Courtesy, Automobile Magazine

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:

"My Barcode is printing weirdly. What's up?" You are using Safari on a Mac I'll bet. Sorry, no comprendo on our system. Please try again with Firefox or IE. Please do not send weird barcodes to our jury!

"For the jury, are we required to send you boards as well as the product or is the product alone sufficient?: No boards, if you send the product. but do send a short description.

"I need to replace the switching adapter for Halley desk lamp.. I would greatly appreciate your assistance."  We're a design competition. like the oscars... we don't do switches... sorry.

"Can I pack all entries into ONE carton, and label all 3 packing barcodes on the same back outside? Of course, I'll apply a right barcode label on the respective work individually. It may help to save costing on delivery." Yes-- no problem. And only label goes on the box. The barcode is specific to the design and ONLY goes on the design it is generated for.

"I am living in Istanbul... for the jury, I am thinking about using a presentation board, But how can I get it to Spark in time?"  Hi Stambul! There are several good reprographic companies in SF that can produce these. Try a Google search. We like BPS-- http://www.bps.com/
They are not part of spark, but do a good job. You send them a file, preferred size and credit card payment. They make a nice board and deliver it to Spark. Best!

"In regards to the barcode for the jury, I hope to have a local company print boards for me and deliver them to your building. Do I need to coordinate with the printer to adhere my barcode on the back of the panels or is there an alternative method Spark would prefer?" Hmmmm... interesting question. Can you embed it (put it) into the front corner of the design's image? That should work. Make sure it doesn't get any larger than the original, tho.

INDEX
Questions & Issues For Spark—Click on the link below For Q&A

Category Questions
Technical Problems
What To Enter
Who Can Enter
Series & Multiple Entries
International Issues
Interface, Digital & Multi-media Design
Money & Payment
Marketing
Students & Faculty
Judge & Jury
Criteria
Timing
Delivery & Pickup
Awards
Miscellaneous

Category Questions
Please can you tell me what category you suggest we enter under?  We have tried to create a very open entry system, for every possible type of design, so we have listed a large number of categories. Sometimes, a design may even fit more than one category. Don't 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. There are no rigid divisions--categories are listed here so a designer feels that their work is appropriate and welcome. We can have any number of winners--or none in any given area. All depends on the work, and the design sensibility of jury. That's why we work hard to find tough, fair and collegial judges.

Please explain the “World-changing” category. Aspirational designs that contribute to “betterment.” Might be a sun-powered lamp system, or water pump, or efficient new bus transit system… This is the first year we've explicitly asked for entries in this area, so there are not general winners to point to. We do have some great examples in the Jury's Focus Awards area: HERE.

May I enter our high end Headphones in the Consumer product category? If yes, Do you look more at the design or technical side of the product? Yes, your headphones are a perfect entry in that category. Our jury is multi-disciplinary and changes each year. We do emphasize design, although this year we have added Design Engineering as an area of consideration.

I am a little confused as to which "Design group" we belong to... any ideas? (Glass interiors material.) Which group do you think is correct for our products? And which group for the design software? In your case, Architecture and/or Kitchen & Baths in General Categories and/or Architecture in the Public Sector Categories. We really don't have a technology category (yet, but we're listening...) The Categories are meant more as guidelines than hard and fast divisions. The judges will pick the best designs. Could choose 20 Sparks in a given category and none in the next. If a nominee is mis-placed, they can move it to an area they think is better suited. The judges rule!

Tech Problems
Hi Spark! We're having trouble creating our registration profile. We were successful at Log-In, but it won't go any further. What gives?  We have "cookies," that's what gives. Your browser is probably set to block cookies, in it's security settings. Go to the browser Options, find Security and allow all cookies. (We also suggest that you click the "clear all cookies and browsing history when I quit" button. Then turn off and restart your browser. It should work at this point.

Hello from the UK. We're having a spot of trouble with the online entry form--how shall we proceed? Sorry-- bugs happen. Call us at: +0191-4481-6106 or email: entries @ sparkawards.com.

Our Firm would rather not put an individual designer on the entry form. Can we say "Design Team" instead? Yes-- no problem. Just put "Design" in for first name, and "Team" for last name on the form. You may log in and change this yourselves.

Is there a place on the entry forms requiring descriptive text of the item entered? and if so, what are the specifications and/or limitations of the text? Yes, we request a good clear description of the design and how it exemplifies some (or all!) of the criteria and/or mission statement. 500 words max. If you are submitting a website design, or video, put a link to that media in your description. Also include 3 jpgs or screen "grabs."

What to Enter?
I am a designer located in Canada, and I was really interested by the Spark Awards. Do you have a category for publications (Magazine)?  Yes-- last year we had several magazine designs--including one from the famous Roger Black.

