New Zealand Student Craft Design Awards
Recognising and rewarding student artists and designers
ENTRIES NOT CURRENTLY OPEN
Check back in 2025.
How to enter
Step 1
Make sure you've read the Entry Criteria and prepared your entry correctly.
Step 2
Fill out the online form.
You will need to include your contact details and your tutors contact details. You will also need to select your tertiary institution from a dropdown list.
Step 3
Upload your entry.
1x A3 pdf plus your images.
Read the steps below carefully.
Digital assets for submission
1 x A3 PDF (one sided, landscape orientation).
Up to five images as per the instructions below.
Provide a video link if you believe that can help support your entry, although this is not a requirement.
Upload 1: 1 x A3 landscape PDF
Maximum files size: 5MB
Single-sided and must include:
1. Your details:
Your name
Email
Mobile
The title of your work
Please do not include the name of the tertiary institution.
2. Description of your design (20 words maximum)
Write a short description of your design (this is what will be used online, in social media and any other promotion of the awards).
3. The academic challenge (50 words maximum)
Describe in your own words the design challenge you were given by the tertiary institution (or a brief that you were asked to generate yourself under the auspices of the institution). Please keep this short and succinct.
4. Your personal statement. (200 words maximum)
What did you design in response to the challenge?
Include:
A brief description of your design and how you answered the challenge
List of key materials used
List of production or creation techniques used.
Please note: This content will also be required in the online submission form.
Example entry layout. It’s up to you how many images you feature and at what size each image is, but you must include a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 images and all the details shown to the left.
Upload 2: 3 - 5 supporting images
Maximum files size per image: 2MB
3 minimum – 5 maximum images
Provide high quality imagery and photography which showcases your design to the best of your ability.
Show the scale of your design in relation to a person.
Show various angles so judges can understand what it looks like from all perspectives.
You can show production or making techniques if you wish.
Provide a video link if you believe that can help support your entry, although this is not a requirement.
Upload the images you used in your PDF, and your other support images, if you have any, as separate Hi-Res jpegs.
Please note the naming convention to use:
Category_your full name_your work’s title_Image#
Furniture_John Smith_Big Table_Image1
Furniture_John Smith_Big Table_Image2
Furniture_John Smith_Big Table_Image3
SPECIFIC CATEGORY TIPS:
Jewellery — show your design on a body so the judges can see the scale of the piece.
Surface design — showcase your designs in context - this can be a render or mock-up if the design has not been realised on a product as yet.
Communication/illustration design — for this category ONLY, you may wish to showcase a story-board rather than just 3 images if you feel this showcases and tells the story best. Ensure you can still fit this to 1x A3 page. If your entry for this category is an animation you may wish to include a link to the animation.
Fashion — showcase from front, side and back, the same would apply for furniture, product, lighting or ceramics.
Lighting — ensure you show the light source so the judges can understand how the design functions. If your light is chosen to be exhibited it must be functioning and certified by an Electrician before it is placed in the exhibition at The Dowse. This is the responsibility of the student.
Entry tips from judges past & present
General entry tips
Choose the images of your design wisely. Make sure the judges are able to understand your design with a selection of a few images, rather than overcrowding the page.
The less words on your PDF, the better. Words should support your imagery and help to clarify and explain aspects which can’t be seen in an image. Tell us clearly what your brief was and how you achieved it.
Photograph your design ensuring you have the correct lighting and a simple background. Ensure you provide HIGH RES imagery 300dpi at A4 size with your entry.
Ensure the design looks flawless.
At times it can be advantageous to show how your design is used in context. For example, if your entry is jewellery show it being worn so we can get a sense of scale.
Ideally the design actually exists in a prototype or final form. If your design is chosen as a winner, then it will be required to be on display at ECC Lighting in Wellington, therefore ideally the design actually exists in a prototype or final form.