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The Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA) is a graphic design competition and computer application competition that seeks the best and the brightest student talent in the fields of graphic design, illustration, photography, animation, digital film, computer art, and computer applications.

If you are currently enrolled as a full-time student you are eligible to enter this contest for a chance to win cash prizes and Adobe software products.
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Entry Categories
There are three major categories in this contest with several linked subcategories:

Interactive Media

* Browser-Based Design
* Non-Browser Based Design
* Application Development
* Mobile Design
* Installation Design

Video and Motion

* Animation
* Live Action
* Motion Graphics

Traditional Media

* Illustration
* Packaging
* Photography
* Print Communication

Full detailed descriptions for these classes can be found by clicking here.

Contest Guidelines

• The contest is open to individuals 18 years or older that are enrolled as full-time students. (See full contest rules for restrictions)
• Submitted entries may be reclassified from one category to another at the judges discretion.
• Entries must be the original work of the submitter.
• Deadline for entries is June 4, 2010.
• Submitted entries must be created with at least 50% or more with Adobe tools in Adobe software formats.

The complete rules and guidelines for this graphic design contest can be obtained by clicking here.
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Judging
Adobe states on its website:

“The entries, whether submitted by an individual or a group, shall be judged together in each category on a points system, based on originality, effectiveness in meeting the communication objective, and contestant(s) skills in applying Adobe products as specified in their entry forms.”

The Awards
A $3000 cash prize will be awarded to the winners in addition to various Adobe software program packages such as Adobe design suites, web design applications, and other Adobe products.

Other Information
The deadline for this contest is June 4, 2010. Complete details and entry instructions can be found by clicking here.

Palm Springs Celebrates Earth Day’s 40^th
In honor of Earth Day’s 40^th anniversary Palm Springs, California is sending out an open call to all photographers to enter its Earth Through a Lens Competition.

Rules, Guidelines, and Contest Forms
According to the Palm Springs Sustainability Commission’s event description, the following guidelines, information, and rules apply to this contest:

“Earth Through a Lens” is a juried photographic competition sponsored by the Sustainability Commission of the City of Palm Springs (CA) to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day. We will display the photographs of approximately 30 finalists for the month of April, 2010 on world famous Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs.

“The images chosen will focus on beauty in the natural environment, the degradation of the environment by human activity, and attempts to reclaim or restore spoiled habitats. In sum, the photographs will highlight the importance of developing a sustainable environment.”

Awards and Prizes

“The 30 finalists will be asked to provide a print photograph and matt to allow uniform framing of the work. Their photo and descriptive and contact information will be published in an exhibit catalog. Three winning photographs will be selected with these photographers receiving cash prizes ranging from $500-$1500, plus a travel stipend to attend the award ceremony on April 22, 2010.

“Photographers may submit up to 3 images with an entry fee of $35 for the initial image and $10 for each of 2 additional images.”

Entry Categories and Submission Advice
Thee categories for this photography contest are as follows:

* The Natural Environment - Water, Desert, Mountains
* The Adverse Effect of Human Activity on the Environment
* Restoration of Environmental Damage

The contest sponsors state:

“The purpose of the show is to underscore the need to improve stewardship of the earth in order to create a sustainable environment.

“Entrants should pay close attention to the subcategories listed. Entries will be judged on the relevance to the show’s goal and on artistic accomplishment. A catalog will be printed and will include the photographer’s description of their work, a brief biographical sketch, contact information and price of the work (if desired).”

Click here for a full description of entry guidelines. Click here for information on how to enter. Click here for legal information and FAQs about this contest. The contest deadline is January 15, 2010.

Show Your Photos to the World
If you are a photographer seeking an opportunity to display your images at an art gallery for art connoisseurs, potential buyers or the public to view, you may be interested in the Focal Resolution-1 Photography Show.

Focal Resolution-1  is calling for photographers from around the world to submit their images for the exhibition.

The entries will be shown at the Scalamandre Silks Building located in Long Island City.

The Exhibition Details and Awards
The photography show will be held January 9-24, 2010. All photographers who submit their images by the deadline will have their works exhibited at the gallery.

Ten photographers will be selected for distinction and will be published in the Bonni Benrubi Gallery’s catalog and featured on its website for one month. All other participating photographers will be included in its catalog with a thumbnail image of their work along with their name and place of origin.

What to Submit
The Focal Resolution-1 contest states:

We are looking for any and every type of photography in order to fill this exhibition with as many methods and mediums as we can. Any actual photographic method for realizing a photographic image or any aesthetic position will be welcomed, including:

• Digital
• Traditional
• Ancient methods
• Photo-montage
• Straight, Art
• Polaroid
• Toy camera

Also acceptable includes: Panoramic, photo essays, time, landscape, Nikon, architectural, Pinhole, handcrafted, Leica, Monochrome, tinted, Ambrotype, Collodian, Kodak, gum bichromate, Platinum/Palladium, Gelatin-Silver, egg tempera, Portrait, reporter, cityscape, chloride contact, Cyanotype, Kallitype, Bromoil, Ziatype, carbon pigment, stereoscopic, and all!

We will not accept purely digitally (computer) generated images.
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Other Information
For full details about submission guidelines for this photography show, click here to download the PDF document. The deadline for entries is until all exhibition spots are filled or the date of December 28, 2009. There is an entry fee of $40 for up to three submissions.

