Frogs Are Our Friends
Frogs can be found, virtually everywhere, throughout the Earth in jungles, lakes, ponds, waterways, marshes, forests and other natural habitats.

Frogs are not only interesting and unique creatures that are able to live on land or in the water; they serve an important role in balancing the ecosystem by eating various insects, small animals or pests.

Frogs also serve as a source of nutrition for larger animals in the food chain.

Frog Population Declining
According to various studies the population and health of frogs are declining due to deforestation, climate change, and pollution. The organization, Save the Frogs, is an international group of scientists, naturalists, educators and policymakers whose goal is to help protect amphibious creatures by educating the public and through legislation efforts.

The Contest
Save the Frogs is holding its 2nd Annual Save the Frogs Art Contest. The competition is especially calling for entries from art students and teachers, however amateur and professional graphic designers are welcome to enter as well.

The contest is international and artists from any country can enter. There is no entry fee for this contest.

The sponsor of the contest is asking for submissions that have graphic elements that feature images of amphibians, the text Save the Frogs!, Save the Frogs.com or both texts.

The winning artwork will be used on various Save the Frog items such as t-shirts, mugs, hats, posters, and stickers. The money raised from the sale of these items will be used for conservation efforts by Save the Frogs, a public funded charity.

Contest Guidelines
A Grand Prize Winner will be selected from one of the following age categories:

* Under 10 years old
* 10-13 years old
* 13-17 years old
* 18 years and older

Submissions for this contest may include artwork that is either hand-drawn or produced through a computer graphics program.

The theme of the image may include pictures of frogs, toads, salamanders, caecilians or newts. The artwork may be in color or black and white.

According to the contest sponsors, artwork entered to this contest must be original and not be based upon the artwork of others. All artwork must refer to the theme Save the Frogs by including one of the following elements in a clear and legible form by showing:

– the phrase SAVE THE FROGS! (capitalized, with an exclamation point!)
– the phrase savethefrogs.com (lowercase with NO exclamation point)
– both SAVE THE FROGS! and savethefrogs.com (as in a logo)

These two phrases can appear on the same design, or alternatively you could put one phrase each on two related pieces of artwork which could work well as the front and back of a t-shirt, or on the outside and inside of greeting cards, for example.

For complete instructions on image format, resolution settings and submission guidelines click here. For questions concerning this contest that are not covered on the official website, send your emails to: art [at] savethefrogs.com

Awards
Each age category winner will receive $35 in cash and a $30 credit to the Save the Frogs gift center. The Grand Prize Winner and category winners may have their artwork featured on products and items sold by the Save the Frogs gift center.

Contest winners and honorable mentions will be acknowledged on the Save the Frogs website along with images of their artwork.

Other Info
For those who wish to submit their entries via regular mail, click here for the contest entry form. Complete contest rules can be found by clicking here. The art contest terms and condition can be found by clicking here.

The deadline for entries is September 29, 2010.

Little Boxes
Package design has come a long way in the last 50 years. In the past the usual difference between one product packaging and another was simply the graphics and color schemes of the design.

Today’s walk down the many aisles of a modern supermarket or department store literally offers thousands of uniquely designed packages with amazing looking graphics or container shapes.

If you are currently attending a graphic design school or are already a graphic designer you may have been intrigued with this particular subset of graphic design work. In this article we’ll explore what this interesting field is all about and what you can do to prepare for a career as a package designer.

School First
As it is in any career area you want to pursue the usual route for obtaining proper career training is through proper education. For any field in graphic design there are many qualified graphic design colleges that can help you to earn your degree.

Generally speaking a bachelor’s degree is necessary to qualify for most entry-level positions.

If you are targeting package design as your specialty, you will need to take courses that are focused for this design field. In addition you should have a good grasp of spacial relations as it relates to designing packaging.

You can qualify for some entry-level jobs with an associate’s degree or certificate of completion earned at community colleges or two-year junior colleges. Various online education centers also offer these degrees in addition to bachelor’s degrees in graphic design.

Be sure to thoroughly investigate the graphic design schools you are considering as each one differs in its approach and curriculum. Choose the one that best matches your career and education goals.

What a Package Designer Does
A package designer has the responsibility of creating designs for various forms of packaging such as bottles, containers, cartons, boxes, and other packaging needs. The packaging design can be as simple as a logo on a beverage container or as complex as a multi-DVD case for a movie series. In each case the design must meet the specifications of the client.

Package design must be eye-catching and have the ability to entice consumers to pick up and buy the product.

A package designer should not only be well acquainted with the use of traditional design tools such as pens, paints, and pencils but must be well versed with the various graphic design/image editing software and CAD (computer assisted design) software that are commonly used in the industry.

