Home Resources News archive Words of Optimism: AGDA Student Brief 2010

Words of Optimism: AGDA Student Brief 2010

12.06.2010 News

Brisbane (Australia) - In October 2010, AGDA will play host to the international design community at Icograda Design Week in Brisbane. This is your opportunity to show the world how intelligent, progressive and confident Australia's own design industry is. What's more, it is an opportunity to showcase the talents of an emerging generation of designers.

What better way to celebrate the theme of Icograda Design Week,'Optimism'?

Graphic design in Australia may be flourishing now, but just wait until the world sees what our future has in store; a generation of designers who are educated in the ways of the past, but progressive in their adoption of fledgling practices.

AGDA is inviting Australia's graphic design students to take part in a brief designed to promote their talent on a world stage. 'Words of Optimism' is all about looking forward, whilst paying homage to the traditions and techniques that brought us to this exciting juncture in time.

Call for entries

Entries will be open soon and the final deadline for all submissions will be 17:00 AEST 31 August 2010.

Entry pricing

AGDA student members: free entry
Non AGDA members: $10 per entry

Eligibility

The 2010 AGDA Student Brief is open to students from any field of design, enrolled in a nationally accredited full or part time course. Entries may be submitted on an individual or collective (eg. institution) basis, providing a clear description of authorship is supplied with each submission. All 30 shortlisted entries will be displayed at the 'Words of Optimism' AGDA Student Brief 2010 exhibition, to be held in conjunction with Icograda Design Week in Brisbane.

Objective

To promote the work of student graphic designers to both the Australian and international design communities, through an exhibition of shortlisted entries both online, and at Icograda Design Week Brisbane in October 2010.

The brief

Over the centuries, design practice has evolved in response to both cultural and technological influences. This evolution is clear when we look back at the graphic design of the 19th century, as opposed to that of our own lifetime. Advances in production techniques in order to meet the demands of an increasingly information-hungry world have led to fundamental changes in the way the ingredients of design are applied and combined. This is arguably most evident in the presentation of the written word through typography. Anyone who has done even a little research into the history of typography will see how designers have used it to shape perceptions over time. The evolution of type has brought with it moments of anticipation, empowerment, and indeed, optimism for our predecessors. The seemingly boundless possibilities within the fields of type design and application continue to inspire us each and every day. So much type, so many techniques, and still so much more to look forward to.

Your challenge, in response to this, is to: Pay homage to the milestones of our typographic past, through words of an optimistic future. In other words, ask yourself, 'what are you looking forward to?' The answer could be in relation to your professional future, or it could be more broad. What about your community, the nation, or the world? What are we aiming for, and what do we have to be optimistic about?

Create a poster illustrating your word/s of optimism through type. Refer to Stephen Banham's 'Milestones of our Typographic Past' (studentbrief.agda.com.au) for inspiration in creating your design. The poster should be 'type-based' in that its main focus is on the typographic form/s, rather than on an illustration, photograph etc. Students are encouraged to create their own letterforms as part of their design.

Judging

Judges will look for entries that best demonstrate the following:

A solid idea responding to the theme of 'Optimism'
A connection to historical reference/s (eg. style, technique etc.)
Originality and effectiveness of the communication.

All entries will be reviewed by a national jury of design professionals, who will be joined by one international guest juror. A shortlist of 30 posters will be selected to be made available for public viewing at studentbrief.agda.com.au, where they will be eligible to be voted the 'People's Choice' award. From the shortlisted entries, the jury will select the winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. An independent observer will assist in this process. The jury will be looking for creative, original works that respond to the theme with particular attention paid to thought process and execution. The jury decision is final, the jury and/or the organising committee (AGDA) will not be drawn into discussion in relation to the process.

All 30 shortlisted entries will be displayed at the 'Words of Optimism' 2010 AGDA Student Brief exhibition event, to be held in conjunction with Icograda Design Week in Brisbane.

Optimism: Icograda Design Week Brisbane 2010

The 2010 AGDA Student Brief exhibition will coincide with Icograda Design Week in Brisbane, 11-17 October 2010. Through the theme of 'Optimism', Icograda Design Week in Brisbane 2010 aims to promote dialogue on issues shaping the nature and relevance of communication design practice today.

Optimism 2010 will recognise the valuable contribution designers make to delivering benefits and results for business, community and culture. It will showcase businesses that embrace the power of good design to gain a competitive edge. The event will provide a platform for conversation regarding design led thinking and consciousness for a changing world.

For more information on Icograda Design Week Brisbane visit:
designweekbrisbane.com

About AGDA

The is the national organisation for professional graphic designers. It was founded in 1988 to facilitate the advancement of the graphic design profession in Australia. AGDA is a Professional Member of Icograda.