Adventure Cycling is holding its first annual Bicycle Travel Photo Contest and is asking for digital photos from photographers that show the wonder and fun of bicycling through touring and travel.

What to Submit
According to Adventure Cycling:

“These images can be taken anywhere in the world.  Photos that focus on the scenery of an area must include some connection to or indication of bike travel. We are especially interested in images that showcase the wide range of bike-touring experiences: road and dirt riding, rural and urban settings, scenery, people, and the emotions.”

How to Submit
Adventure Cycling will accept digital image via email or through its Flikr image site. According to the guidelines:

“Via Flickr^TM - If you have multiple photos to enter in the competition, please consider using this method to enter the contest. After logging in, upload your images using the mechanism provided.

“If you are not already a member of Adventure Cycling’s Contests group on Flickr^TM, join by clicking “Join this Group?” on the group’s homepage. Browse to the image you wish to submit for the contest, and use the “Send to Group” function to add your images to Adventure Cycling’s Photo Contest photo pool.

“Once added to the group, tag each photo with Adventure09. If you do not upload your photo to Adventure Cycling’s Contests group on Flickr^TM, or do not tag your photo with an appropriate tag, it will not be considered for the competition.

“Via Email Submission Process - If you choose not to use Flickr^TM to submit your image, you may email your photo to flickr_contest@adventurecycling.org. Send a low-resolution version of the image (72dpi) along with the subject of the image, the location the image was taken, and the name of the photographer(s).

“You will also need to be able to provide a print quality high-resolution version of the photo upon request, no less than 2250 pixels wide and no less than 3000 pixels tall, preferably at 300 dpi.”

Prize
The winner of the contest will have his or her photo published in the 2010 March issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine and Adventure Cycling’s website. The total readership of the magazine and website is over 1 million annually.

Other Information
Entrants retain all rights to their photographs. All individuals, 18 years or older, are eligible to enter. There is no entry fee. The deadline for this contest is December 31, 2009.

You may be contemplating going to a graphic design school or graphic design college to earn your degree. Or you may already be enrolled in a design program. What can you do to make your experience better while attending a design college?

The following advice and tips may help you to understand the process of what it takes to get the most out of your graphic design school.

Time Management
This is probably one of the most important things that you can work on while attending graphic design school.

In addition to understanding and assimilating the information from your classes and lectures, you’ll also be charged with the duty of turning in your art projects and assignments on time.

Managing your time is crucial to the quality of your projects and will allow you to get the most out of your assignments. This means that you’ll have to be brutally honest about how important your recreational activities are to you and whether you will need to sacrifice some events in order to finish your projects.

Concentrate On Your Own Education
In any creative environment where you are surrounded by others who possess talent, there is an unconscious need to see how you compare to everyone else.

This is perfectly normal as we’d like to find out how good we are. But over emphasizing this informal competition can sometimes be a distraction to your own graphic design education.

The main reason why you are attending a graphic design college is to acquire and receive the proper career training that you’ll need for a graphic design job. If you concentrate too much on how everyone else is doing in your classes, you may be sidetracked in developing your own talent and skills by worrying about everyone else.

You can have some friendly competition with others, but don’t be distracted from your own development as a graphic designer.

Next Time…
We’ll present more survival tips that can help you to get the most from your graphic design school. See you then!

The Basics So Far
In our last few articles we’ve covered topics related to properly preparing for graphic design job interviews and ideas for designing creative resumes.

In this new series we’ll explore what sorts of traits successful professionals in design or creative positions commonly possess. . .
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What the Employers Say They Want
The original information was researched by Preston Lee, an award winning graphic designer, who queried design professionals from different firms.

He asked them what sort of traits they believed are inherent in people who work in jobs that required creativity.

The following list of attributes isn’t exhaustive by any means but may be useful in determining whether you have “the right stuff” to work for a design or media firm.

The List
What is interesting to note is that of all the traits that were mentioned as valuable for a career in design, very little was said about actual talent.

The responses were generally about personal character, good attitude, and good communication skills.

Of course talent is a factor, but this seems to be a given and employers are looking for that extra “something” from potential hires in addition to talent alone. We’ll list the top responses here with a short comment for each trait.

• Be motivated and eager to learn. Design methods and software are constantly changing, so a graphic designer who continues to learn becomes a valuable team member to the company.

• Be curious about the industry. This could also be rephrased, “Be interested in your work.” A fresh perspective of where the industry is heading shows employers that you are involved and engaged in your work.

• Get a good education. Preparing yourself for a career in graphic design, illustration, or one of the many related fields in the arts means getting the best education that is available to you. Graphic design schools and graphic design colleges can help you to receive the graphic design education you need to qualify for jobs in the industry. Most entry level jobs require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

• Be authentic. It is sometimes hard to admit a lack of knowledge when searching for a solution to a design problem. But pretending to know everything isn’t the way to go either. Just be yourself. Employers want people that can fit into their organizations.

• Network constantly. Or in other words, communicate! Errors in design concepts can sometimes be attributable to nothing more than just a misunderstanding of project guidelines or the assumption that the other party knows what is expected. Design companies need people who can effectively communicate.

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Next Time…
We’ll list some more traits that graphic design employers seek in their new hires.

We’ll also discuss some of the things that you can do to increase your chances of becoming hired with a design company, or other firm dealing with the visual arts.