The design process usually starts with meetings with the client and design team in order to understand and agree upon a concept. After the design is approved a number of sketches, computer generated images and a formal mock-up of the packaging is created. During the period of time between concept and final production, there are usually many changes and alterations during the design process.

These frequent changes in design concepts require an individual who is flexible and has good communication skills.

The Job Situation
Package designers usually work for manufacturing companies in the graphics departments, independent graphic design studios or companies that specialize in packaging.

While a typical workweek of 40 hours can be expected, overtime and weekend work is usually required during “crunch time” or when deadlines are shortened.

The job outlook for graphic design positions is expected to grow approximately 13% during the decade 2008-2018. Competition for available job positions will be extremely high.

The mean annual wage for professionals in the graphic design fields (including package designers) is $46,750, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2008).

Tate Art Galleries, with four locations in the United Kingdom, and cultureLabel.com–an unique culture store that offer items from over 70 museum shops, artists, galleries and institutions are announcing an open call to all graphic artists and designers to enter the 2010 Release Contest.

Contest Details
The sponsors of this contest are seeking, “…two outstanding product designs that will be produced and sold in Tate shops, through Tate Online and at CultureLabel.com.”

According to the contest guidelines, the winning product design could:

* Capture the experience of Tate visitors, be they young or old, from the UK or from across the …globe
* Capture the impact that Tate has had on the public’s experience of galleries and its influence on …the arts
* Be inspired by the architecture of the buildings, such as the iconic Tate Modern, which is 10 years …old in 2010
* Be inspired by any of Tate galleries, which include Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate St Ives, Tate …Liverpool and also Tate Online

There are two product design categories - products that fall into a retail price range of up to £10 (15 USD) and the second with a retail price of up to £100 (150 USD).

Product Design Guidelines
For a product that will be sold for up to £10 (15 USD) the sponsors state:

“This product will become a much-loved and widely recognized souvenir of any visit to a Tate gallery - the object that anyone visitor will want to take home.

“You might want to focus on London and Tate Modern or Tate Britain and seek to create an iconic tourist souvenir that rivals the ‘Mind the Gap T-shirt’. Or, perhaps you are more inspired by the idyllic coastal setting of Tate St Ives or the post-industrial gallery spaces of Tate Liverpool?

“We want to capture the experience of someone visiting Tate - whether the magic of the first visit or the allure that keeps people coming back. Alternatively, you might seek to capture the impact that Tate has had on the public’s experience of art - transforming galleries into experiential, interactive and lifestyle spaces attracting incredibly diverse audiences.”

For example, some ideas for the sub £10 class of products could be things such as key fobs, cups, posters, t-shirts, folios, pens or other small items.

For product designs that will be sold for up to £100 (150 USD) the guidelines state:

“This more premium product might be the collector’s item that captures the human experience held in Tate.

“We still want to capture the spirit of Tate described above but this product could be a much sought after limited edition, object or accessory and would have the creative flair, artistic and design values reflecting Tate brand and the higher price point.”

Ideas for products in this pricing tier could be, but not limited to, items such as special edition posters or prints, ceramic pieces, jewelry or lithography prints.

Prizes
The winner will receive a cash award of £500 (750 USD) plus royalty payments for the first 6 months of the sales of the design.

Other information
There is an entry fee of £5 (7.50 USD). For the complete rules and guidelines for this contest, click here. To submit your product design idea, click here. All questions regarding this contest should be sent to release [at] culturelabel.com.  The deadline for this contest is March 22, 2010.

Take the Open Door
In last week’s article we presented various tips and advice on how to prepare for a job as a graphic designer.

There were three things that were identified as being important for qualifying for a graphic design job—education through a qualified graphic design school, a good portfolio of your work and a variety of work/intern job experience.

In part two of How to Get Noticed When Applying for Graphic Design Jobs, we’ll go over some practical advice on how to handle a job interview.

Simple Rules for Your Job Interview
Hiring managers see many individuals for job interviews. After a time applicants start to all look the same. This is not a good thing if you are one of the many who are applying for that specific graphic design position.