For a concept entry will you need a model for Phase 2?  Models are always nice, but many concept  designers send boards (or arrange for a board to be produced locally, in San Francisco). Remember, you want to appeal to the judge's design sensibilities--make it nice!

Can prototypes be submitted to the competition? Yes, prototypes, pre-production and concept designs may be entered in any category. They will be judged on their merits relative to Spark Criteria, against other prototypes or concepts.

I was wondering if you could expand on the requirements for  submitting an entire book as an entry. I realize that the dimensions are very specific (5in x 5in), but my book is 9in x 6in. Would I shrink the pages down to fit in a 5 x 5 square? Am I limited to submitting only 3 pages of the book? Those specs are for the uploaded pictures of the work. The key is the width. The height matters less. So just reduce the image so the width is five inches. Upload only three images for now, your choice. If you reach Phase II, plan on sending the actual book.

I am entering a conceptual product in another design competition around the same time as this competition. Can I enter a product in the Spark Awards that I am also entering in another competition?  Yes, Spark welcomes your entries. The Spark criteria and premise are complementary to, not competitive with other design competitions. You should, if possible, enter both. Otherwise, let your design intuition and heart guide you!

We have a new medical design. We are trying to make the prototype. If we do not finish it before deadline, could we send large-format photos? It is not a concept or a study. It will be a real product and we are planning to commercialize it as soon as possible. Yes--you may enter this—we call it “pre-production.” In both phases of the competition you may use photos if necessary. In Phase I they are required-- and not too large a file size, please. In Phase II, we prefer more physical designs, but a mounted board is very common.

I know there is a maximum of 3 images, but what should be the file format (jpeg, pdf..), file size and the size in centimeters or pixels? 5" x 5" (12.7cm x 12.7cm) 72 dpi, JPG ONLY. Also your company, designer or design's name and appropriate link and the mission statement or description--up to 500 words. The pix dimensions are approximate, depending on format (square, rectangular, etc.). No large files please.

I would like to send you also my project documentation (pdf format with about 100 pages – 34 MB ). Is it possible? No. The judges are very busy during this process and unable to deal with this level of detail. If we need further documentation, we will contact you.

Can images fit within a 5x5 size or do they have to be 5x5? I have a few images that won't look as nice if they are cropped to 5x5. Thanks! For Phase 1, approximately 5x5... basically it's the width that is important to our system and must be approximately 5" (13cm). The height may vary, but no more than 10" (26 cm). In Phase 2 you'll be sending actual designs, or models or mounted boards, so they'll look very nice at that stage.

I modified our entry pdf file to a .jpg for uploading. However, I would like to keep the other two images as .pdf files. Is this a problem? Yes—big problem, the system will not display pdf's, and thus the judges can't review them. Please convert to jpgs. Photoshop will do this.

The product design i want to participate with is a part of a interior design. Can an entry contain a product that we send as another entry?  Yes--no problem!

Who Can Enter?
Hello!  I want to join in the competition with my friends. Is there limit on number of members on a team?  No limits. Spark On!

I am interested in entering my graduate thesis in the spark competition, however I graduated in May 2009 so I'm not currently a student. Can I still enter at the student rate, since it was a student project? Yep--no problem!

Series & Multiple Entries
Can a product or communications series or campaign be registered with one registration or are several registrations necessary? Most types of series can be submitted with one registration and the entrant will be charged a single Series/Campaign registration fee—this will incur a one-time fee of $75. In the case of over-size or over-weight entries, to avoid extra handling charges send one representative design as your exhibit, and the remaining designs of the series as images.

How much do we need to pay for multi-product submission under one company's name? Will that be considered one entry? Or do we need to pay for each one?  Each design is considered a separate entry, unless they are part of a clearly linked series or campaign, such as a line of similarly designed kitchen appliances, or an ad campaign where the theme or look is the same, but the ad sizes are different. Each one needs to be paid separately, or by special arrangement with Spark.

We designed a promotional event for client that ran for a month, in every store in India. Also they had billboards across all the major cities.  Does this apply for a series entry? If yes then how would we capture so many design elements and upload them? This is indeed a series--if you did all the work. In Phase I, upload 3 different pix of the work, and describe it in the comments section. Mention the array of work and media utilized. If you go to Phase II, you may show more of the work then.

Would we be required to send all physical pieces of the series for judging?  The line consists of a crib, toddler bed, dresser, nightstand, and bookshelf.  We would like to enter the line as a whole, but would prefer to only have to ship one piece as the larger pieces would have to be assembled on site.  Is there support available for such assembly?  It's $75 for any number of additional pieces. You are not required to send them all--but if you can, it's more impressive. No, sorry, we can't assemble it ourselves. However, we always have willing young interns who will do so for a reasonable fee. (Some things are monsters to assemble, so they can't be responsible. Best idea, fly in for the set-up, use our helpers as hands and oversee their work. Then visit Frisco!

