You light up my life…
In this particular case we are not referring to a song but how public lighting can be improved upon and used in more innovative ways.

The 2010-2011 Concept Lumière Urbaine (CLU) contest sponsor seeks to:

“…give new meaning to public lighting and provoke the emergence of sensitivity to the need of mankind to benefit from the available light, to share and take ownership.

“The boundary between street lighting and the user can disappear to become the service point of luminous energy to the whole community. Public lighting is a response to the needs of human beings, and your solutions will be the answer.”

What’s your idea?
If you have a concept that can transform the idea of what public lighting can mean and do then this contest is for you.

The contest theme is “Light for Humanity.” There are several key points that you should consider when designing your lighting creations.

According to the contest guidelines your entry should address how public lighting can serve as the following:

* A central gathering point
* A source and connection accessible to the entire community
* A realization that supports the vitality of social exchange
* A viable alternative to the use of other fuels (gasoline, wood, etc.).
* An economical design with regard to materials and components ….(3R), that is also aesthetically and culturally meaningful

General contest guidelines

* Anyone who is connected to or is interested in the industry of exterior ….lighting is eligible to enter
* If you are entering as part of a design firm you must have less than 5 ….years experience
* If you are entering as part of a team your firm must not have more ….than 5 employees

The rules state that your product/lighting submission may incorporate the following subject matter:

* Layout of public exterior spaces
* Objects or luminous systems for these spaces
* Advancement of the general knowledge concerning exterior lighting
* Development of the collective consciousness pertaining to a quality exterior lighting

Judging and Prizes
Entries will be judged according to the merits of each entry’s excellence in aesthetics, technology, environmental solutions, and theoretical application.

The following awards will be given to the winners:

* First Prize: $2,500 or a 12 weeks training course with the ….industrial design and engineering teams of Philips Lumec.
* Second Prize: $1,500
* Third Prize: $1,000

Contest links and other information
The following links provide additional contest details:

Official website
Full contest guidelines and rules
Online registration form

The deadline for entries is May 2, 2011. This contest is free to enter.

Illuminate yourself with graphic design school classes
Graphic design college can be the starting point of a career in interior and exterior design. You will learn the principles of using colors effectively, how to illustrate and make your ideas come to life, and the importance of artistic interpretation and technique.

If you are a graphic designer or involved in city planning, continued education classes are available at your graphic design school to help in the areas of design work.

If you are planning to attend a graphic design college, speak to your school counselor about the various career training options available to you.

Look, laugh and listen
In this article we’ll show more of the graphic design mistakes that slipped through the cracks during the production phase. Were these errors made under tight deadlines or too much pressure? These are the times when visual gaffes happen.

Some slip-ups are understandable while others could have been entirely preventable. Whatever the case, we hope that the mistakes of others can help all of us to be more careful when producing our images.

Have a good laugh and file these “lessons” away until you need them…especially when you only have a few hours left till deadline. Our thanks go to the members of photodisasteters.com for finding all of these gems or should we say lumps of coal?

Sweat the little stuff
Sometimes it’s the little stuff that gets past the gatekeepers during production. The errors aren’t big ones but they do point out that someone didn’t take the time to be more precise in the editing of the images.

In this case, an ad for the Audi A5 dashboard looks elegant and sporty except for one little detail.
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If you look closely between the 5 and 6 on the tachometer (left dial) you’ll see that the image has the rpm markers missing.

Yes, it’s just a little detail but car fans will immediately notice the omission.

This would be OK for the general public but to a car fan it’s a definite no-no.
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Was it really worth it?
Large businesses and companies spend a great deal of ad money to get the word out on their products; the ads cost a princely sum to produce.

Scarlett Johansson has represented Moët beverages for several years and this photo is one of the many she posed for in the Moët magazine ads.

But if you consider that Moët probably spent hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to have this ad produced, you may have said to yourself, “I could have done that…and probably a lot cheaper too.”
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This ad is about as “cut and paste” as you can get and we don’t mean that in a good way.

The balloons were shot separately in a studio (note the double highlights on many of them), while Ms. Johansson was photographed on a couch during another photo session.

The background (out of focus) was used as the backdrop for this image. Drop out the green screen behind the balloons and Ms. Johansson, do a few layers and voila, you have a composite image.

There’s nothing wrong, inherently with the concept, but considering the cost of this ad we think that Moët received the short end of the stick when the contract was signed with this ad agency.

Sweat the little stuff, again…
Sometimes it’s cost effective to use an old graphic for an event that happens annually. All you have to do is to change the year or date and you’re done.

Not so fast, bud. You have to be careful that you’ve changed all the important graphics in the image to make sure none of the old dates are still present. Can you spot the error in this image?
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The year “09” appears correct but if you look at its reflection you can see that it says “08” from the previous year’s ad.

