OFFICIAL SPARK DESIGN AWARDS

PRODUCT COMPETITION
ENTRY KIT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION

WHY ENTER SPARK

OVERVIEW

ENTRY CRITERIA

ENTRY CATEGORIES

DEADLINE DATES

ENTRY FEES

WHAT TO ENTER

10

REGISTRATION PROCESS

13

JURY

14

CONTACT INFORMATION

15

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Welcome to Spark, Product Designers

Sparks Eighth Annual Official Call For Entry is live. Come on in, join the fun!
The Spark Product Awards are part of a series of eight exciting competitions, created to
promote great design and designers. We invite you to join the Spark Community and
enter your best designs.
The Spark Product Awards are focused on products, industrial design and related 3-D
fields. This competition is for working professional designers. Student entries are in the
Spark Concept & Student competition.
Spark Product is for work that is either built, produced, created on spec or as part of a
proposal, or is scheduled for production.
This competition continues Sparks mission, criteria and categories. All Spark events are
international in scope and accept entries from all designers, everywhere.
We believe design is a critical tool to accelerate human progress. Our Criteria are
modern and compelling. If you or your organization create great designs, dont miss the
opportunity to compete in these important events.
We invite everyone to participateprofessional designers, art directors, architects,
engineers, teachers, design firms, manufacturers, institutions, ad agencies and
entrepreneursanyone with a great new product design or solution.

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WHY ENTER SPARK?

Because Spark is literally all about you. We promote and share your work, your love of
great design, creativity, craft and innovation. We think design can have a strong and
positive effect on this world. We believe that great design demands fierce dedication to
sustainability. We see design as problem-solving, and your work as solutions.
Spark is here to help you get more and do moreimproving your job prospects and
strengthening your resume and portfolio credentials and helping you to you gain more
clients, assignments and interesting projects and problems to solve.
If you're looking for increased exposure and new business opportunities, jobs and
information, the Spark Awards are your perfect medium. Spark reaches thousands of
passionate innovators, business people and designers in old and new markets alike.
Already a force in the US and Europe, Spark has a strong presence in the hottest growth
markets in the world, including Korea, Brazil, China, India and Taiwangiving your
designs an aggressive position in this fast-paced environment.
Spark winners are published in the Spark Annual and in the Creative World of Design
Competitions, exhibited by invitation internationally and archived in permanent galleries
on the Internet. The Spark Awards have very active communities at Twitter, Pinterest,
Facebook and LinkedIn. We are a founding member of Hong Kong-based Global Design
Network and associated with the China International Design Fair. Bottom-line, we are
engaged in an ongoing promotion of our designer's work, both entrants and winners
alike. It is our only business, and we love to do it well.
Spark has a brave and modern outlook on sustainability and resource usage that
resonates with young designers and policymakersand reinforces your marketing and
job-seeking efforts. We all know things have to improve, and fast. The first step is
recognizing that--and the second is exchanging information, ideas and efforts. This is
what the Spark design competition is all about. Getting it out there. Join us today.

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OVERVIEW
Timeframe
Timeframe
The Spark Product competition is currently accepting entries. The Standard Deadline is
September 22, and the Late Deadline is October 10, 2014. Finalists will send their work
or displays to Spark from October 14-25. Judging will take place November 2. The
Spark Awards Winners will be announced shortly afterwards.
Process Synopsis
The Product Design Competition is judged along the same lines as other Spark
competitionssame Criteria, Categories, website and registration system.
In Phase 1, Spark Product is entirely virtual. That is, it is entered, conducted and judged
online. No materials, boards or designs are delivered to Spark in Phase 1. If your work is
adjudged a Finalist, it will be included in Phase 2. For Phase 2 we do ask for physical
examples of the entriesactual products, models, display boards, etc. You will need to
ship these to the jury site. (Shipping destination announced in September.)
The Jury will see and judge from your entry materials, images, videos or app and
descriptions. Pick your best shots!
All registrations and entry uploads must be completed at:
https://competitions.sparkawards.com/

