Call for Entry
Signs, Systems, and Letterform Marks (SSL)
UDA Annual Int’l Design Competition 2023
Submit before Monday, March 20
Award Announcement on Monday, April 24
Signs communicate ideas through visual elements. Systems integrate many ideas into one family. Letterform Marks combine types to present a specific concept. A graphic designer manipulates and perfects the visual form to ensure a clear understanding of the user.
These signs, systems, and letterform marks visually convey our behaviors, beliefs, and institutions. They warn us of danger, guide us through space, inform us of choices, and portray organizational attributes. While we vary religiously, politically, socially, and culturally, universal signs, systems, and letterform marks can unify humanity through communication. Design students and professionals continuously revise old ones and create new ones. They establish a language we can all understand.
HONORARY JURORS
UDA invited internationally distinguished designers to be the jurors of UDA Annual International Design Competitions. Visit uniteddesigns.org to see our list of jurors.
DESIGN CATEGORIES
Please determine which category is most appropriate for your entry/entries:
1. Signs (visual representation through a pictorial, symbolic, or geometric form)
2. Systems (visual representation through 2 or more related elements, i.e., icon system)
3. Letterform Marks (visual representation that incorporates individual letterforms and/or words, i.e., logotypes, wordmarks, signature marks)
DESIGN AND SUBMISSION SPECIFICATION
Please follow this design specification. If you do not follow it, we cannot guarantee your submission. You may only submit a vector image using the attached Adobe Illustrator template file ‘Design Category_First Name Last Name_Title.’
Step 1. Place a color vector image in the center of the provided AI template.
Step 2. Fill out the description line at the bottom of the page: your file name, a short design description, and your status (designer or student)
Step 3. Use the following method for naming your file:
Filename: Design Category_First Name Last Name_Title Â
Examples: Sign_John Doe_Love, System_John Doe_Love, Letter_John Doe_Love
Step 4. Save your file as a PDF file (Acrobat 6 capability) with the ‘Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities’ and ‘Embed Page Thumbnails’ options checked.
Step 5. Submit your design (PDF file) and Entry Form (MS Excel file) via email to applyuda@gmail.com.
Step 6. Send your submission fee via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/udalliance. Please make sure you have the correct name and address.
SUBMISSION FEE
Professional Designers
– Single Entry: us$20
– Multiple Entries (Max 5) from one designer: us$60
Design Students
– Single Entry: us$10
– Multiple Entries (Max 5) from one student: us$30
– If a student’s instructor is a UDA member, a student can submit up to three entrees for free.
DEADLINES
Submission Deadline: Monday, March 20
Award Announcement: Monday, April 24
UDA will announce all awarded designs at www.uniteddesigns.org.
AWARD CERTIFICATE & PUBLICATION
All winners receive an Award Certificate via email.
All winners are permanent collections of the UDA archive.
Copyright: The entrant will be responsible for all the entry’s copyright matters. All designs will become the Collection of United Designs Alliance. The United Designs Alliance reserves the right to use all entrants’ information and the right to publish, exhibit, or reproduce all designs entered for the competition.
