Fortune and fame can be yours if you win Samsung's new contest; here's how to enter
Now that Sir Jony Ive is leaving Apple to start his own design firm, do you think that you can step up and be the next in-house design superstar? Samsung announced today that it is teaming up with design publication Dezeen to find the next "boundary-pushing Galaxy design." The Samsung Mobile Design Competition will allow individuals, studios and students to compete for $40,000 in prize money in two categories.
For the Next Mobile + category, contestants will submit their designs for a new Samsung Galaxy accessory to be used with a smartphone, tablet or wearable device. For example, designs could be submitted for a smartphone case, tablet cover, watch strap and earbud case. Samsung says that these designs should enhance the device they are intended for while adding value for the user. Besides the design files and lifestyle renders (or videos) showing the accessory being used, Samsung wants each submission to include a description of the design, detailed specs, and information on the audience that the product is intended for. There are explicit rules, so we do suggest that you go over these on Dezeen's website. For example, you must title the accessory you've designed using the name "Galaxy" at the end. This indicates the connection of your accessory with Samsung's Galaxy line of mobile devices.
The second category, the Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm, asks contestants to submit their best wallpaper design in a video, image or APK file. Sammy also wants to see how the wallpaper would look on some of their current devices and asks that each designer explain the idea behind it. The wallpaper can be interactive, or even feature certain functions that change depending on the device owner's current environment.
The first place winner in each category takes home $10,000
Like most television reality competitions, there will be several rounds with contestants getting eliminated in each round. When there are five people left standing in each category, the designers will go before a panel made up of Samsung executives and several well-known designers on September 25th. These judges will select the first, second and third place winners in both categories.
Now here is the part that you came for. The first place winners in the Next Mobile+ category and the Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm will each receive $10,000 U.S. Dollars in unmarked and consecutively numbered bills. The second place winner receives $5,000 while the third place winner takes home $3,000. The remaining two finalists in both groups get an honorable mention and a $1,000 prize. The awards will be handed out at the next Samsung Developer Conference in San Jose, California to be held October 29th and 30th. The top three winners from both categories will attend the conference while mockups of the five finalists' entries will be on display.
Can you design an accessory for one of these Samsung Galaxy devices?
While not required to enter the contest, keep in mind that the five finalists for either category will have to provide Samsung with a short video that presents their designs and shows the process of creating it. This will be used on the company's promotional materials for the contest and will not be used to evaluate the entries.
Guess what. You don't have to be a U.S. citizen to enter as this is a global contest, but you do have to be 18 or older. To enter the contest, click on this link. For the terms and conditions of the contest, click right here. You have until August 4th to submit your designs. All descriptions must be in written in English.
You might recall that back in 2016, ZTE's Project CSX used crowdsourced ideas for a new phone. The phone was called the ZTE Hawkeye, and the company tried to raise funding for it on Kickstarter but fell miserably short of the $500,000 goal. As a result, the project was canceled.
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