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ENTRY CRITERIA
The Spark Awards have two major guiding criteria:
1. Does the design Spark? Break new ground? Innovate? Is it a new idea? Creation or
refinement? Does it communicate well? Does it pop?
2. Does it improve the quality of life? Contribute to understanding, efficiency, joy, wellbeing, longevity, progress? Does it sustain or conserve our Earths limited resources?
Then its a Spark!
The criteria for product design excellence are similar for all the Spark competitionsand
are based on the Spark core visiondesigning our future. Sparks mission is to initiate
positive design-led change, by highlighting the best new ideas and the best new
solutions. Sparks are big ideas embodied as great designs.
The submitted designs are evaluated by expert and independent judges from design and
related fields. Their knowledge and experience are the ultimate arbiters of the Spark
Awards. The criteria reflect the key factors that they take into consideration. The judges
look for these big ideas when they make their choices.

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ENTRY CATEGORIES
Spark has a very open entry system, for every possible type of design within the
disciplines covered. Thus, we have listed a large number of categories listed. Sometimes,
a design may fit more than one category. Categories are listed here so a designer feels
that their work is appropriate and welcome.
Yesthe choices can be overwhelming. But dont worry about choosing the best one
when registering. Everything is judged on its merits.
Designs are not judged within a category, but rather, in the context of our Criteria. We
can have any number of winnersor none, in any given area. All depends on the quality
of the work, and the design sensibility of jury. Thats why we work hard to find tough, fair
and collegial judges.
Any Product design may be submitted, including designs previously submitted to Spark
competitions.
Leisure, sports, health, well-being and outdoor recreation
Industrial and consumer tools and equipment
General consumer goods and appliances
Kitchen, domestic and bath appliances
Electronic equipmenttelecom, audio, home entertainment, computers, etc.
Lighting
Jewelry, timepieces. awards, trophies and luxury goods
Wearables
Multi-disciplinary projects
Residential and office furniture and furnishings
Street furniture and fittings
Note: the Spark categories have been established to provide a helpful way for designers
to describe and organize their entry. If the jury feels that an entry would be better served
in another, it may move that entry.

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DEADLINE DATES
Competition Launch
January 1, 2014
June 2
Earlybird Discount Deadline, 11:59pm (23:59 hrs.), Pacific Daylight Time (California)
September 22
Standard Deadline, 11:59pm (23:59 hrs.), Pacific Daylight Time (California)
October 10
Late & Final Deadline, 11:59pm (23:59 hrs.), Pacific Daylight Time (California)
October 11
Phase 1 Jury Begins
October 13
Phase 1 Jury Ends
October 14
Phase 2 Finalists Announced. Finalist Payment Period Begins
October 25, Deadline For optional Display Board Production at ARC
October 31
Finalist Pay & Ship Deadline, 05:00pm (17:00 hrs.), Pacific Standard Time (California)
All Finalist Entry payments Must Be Received by This Date
November 2
Phase 2 Live Jury
November 3
Winners Privately Announced
All dates and fees subject to change

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ENTRY FEES
1. Phase 1 General Entry Fee
Early: US$315
Standard: US$355
Late: US$450
2. Series or Campaign Fee
Fee
Multiple, related entries, like a family of kitchen appliances, may be submitted with a
single registration. The series fee is an additional US$150 one-time surcharge, for any
number of additional pieces.
3. Phase 2 Finalist Second Round Fee
(Only if entry is a Finalist): US$150
4. Winners Circle Service Charge
(Only if entry is a Winner): US$275
Please note: the Winners Circle Service Charge is not optional. It is an important part of
competition funding and all winners are obligated to pay it. If you enter the competition,
you agree to the Terms and Conditions of the event, which include this fee. Only those
firms and individuals who pay their fees are considered Official Spark Winners.
Payment Method
Payments are made directly to our secure online registration page. We accept the
following credit cards: VISA Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club and Discover. In special
circumstances, Spark can also take payment via Paypal and bank wire with their
standard service charges and by check (USA checks only).
All dates and fees subject to change. Fees are due upon registration or upon notification
of Finalist or Winner status. Refunds are available, up to 6 weeks prior to deadline.
Fee Structure
To widen the entrant field, and keep the competition as open to as many designers as
possible, we have a low initial entry fee, then a second hanging fee for finalists, and
later, a Winners Circle service charge for winners. Thus, only those who participateand
benefit the most, pay the complete fees. Those who participate less, pay less.