We would like to submit under the Architecture Category. Would several complete designs for a single actual site be correctly submitted as a "series?"   Thanks. Good question! First time for that one. We say yes. The linkage is the assignment. It will make for a fascinating story of your (and the Client's) process.

International Issues
We would like to know if it makes sense to apply for the spark awards having an multimedia solution with interfaces in german? Any language is OK, but please provide an English-language translation for our judges. A written one is fine.

I am an architecture student from Brasil-- are international students eligible to participate in the competition? Yes--all designers everywhere are welcome. We accept payment by credit cards or by bank wire transfer when necessary. Your work will be entered directly online in Phase I. For Phase II, a model, the actual design or mounted displays are suggested.

We’re a small company, so here is no English speaker now.  But, we want to try this award. If we could enter 2nd stage, then we will employ the person who understand English well. Before employ the person I'm in charge of English. First, we do our best! Your best is very good indeed! Thanks for your interest in our great adventure, Spark.

We are Chinese designers—and it is great to see your new Chinese website (www.sparkawards.cn). Which competition and website should we use to enter Spark? Thanks—we’re very excited about this new way to Spark! If you are from China, please only use the Chinese-language website—that’s why we built it. Don’t worry—all the work that is submitted there becomes an entry into the Spark International Competition, just like the entries to the English-language site. There is only One Sparkawards-- For All.

Interface, Digital & Multi-media Design Questions
A short film (2 minutes) is the best way to understand our product, so we're wondering if it is possible to send you a cd or dvd?  For Phase 1, we need work uploaded, for the judges to view online. A 2 minute-film would work on Youtube, or other video services like that. Bottom line, we love multimedia!

Will submitted digital images be printed out, or viewed on a monitor?  Viewed on a computer monitor--unless you send boards (in Phase 2).

We are submitting an animation. How do we do this with your upload setup? Great question. We're not ready for moving-image uploads this year, but we have a fine solution for all digital designs. Upload sample images from your work as jpgs, and in the written comments section, put in a link to your work on Youtube or a similar site, so the judges can view it there. (Please do not upload the file to Spark or send it on a disc during Phase I. It can't be viewed.)

Money & Payment Questions
How are the overall costs calculated in case I win an award? You are responsible for shipping, insurance, etc. Otherwise, your entry fee largely covers your expenses, unless you opt for the Marketing Services Package at extra cost. Winners actual work may be displayed (or large format images) at the Awards Exhibition. Marketing Services Package purchasers may opt for more elaborate displays at extra cost.

We've had a change in plans— is it possible to cancel our entry and get a refund?  Yes and no, of course! Yes, hurrah—refunds are available, but there is a $10 handling fee. No, sorry, not after August 15, 2009.

Hello, I was wondering if Is there a cash award for winning the Sparkawards? Like most of the other major competitions, designers enter Spark to get their work into the public eye. It is the main means of promoting their skillset, and getting more assignments. Movie stars don't get cash at the Oscars--they get to work in more movies.

I am a few years out of Grad School. I would like to submit my design but truly cannot afford the entry fee. Can I send $50--all I can scratch up? If I didn't believe that you would be impressed with my design, I wouldn't bother asking!  We definitely commiserate-- but no can do. It wouldn't fair to other designers. You might look for a local sponsor.

I am trying to submit my projects for the Spark Awards, but you do not accept American Express. How do I proceed from here? Sorry--their fees were just too expensive for young Spark. Please use Mastercard, Visa or international bank wire transfer. If you're in US/Canada, you may also send a check. Please make it out to Spark Awards and send to: P.O. Box 645, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. You can register on line anytime and upload your pix and copy. Send us a note when finished and we'll approve the financial side after the check has cleared. Voila!

Marketing
When and for how long can the winner's logo be used in our marketing communications?  If you have chosen to participate in the Marketing Services Package program (which licenses the use of the SparkMark logo), you may use the SparkMark as soon as you receive your notification of winning. The SparkMark can be utilized as long as the original design is being featured, sold, marketed or published. Please inquire for details.

When can the winning of an award be publicly announced? For a uniform release of information, we ask winners to wait until the Awards Exhibition premiere before announcing their winning of the award. However, should you have planned a special occasion, please let us know—exceptions are possible.
 
I would like to promote Spark to our staff. Are you able to supply posters or other materials for distribution? Spark is delighted to send either bulk posters or Spark postcards (in English) for staff or students, as long as supplies last. Please send an e-mail to info @ sparkawards.com with your address and the number that you would like.