You can see the enlarged ad here and the actual mistake here.

Graphic design school
Talent can help you attain a career in graphic design; graphic design schools help you to master the techniques of using various elements to produce professional graphics.

If you are a graphic designer, continued education classes are available at your graphic design college. These courses can bring you up to speed on the latest software and hardware applications.

If you are planning to attend a graphic design school, speak to your school counselor about the various career training options available to you in this fast-moving industry.

Next time…
Not everything that is a “mistake” is a mistake. In some cases graphic designers and art directors break the rules to make a point or draw attention to the subject at hand.

Stay tuned for examples in next week’s article on Graphic design mistakes and blunders.

Computers Are Such a “Waste”
And for that matter so are cell phones, computer monitors, digital camera, printers and every electronic device that is thrown away.

The problem is how to dispose of this e-waste and find ways to recycle all of the material.

If you have ideas on this, the Second International e-Waste Design Video Competition is for you.

The contest sponsor states:

“The goals of this competition are to learn about ways to reuse e-waste for new and productive means…

“…You’re invited to create a broad range of design concepts and innovations for technology products that demonstrate fresh approaches and responsible solutions for green computing technologies.”

The Contest
There are two categories that you may enter:

* E-Waste Prevention - Entries for this will demonstrate how to reduce the amount of e-waste generated by the production of various consumer electronics. This category centers on new products or services.

* E-Waste Reuse - Demonstrate how e-waste can be used to produce useful new electronic or non-electronic products.

Submit Your Video
This is a video contest. Your submissions should be an original video commercial that spotlights the design, the function, the features, and design concepts of your idea.

The video must not be a plain narrative description of the project.

Prizes
One winner will be selected from each contest category. The awards are:

Platinum Award: $5,000 USD
Gold Award: $3,000 USD
Silver Award: $1,000 USD
Honorable Mention: TBA

Other Information and Contest Links
The contest is open to anyone 18 years or older. You must be currently enrolled in college or have graduated from college since May 2007.

Only one entry per team or person is allowed. If you are entering as part of a team, you may not have more than five members participating in your group.

The deadline for entries is April 1, 2011. There is no entry fee for this competition.

All entrants must fill out the official contest submission form and list the e-waste and/or new components used for your project. A 500 word (or less) description must also accompany your entry.

Proof of attendance or graduation from your college may be submitted via:

* A copy of an official transcript from your college or university. ….(The copy should be in pdf format.)
* A letter of enrollment at a college or educational institution. (PDF format.)
* A letter from your department adviser in PDF format.

Follow these links for more contest information:

Official Contest Site
Contest Rules and Guidelines
Video Submission Details and Guidelines
Videos from Last Year’s Winners (Lower right of page)

The workplace zoo
Anyone who has worked as a graphic designer or in a job that requires creativity knows how difficult it can sometimes be when working under tight deadlines.

During these times you’ll notice how certain individuals, and even yourself, react under pressure. It is during these occasions that personality traits, some negative and some positive, rise to the surface for all to see.

In What Type of Graphic Designer Are You? Part I we’ll explore four personality categories. These will act as an informal knowledge base to help you understand yourself and others in the workplace better.
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It’s Greek to me
The Four Temperaments or Four Personality Groups (Phlegmatic, Choleric, Melancholy, and Sanguine) was developed by Hippocrates and Plato in their efforts to understand human nature and personalities.

According to the Four Temperaments scenario people’s personalities are made up of a combination of the four basic traits-with one or two being the most prominent.

Variations of these original concepts have been updated by various psychologists and authors but at the heart of them all lay many of the ideas proposed by the two Greek luminaries of medicine and philosophy.

The Phlegmatic: slow and steady
Is there someone at your workplace that seems to remain cool and calm in spite of the world crashing down all around everyone? Does this individual seem to get along with just about anyone?

Do these people procrastinate on their projects while making witty and humorous remarks about the situation? Are these people sometimes stubborn and obstinate?

Does it seem as if these people are almost like Mr. Spock of Star Trek; they show very little variance of emotion or excitability?

If you answered yes to most of these questions you have just met the phlegmatic personality.

Here is a short list of the strengths and weaknesses of Mr. or Ms. Phlegmatic:

* Low key personality
* Easy going
* Relaxed
* Patient
* Competent and steady
* Quiet and witty
* Sympathetic and kind
* Gets along with everyone
* Finds the easiest way to get the job done
* Likes routine; avoids change
* Indecisive
* Avoids leadership
* Self-doubt
* Avoids conflict
* Resents being pushed
* Procrastinates

Understanding what motivates Mr. or Ms. phlegmatic can help you to get along better with these reliable and sometimes obstinate people. They are the people that will work the best under pressure so be glad that they are there!