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WHAT TO ENTER
FIRST
FIRSTHOW TO ENTER
1.
2.
3.
4.

Register: https://competitions.sparkawards.com/
Choose your competition
Upload your design images, description and questionnaire answers
Pay the entry fee

Youre finished! Now heres a more detailed description of the process.

WHAT TO ENTER
Entrants need to follow the steps described in detail below:
1. Any number of entries may be made with one registration. Make sure to write down
your Username and Password and keep it in a secure place.
2. Submit your design entries. Each submission is made at your registration page. You
may enter as many pieces as you would like, but only one design or series per
submission.
Where the Upload form asks for Designer or Team Leader name, some people want to
emphasize their whole team. In that case, write Design Team in those fields. Then, put
all your team members into space on the form provided for additional team members. If
you are a Spark Winner or Finalist, we will be happy to list all team members in
subsequent materials and certificates, after the competition closes.
3. Make payment. (If you have multiple entries, you can save re-entering credit-card info
by contacting us to make a single, total payment. Send a note to alert us via the website
CONTACT form. After initial registration, log in to your registration page, where youll
see the option to enter your payment information via credit card. If you are from the USA
and time allows, we recommend that you pay by check. In that case, please notify us to
expect it. Overseas entrants may also wish to make payments via Paypal or bank wire
(with a small service charge)please inquire with us for details. After receiving payment,
your status will be marked as paid and approved.
4. Entrants will initially upload at least three (1 MB maximum size each) images of their
work for Phase 1. They should be 8 inches (200mm) in height or more. The images may
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be portrait or landscape. They must be a JPG file. All files should be RGB. At least one of
the images must be completely free of any text, call-out lines, boxes or blurbs, and
ideally, float on a white background. We recommend that the first photo you upload is a
rectangle that is roughly 182px by 150 pix, because that is the box size used in the Entry
Gallery, and other shapes can distort. The remaining photos can be of any shape.
DESCRIPTION & QUESTIONS
Entrants will also supply a 75-word, short description (synopsis), and answer a series of
questions about the designs. All entry descriptions must be in English. For your
description or mission statement, please start with a headline. We recommend a straight,
non-sales, non-marketing, factual description of your designs merits, applicability and
cognizance of our Criteria. Spark reserves the right to edit these descriptions (and the
images) for clarity and/or reasonable standards of good taste.
It will be useful to the judges if you can answer some, or all, of the questions below.
Please answer as clearly and as briefly as possible. 25 words maximum response each.
Just the facts, pleaseno PR or designer self-promotion. Jurors do not approve.
Why should this design exist? What was the perceived need?
What is the design brief, challenge or problem to be solved?
Tell us about your strategy or process. How did you develop the design or user/client
solution?
What is innovative about the design?
What is the context of your work? An important aspect of sustainability is how the design
fits into the situation.
What results, effectiveness or benefits does it deliver?
What makes your design compelling? Does it tell a story?
How does your design enhance the quality of life, or improve the human condition?
Target market or user?
Price/cost range?
Do you have verified statistics or performance data? What is the verification authority?
VIDEO
You will also find a field on the entry form for a Youtube video link. You may upload a
link to a YouTube video or slideshow to help tell the story of your design. Please keep it
short and factual. It can be up to three minutes in length. This is recommended
however, it is an option, not a requirement. Sorry, only Youtube links are allowed. NO
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Vimeo, et al. To embed a YouTube video with your entry, simply click the Share button
below your YouTube video, and copy and paste the YouTube URL into the box provided
in your entry form. The URL should look similar to this: http://youtu.be/1D_YL9LwKnc
5. For Phase 2, youll send us a physical sample of your work, and/or an image mounted
on a board, fabric or vinyl display. (If you are submitting work from afar, a display may
also be produced locally, near the Jury site. This is a good alternative to shipping. There
are several good reprographic companies that can produce these. We utilize Riot Color
Imaging, or you can do a search for another firm. You send them a digital file and credit
card payment. They make a display and deliver it to Spark. For more information contact
Spark.)
The final step is to carefully package your design (or display) and ship it to Spark,
arriving no later than deadline. Designs not received by deadline will not be judged, and
fees are not refundable at this stage. Please do not send very valuable work, prototypes
or highly fragile models, because we can not be responsible for lost, damaged or
missing work. If you do send something of great value, make sure to insure the piece for
the whole time-frame. If you want a design returned, include a pre-paid shipping label,
or give us your shipper account number when you register. Please indicate which shipper
you are using (UPS or FED X).
6. Many questions are addressed in the website Questions & Answers section.
LEGAL
All entrants agree to the Terms and Conditions found in their entry form at the Spark
Registration site.
By entering this competition, you and your company affirm that your entry is original and
does not infringe upon the rights of any person or entity. The Spark Awards are not liable
for any copyright or trademark infringement on the part of the entrant. Spark entrants
are advised and required to obtain third party consents where required by law or by best
ethical practices. If a dispute takes place, all legal expenses will be born by the entrant,
and any winning entry is subject to losing the award without recompense or refund.
Entrants own the Intellectual Property (IP) rights to the original design work they submit to
the Spark Awards competitions. Spark does not own original I.P. rights or works entered
into the competitions, but has a royalty-free, perpetual right to use that work in
connection with publicity and promotion of Spark programs. Spark Award sponsors or
partners (Businesses and Organizations) do not own design entries, original research, or
design materials that they sponsor or support unless a written license or other transfer of
rights in those works is executed by the author(s) and acknowledged in writing by all
parties, including Spark.
IMPORTANT NOTE: IF YOU ARE ASKING SPARK A QUESTION, ALWAYS PUT YOUR
NAME, DESIGN NAME AND ORGANIZATION IN THE EMAIL. IF YOU HAVE AN ENTRY
OR REGISTRATION PROBLEM, INCLUDE A SCREENSHOT OF THE ERROR MESSAGE.

