Best of 2019 Design Exhibition – Call for Submissions
Call for Submissions: August 1 – September 6, 2019
Design Exhibition and Vote: October 12 & 13, 2019
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
In 2014, in celebration of our chapter’s 25th anniversary, we took on an ambitious task of collecting, archiving and showcasing the work of Arizona designers. Hundreds of submissions were received from far and wide of the best and most significant design work that had been produced over the previous 25 years.
That collection became known as the AIGA AZ Legacy Exhibition, and was first displayed at the 2014 Phoenix Design Week conference. Since then, we have supplemented the legacy exhibition with a call for the Best Of your work every year.
SUBMIT YOUR BEST OF 2019
And now once again in 2019, we’re looking for submissions that represent the favorite work you produced during the past year – from the smallest business card to a full-out campaign, we want to see your part of the Arizona design story. Think about one or two projects you were proudest of this past year: Did you accomplish something amazing that you didn’t think you could pull off? Launch a brand that touched people’s lives? Design a new system to solve a problem? Challenge yourself to tackle a new skill set? Tell us about it.
The Best of 2019 entries you submit will be shown as the AIGA AZ Design Exhibition during the PHXDW Evolve Design Conference on October 12 & 13, 2019. Conference attendees cast their ballots for their top choices, and the designer whose entry receives the most votes will be recognized and awarded a Best of 2019 prize at the conclusion of the conference on Sunday, October 13th.
Although the exhibition is entitled the “Best Of,” don’t be intimidated; the name primarily refers to the “people’s choice” voting process. AIGA Arizona’s true aim is to keep the ongoing chronicle of what design was about in Arizona this year and hear about why each project was significant to you. We imagine that the collection could one day be a virtual online archive or even an actual design museum.
You do not need to be an AIGA member or attend the PHXDW Evolve Design Conference conference in order to participate; although, we hope you will be there to bask in your glory in person! If you’re not planning to attend, the top ten will be posted online after the conference.
Shown above is 2018’s Winner “Wanderlust Brewery Bottle Packaging” created by Tommy O’Connor, a creative director based in Flagstaff. Tommy made history last year by being voted the Best Of for two years in a row! See all the Best of 2018 entries here.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
Each designer/agency/company may submit up to 3 entries. We’re interested in both physical pieces that can be on display for viewers to handle, such as printed pieces, packaging, 3-D, and more, as well as digital work that we intend to display on adjacent digital tablets.
Keep in mind: there is no wifi reception in the convention center, so any digital work must be submitted as static images or freestanding animations, along with a QR code that viewers can use their smartphones to see. For websites, apps, etc. please consider recording a brief demo since people will not be able to interact with it live.
We would also love to hear your insights about design and what others have said about your work. There is a section in the submission form where you can share any special acclaim, articles, achievements or recollections. We really encourage you to share a brief personal statement in that area — it helps us and the entire community get to know you better.
HOW TO SUBMIT
For physical items: you must complete and submit the online form, AND either deliver or mail the item to the address below, no later than 5:00 p.m. MST, Friday, September 6. Each physical item must include a printout of a completed submission form – you will receive an email confirmation that you can print out for this purpose.
For electronic-only entries: Submit via the online form below.
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY HERE
DELIVER OR MAIL ENTRIES TO:
MAC6 Conscious Workspace
℅ Kathy Morgan
1430 West Broadway Road, Suite 201
Tempe, AZ 85282
If you deliver in person, please ring the bell at the front counter for assistance.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Kathy Morgan
kathy.morgan@arizona.aiga.org
THE FINE PRINT
There is no entry fee! This exhibition is being produced by AIGA Arizona as a service to the design community.
Each designer/agency/company may submit up to 3 entries, one submittal form per entry. Due to space constraints, all submissions may not be displayed. Work will be curated by members of the AIGA Arizona board of directors.
The call for submissions opens August 1, 2019 and closes September 6, 2019. All physical items be received no later than Friday, September 6 at 5:00 p.m. MST. Work must have been designed while living and working in Arizona, although the client does not have to be located in Arizona. Physical items may be picked up after the event, or you may choose to have AIGA Arizona store them as a permanent part of the archive. All submissions will be retained in digital form for AIGA Arizona’s archive.
If you are contributing a physical piece, please provide one that you are willing and able to part with in the event that it is lost or damaged. While we make every effort to treat your work as our own, we cannot guarantee that it can or will be returned in the same condition.
You do not need to attend the Phoenix Design Week Conference in order to participate; although, we hope you will! The exhibition is not scheduled to be shown live at any other venue. Display-only conference admission is being considered, all entrants will be notified of viewing opportunity if it becomes available. For more information about Phoenix Design Week, visit phxdw.com.