Student Questions
I'm a recent graduate (graduation: may 2009). The project I want to enter is a project that I did as a student. I was wondering if i can enter as a student, or if Ihave to enter as a pro and pay the full amount?  Your work was student, work and qualifies as such. OK to enter as student work, and you will be judged in that group. Thanks for Sparking!

I have a design piece that I created as a student. I have since graduated, but can provide documentation that I was a student when I created it. May I submit it, and receive the discounted rate? Also, only one original was created. Can I submit photos of the project? Yes, you may enter your design. In the event that you win, you would have to prove student status at time of the design's creation to receive the award. Whenever possible, we encourage the submittal of the actual design, or model of it. If impossible, photography, et al will be permitted. Please note-- no designs should be submitted prior to the delivery date. Delivery address will be sent to each Phase II Candidate.

Judge & Jury
I represent an architectural firm, how would the "physical" viewing be accomplished? Buildings have been submitted in many media-- but clearly not full-size! 2D mounted boards, 3d software simulations, video "fly-overs" and models are the most common.

How many works are chosen as winners in this event? Each of the categories only 4 (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Spark)? Each of the ranks only 1? There are no limits to how many are awarded in each level or category. It could be zero or many. This is entirely up to the judges.

Criteria Questions
Do our concepts necessarily have to fulfill all criteria together? No design will fit all criteria. We hope it will fulfill several, though. Focus on your design’s merits. Any single criteria might win.

Timing Questions
I have created a book cover design that has not yet been published, should I wait till next year after publication or can I enter on the soul creation of but not the use of my design? Enter in 09. This would be called "Pre-production" design in the car biz. You can state the ultimate use in your entry materials. (If it wasn't destined for production, it still may be entered under "Concept Design.")

Does the submission need to be made at the time of registration? Is it possible to get information on the uploading method of submission material before the actual submission? You can register once, and then go back and enter as many submissions as you want later—up until the deadline for that Phase.

Our new product is due for launch in December, after the SparkAwards. Does the fact that it will only be on sale from Oct exclude it from the current awards program? Not at all. You product is in  "pre-production" and totally acceptable. Congratulations on your launch!

Delivery & Pickup Questions
Will my model be returned after the judging? No models or other submissions will be returned by Spark. You may make arrangements to pick up, or have your designs picked up, if you handle the expense and details.

We're certainly open to taking care of any details or expenses related to the shipping of our physical products back to us, but do you have a preferred service that you go through (such as UPS or FedEx)? Or do you not use a service at all? How do you anticipate the return shipping process will work? We don't have a preferred service--wish we did. Many entrants use a "white glove" shipping service, which delivers, uncrates and takes the crate back to their warehouse., then returns and does the reverse. Another approach--ask a local friend to come by and do the same. Finally, you could hire one of our college interns. Friendly and cheap! Do try to use UPS, Fedx or DHL, since they are familiar with our loading dock and have proper insurance credentials. If you use another service, please notify us in advance.

Awards Questions
May we ask where will the Award winning celebration be held? The Celebration and launch of the exhibition will be in San Francisco, at the Autodesk Design Gallery, approx. November 5th, 2010. It won't be a typical awards show, more a happy gathering of people who believe Design Can Make A Difference, and a first chance for entrants, winners, VIP’s and Press to view winners.

What are the awards for Spark? I can’t find it in the literature. Lifetime supply of pencils? Recognition? As much recognition as we can build for you. The Spark is an honorary award. We have downloadable certificates for the Finalist and Bronze, Silver and Gold winners and a magnificent trophy for the Spark!Award winners (other winning levels may purchase a trophy). We maintain a long-term online exhibition of entrants and winners and an exhibition of the winning work at the Autodesk Design Museum in San Francisco and major exhibitions in Chinas and elsewhere. We also promote our winners in partner media, press releases and other programs. Finally, we offer our entrants an exclusive Awards Celebration, and various workshops at no charge to any entrant.

Can we purchase extra trophies for clients (or mom)? Yes—any Bronze, Silver, Gold or Spark! Winners may purchase trophies. The cost varies from year to year, but is Approximately  US$150.

Miscellaneous Questions
I have an idea, but am not sure how to put my idea in motion. I am regrettably not an engineer or anything of the sort, and I have no idea how to get this product rolling. Any information that you can provide me will be greatly appreciated.  We always suggest contacting a local design teacher at a college. They know the ropes!

I still have questions! OK, Send Spark Your Question Via E-mail: info @ sparkawards.com (remove spaces before sending) Or Call Spark Toll Free: 866-846-6715. (International callers: +1-914-481-6106.)

>Register for Spark HERE

>Questions? Ask Spark HERE