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REGISTRATION PROCESS
Entering the competition is easyit begins with a thorough reading of the Call For Entry
section. When you click on the REGISTER button, youll go to the community signup page:
https://competitions.sparkawards.com/
Here youll put in your email contact address, choose a password and proceed to the MY
PROFILE page, to add some simple details about you and your organization.
Make sure to write down your Username and Password and keep it in a secure place.
After thats finished (and you only do this once), then you may proceed to the MY
SUBMISSIONS page, where youll be able to submit specific designs.
Thats all there is to itits easy!

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SPARK PRODUCT AWARDS JURY

Spark is honored to present a jury of very talented judges for our eighth competition.
Every year the jury is new, gathered with the help of our Jury Chairs, Advisers and
Community members. The Jurors come from across the spectrum of design disciplines,
media, educators and experts.
The 2014 Spark Product Jury will apply the Spark Mission and Criteria and bring the
highest standards to the task of selecting Spark's Finalists and Winners.
The Spark Product Design Jury includes:
Tania Aldous, Global Design Director, World Kitchen
Glenn Geisendorfer, Co-Founder, Platform, Inc.
Edmund Ng, Partner, KONCEPT, Inc
Stuart Karten, Founder & Principal, Karten Design
John Hamilton, Director of Design, Coalesce
Joshua Becker, Associate VP Industrial Design, HTC
Eric Chen, Founder & Principal, Ecco ID
Kevin Stark, VP Design, HNI Contract Furniture Group
Hugo Eccles, Creative Director, Design Office
Lach ltsvetanov, Director of Industrial Design, Humanscale

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CONTACT INFORMATION
Inquiries and Customer Support
Weekdays: 10:00 AM 7:00 PM EST (New York City)
Weekends: E-mail only
Phone: +1.914.481.6106
Email: info@sparkawards.com
Website: www.sparkawards.com
Secure Registration Website: https://competitions.sparkawards.com/

Thank you for your interest in Spark.

Please tell your friendstheres a new home for Good Design!
Peter F. Kuchnicki
Founder & Director

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