Open House Design Challenge! Win Airfare to NYC

Graphic of the Open House Design Challenge

📣 Calling all designers & aspiring designers!

Eager to scratch your deep-rooted creative itch, test the power of your imagination, aaaand win a free trip to NYC to attend our November 29th Open House & Info Session?

Well, you’re in luck. Creative solutions are at the heart of our annual Open House Design Challenge, which invites anyone (yes, anyone!) to submit an original idea for an unusual design challenge by October 30th. The winner will land a free trip to NYC to attend our Open House & Info Session, while the three runners-up will each receive application coaching from experienced faculty.

At the MFA Products of Design program at SVA, we care about a lot of things: climate, community, healthcare, and equity, to name a few. What ties these all together is our belief in continually inventing new and unexpected creative solutions across industries, mediums, and cultures. When it comes to your design ideas, we want to see potential, point of view, and something that lights our brains up. So, without further ado 🥁…

The Design Challenges (Pick one)

Pick a prompt below that sparks your interest and/or ties into the type of design or design thinking you’re drawn towards. Note that each prompt comes with a different set of instructions.

  1. Design a “first aid kit” for people on a terrible first date.

    Submit: A 2D or 3D sketch + brief description (150 words max)

  2. Design a collab between Spotify and The World Wildlife Fund.

    Submit: A mock-up of a magazine-style print advertisement that announces the partnership and what it’s all about

  3. Design an app that challenges how you determine your personal self-worth.

    Submit: A storyboard or wireframe + brief description (150 words max)

  4. Design a demonstration poster that you wish you saw at a recent climate protest.

    Submit: A graphic design or rendering + description (150 words max)

  5. Reimagine a “corporate group bonding activity” that doesn’t make people roll their eyes.

    Submit: A written description and interaction examples (as sketches, diagrams, or instructions); 150 words max

IMPORTANT INFO

⌛ Time Spent: You should spend no more than one hour on your challenge, and we mean that. We’re focused on ideas, not execution.

📅 Deadline: All entries must be submitted by 11:59PM EST on Monday, October 30. Winners will be alerted the following week.

🤔 Things to Think About: When it comes to your design, ask yourself: What is it? Who’s it for? Why is it great?

  • Winner (1)

    • The winner will receive up to $750.00 reimbursement in airfare or train fare to New York City to attend the Products of Design Open House on November 29th. (This is reimbursement for travel expenses only—we are not able to provide accommodations, food, or other compensation.)

    Runners-Up (3)

    • The runners-up will receive individual portfolio reviews and application consultations via Zoom during the month of December.

    • This challenge is open to anyone interested in attending the 2023 MFA Products of Design Open House at SVA. There is no requirement that participants and/or winners formally apply to the program. However, in the spirit of this contest, we ask that *only those with a genuine interest in learning about the culture and pedagogy of our MFA program* enter the contest.

    • Individuals of any age, nationality, or professional background may apply. Do note that applicants for the MFA Products of Design must have completed an undergraduate degree.

    • Judging will be done by current students and select faculty of the MFA Products of Design program, and all entry reviews will be “blind” (names, gender, and country of origin of all entrants will be hidden). Entries will be judged on creativity, clarity, and ingenuity.

Previous
Previous

Is Design Grad School Worth It in 2024?

Next
Next

New MoMA Product: An Interview with Designer-Alum Giancarlo Cipri