Graphic design school and design principles
No matter what personality type you fall under, the need for a good education in graphic design is important in qualifying for various career opportunities.

Graphic design schools provide instruction in good design principles.

If you are thinking about branching out into other graphic design fields such as web design, animation, multimedia or other avenues, a qualified graphic design college can help.

Next time…
Our next personality will be Mr. or Ms. Sanguine. You’ll recognize these individuals by their affinity for telling stories and jokes, being the first one to say “Hi!” to everyone and their generally happy mood.

But they are also known for speaking before they think and being unproductive and emotional. Find out more next week about this coworker.

So until next time, keep on designing!

They’ve Got You Covered
The Tx Style Design Challenge, sponsored by Mannington Commercial, wants design entries from interior designers and architects for its new carpet products.

Six finalists will be selected by a panel of judges. Entries will be evaluated upon creativity, aesthetics, manufacturability and public reaction to the design.

What to Submit
All entries must be in digital format. According to the contest rules, the sponsors would like to see:

* A sketch or graphic design illustrating a carpet that you would like Mannington Commercial to consider for a new product line. A maximum of five (5) concepts can be submitted.

* An “Inspiration Board” or other type of graphic illustration(s) that serves as your creative stimulus for the proposed carpet design. Examples include images or samples from fashion, art, culture, nature, etc.

* Optional: Images or renderings of any product you designed prior to the start of this competition. ….The product can be purely conceptual, in development or fully realized/produced. It does not ….necessarily have to be a flooring product.

Prizes
Finalists (6) — Each of the six finalists will receive $3,000, be featured in a national advertising campaign, plus a trip to NeoCon 2011.

Grand Prize Winners (2) - Each Grand Prize winner will receive a full floor covering collection of their design, $6,000, and a trip to the Maison & Objet show in Paris, France.

Other Information and Contest Links
In order to be eligible for this contest you must be a practicing interior designer or architect. Students are not eligible.

Maximum file size for uploaded images is 1024KB. Artwork should be in jpg format.

All entries must be uploaded. No mailed submissions will be accepted for this contest. You must register to participate in this competition. The deadline for this contest is February 16, 2011.

There are no entry fees for this contest.

The following links provide more contest details:

Official Contest Website
Contest Overview Information
Terms and Conditions
Registration Form

Wisdom from a Scientist
Glenn T. Seaborg was giving a lecture to an auditorium full of high schoolers one day and remarked how lucky of a man he was.

The Periodic Table, the large map of all the physical known elements, is familiar to anyone who has taken a chemistry or physics class.

The Nobel Prize winner was involved in the discovery of 10 of these elements.

He said he not only loved his work and had fun at it, but “I can’t believe I get paid to do it too!”

How many of us are fortunate enough to enjoy our work and “get paid for it too!”
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How Much Does A Graphic Designer Make?
As a graphic designer or someone who is contemplating graphic design as a career, a love of the process of creating is definitely needed to be successful. But there is the practical side of this as well; can you make a living from it?

The U.S Bureau of Statistics and Labor (May 2010) says the median annual wage for a graphic designer is $43,180.

Those in the top 10 percent of wage earners in graphic design make approximately $76,450 per year. Those in the lowest 10 percent of wage earners made $26,440 per year.

The amount of money you can earn depends on various factors related to skill level, the type of graphic design job you have, the type of company you work for, and your educational background.

Graphic Design School and You
In today’s career market there is heavy competition for available jobs. Getting the necessary training in graphic design is a must to remain competitive.

Generally speaking a minimum of a bachelor’s of arts degree in graphic design is needed to qualify for entry level positions. Community colleges offer 2-year degrees that may open opportunities for technical jobs in graphic design.

In graphic design college you’ll learn the principles of design, art history, and the important skill sets needed to use and operate computer hardware and design software.

If you have graduated from graphic design school, continued education may be necessary to keep up with the fast changing tools and procedures in the field of graphic design.

For Love or Money?
Hopefully you’ll be able to say “both.” Enjoying your job gives you great satisfaction even during the times when the wages aren’t as good as you’d want them to be.

But hating your job and making lots of money is rarely a good trade off when it comes to personal well-being and satisfaction.

In the long run, graphic design or any job involving creativity or design can be quite fulfilling. Just make sure you have the proper career training to be competitive.

Graphic Design Career Information Links
The following links may provide you with additional information regarding graphic design jobs, qualifying skills and attributes, and other points of interest:

Graphic Designer Job Outlook
Graphic Designer Qualifications and Skill Sets
Current Wage Statistics for Graphic Designers