria and Prizes
A jury will select three winners based upon “originality, quality of content and impact of message. The jury will award designs and concepts which best meet the judging criteria mentioned in the brief.”

Cash awards will be given to three winners:

First Prize: $1,000 USD
Second Prize: $500 USD
Third Prize: $200 USD

In addition, a select number of entries will be chosen for fabrication into 1:5 scale models.

Important Contest Links and Information
Only one submission is allowed per contestant. This competition has no entry fee. Please follow these links for contest information and details:

Sponsor’s Official Webpage
Robot Contest Brief
Complete Contest Guidelines and Rules (PDF Document)
Social Robotics Laboratory Website

The deadline for entries is September 1, 2010.