Here are a few tips on how to stand out and prepare for your job interview:

* Do Something Memorable - Since there are a good number of people applying for the same position you are applying for, it is a good idea to do something that will make your interview memorable for the hiring manager. At the conclusion of your interview you can give the interviewer your business card or something that you designed, a pen or pencil with some graphics you created for the barrels for instance, as an attention getter.
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* Groom Properly - This should be a given but not everyone takes this advice to heart. When you show up for a job interview be certain to dress properly. Each firm will have its own style or dress code but take the safe route and don’t dress too informally. When in doubt, dress neatly.
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* Be Prepared - In virtually every interview you will be asked the question, “Why do you want to work for this company?” The reason that you do not want to give is, “I need to find a job.” What you can do is to emphasize what you can do for the company–how you would be an asset to the overall operation, how you can contribute, and what you want to accomplish while working there.
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* Be Yourself - An old-school comedian once said, “If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.” Although the statement was made cynically, the truth of the matter is that being sincere and being yourself is better than trying to be overly confident or aggressive. Many job interviewers are highly tuned to the situation that job applicants often “embellish” upon their accomplishments. Be straightforward about your abilities and talent. If you have limited work experience emphasize what you have learned while going to graphic design college.
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* Communicate Freely - Be sure to answer all questions in a thorough and concise manner. If there are periods of silence during the interview while you struggle to answer questions, this is a red flag to the interviewer that you may not be able to work in a team situation where lots of communication between co-workers is needed.

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Next Time
In the conclusion to this series we’ll delve into what sort of mindset you should have while seeking employment such as how to handle discouragement and maintain a positive attitude. Until next time, take care.

Design a Book Cover
An often overlooked source of art is found on the humble book cover. The book cover art must not only be visually interesting it must also somehow covey a message of the contents of the book–no small matter.

If you are a graphic designer, illustrator or someone who is attuned to the fine art of creating and designing images, you may be interested in the Icon Book Cover Art Competition.

The Contest
This competition is open to everyone 18 years or older. The contest is sponsored by the author of the book, “The Unfastened Heart“.

The re-publication of the novel needs new cover art and the author is announcing an open call to all designers to enter this contest.

Paintings, photographs, graphic art, collage or other visual media are eligible in this competition and may be submitted in a digital representation through a JPEG file to this email address: theiconprize [at] gmail.com.

All entries must be original in nature and must not be defamatory or offensive. Submitted material must be totally original and created by the artist.

If you do not win the contest you may have the option of making your artwork available for sale. The sponsor states:

“This competition is being organized to support and nurture the work and careers of other artists who gather together around a common literary work.

“If your submission does not win the competition but you nevertheless wish to make your original work available for sale, the author may choose to assist you by creating gallery showings of your work, either online or otherwise, at a price you select, with the profit to be realized solely by you.

“If you wish, the author and publisher may also elect, in their sole discretion, to include your submission in a “gallery” of submissions interior to the pages of the book, allowing the book’s readers to see your work, read a brief biography about you, and link to websites displaying more of your work.”

The Awards
The winner of this contest will receive:

* The 2010 Icon Prize
* $1500 in Cash

In addition selected finalist’s artwork may be displayed in the book.

Other Details
There is no limit to the number of submissions you may enter. The deadline for this contest is December 31, 2010. The winner will be announced via email between June 2010 and December 2010. For the complete details about this contest, click here.

Design a Shipping Box Graphic
Colissimo, a leader of shipping and packaging in France, is launching a contest for new designs for its “Collisimo” shipping box.

The winning design will be sold throughout France in its post offices during the 2010 holidays.

The Contest Details
According to the sponsors:
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“Create the new design/ packaging, which will be sold in all postal offices and used by the whole French population in 2010 for every holiday! It’s up to you to bring your «festive, celebration, present, holiday » spirit to this design!

“Be imaginative, trendy, sober, off beat… Make sure we want to send and receive your package and that it reflects the desire to make people happy. Create the exterior design, but also don’t hesitate to imagine its interior (see guidelines)!

“Beware do not focus your creative proposition solely on the Christmas theme, but create on original design, that can be used for all gift occasions during the year!”

The winner of the contest will have his/her design and name printed on the tens of thousands of packages sold throughout the post offices of France.

For the complete rules and guidelines for this contest, download them by clicking here. A complete description of the contest can be downloaded by clicking here.

What to Submit
In order to participate and enter this contest you must first open a free account on the eYeka website. Click here to register.

Create your graphic design for the shipping box by downloading the official template by clicking here.

Make sure that your submission for a holiday design isn’t exclusive just for the Christmas season. Ideally, your design should encompass any gift occasions during the entire year.

The exact dimensions for the package designs are described in the official rules. The design should be in a hi-resolution PSD, AI, or CMJN colors. The design you submit must be entire original and created by you.

Entries should be submitted to either http://en.eyeka.com/login or http://www.imagine-colissimo.fr/.  To see contest entries of others click here.

Judging and Prizes
A panel of judges will critique all entries for creativity, uniqueness, and overall design. There will be two prizes in this contest:

* First Prize: 3,000 € (approximately 4,120.29 USD) and a five year exclusive rights contract for the printed      design.

* Voters Choice: 10 prizes of 300 € (approximately 412.00 USD)

Other Information
Do not submit “simple” designs such as logos or icons. Do not submit the same design multiple times with different color motifs.

The deadline for this contest is March 29, 2010.