If You Have Questions
I have a question… OK, send Spark your question via our Contact Form
Questions Of The Day:
“Hi Spark–
Can you put multiple entries in the same category?”
Answer:
Yes, no problem. We often have, and welcome multiple entries in the same category. Check out the Dell entries for example, in the Product and Packaging categories.
“Hello Spark!
I’m working on submitting several different client projects and have a question about the entry form. What should go under the Design Name? The name of the project or the client name? Additionally, I see where I can list our company, but I don’t see an area for our client name. Please let me know.”
Answer:
This is a great question and the answer is… flexible. Most entries in your position put your own company in the company field, and combine the project name and client name in the design name field.
Example– “Magic Flashlight by Eveready.” Another way to handle this is to just put the design/project name in that field, and make note of the client name early in the description. “Eveready’s newest development is the Magic Flashlight…”
Your choice!
All Best
—Spark
- All
- Awards
- Delivery & Pickups
- Entry Questions
- Interface, UE, UX & Digital
- International Issues
- Judge & Jury
- Marketing
- Miscellaneous
- Money & Payments
- Series & Multiple Entries
- Technical Problems
- Timing
- What to Enter?
- Who Can Enter?
Great question. We have a fine solution for all digital designs. In your My Submissions page, there’s a field for a Youtube link. Add a link to your film. Please do not upload the file to Spark or send it on a disc during Phase I. It can’t be viewed. Only use Youtube. Vimeo and the other services can NOT be used in our system. Check out our Youtube channel.
Most types of series can be submitted with one registration and the entrant will be charged a single Series/Campaign registration fee—this will be a one-time fee.
We love videos. Please put your video on Youtube. Include the url for this page in your entry registration form in the space provided. Our judges will see it there and include it in their review.
No, but judges are hoping–and looking for the best. Focus on your design’s merits. Any single criteria might win.
You can register once, and then go back and enter as many submissions as you want later—up until the final deadline. You may also register, enter a placeholder design (a fake), make payment—and upload finalized work later. This could secure a lower priced fee or dated coupon rate, like the Earlybird discount, even if your work is not quite finished. However, all finalized materials must be received by the Late Deadline.
Sorry– bugs happen. Call us at: +0191-4481-6106 or use our Contact Form.
Like most of the other major competitions, designers enter Spark to get their work into the public eye. It is the main means of promoting their skillset, and getting more assignments. Movie stars don’t get cash prizes at the Oscars–they get to work in more movies.
No limits. Spark On!
That’s old stuff now. Spark has new systems. No barcodes, yay!
We have “cookies,” that’s what gives. Your browser is probably set to block cookies, in it’s security settings. Go to the browser Options, find Security and allow all cookies. (We also suggest that you click the “clear all cookies and browsing history when I quit” button. Then turn off and restart your browser. It should work at this point.
Do NOT ship to that address. Ever! And Spark Digital is online–no shipments needed.
You are responsible for shipping, insurance, etc. If you become a Finalist, there is a Phase 2 fee just for those entries. If you are a Finalist or win a top award (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Spark), there is a printed gold foil certificate available at extra cost (a PDF version is available at no cost).
There are no limits to how many are awarded in each level or category. It could be zero or many. This is entirely up to the judges.
Each design is considered a separate entry, unless they are part of a clearly linked series or campaign, such as a line of similarly designed kitchen appliances, or an ad campaign where the theme or look is the same, but the ad sizes are different. Each one needs to be paid separately, or by special arrangement with Spark.
Yes– we’ve had many magazine design entries over the years–including some great ones. We welcome magazine apps, too.
We definitely commiserate– but no can do. It wouldn’t fair to other designers. You might look for a local sponsor.
Yes, Spark welcomes your entries. The Spark criteria and premise are complementary to, not competitive with other design competitions. You should, if possible, enter both. Otherwise, let your design intuition and heart guide you!
Yep–no problem! but only in Spark:Concept, since this is not a produced or built design.
Sorry–their fees were just too expensive for young Spark. Please use Mastercard, Visa, JCB, Diners Club or Paypal. If you’re in US/Canada, send a check. Please make it out to Spark Awards and send to: 36 Lounsbury Rd, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520. You can register on line anytime and upload your pix and copy. Send us a note when finished and we’ll approve the financial side after the check has cleared. Another option is payment via Paypal.
We always suggest contacting a local design teacher at a nearby college. They know the ropes!
Yes—big problem, the system will not display pdf’s, and thus the judges can’t review them. Please convert to jpgs. A good photo editor like Photoshop will do this.
We’re a design competition. like the Oscars… we don’t do switches… sorry.
Good questions—in a nutshell: there is extensive media coverage of Spark, and publicity towards that end. Media outlets have included Curve Magazine and the great websites, Core 77, Yanko, Dexigner, Product Design Hub, ArchNewsNow, Bustler, Archinect, Death By Architecture and many more. We have an exhibition at the Autodesk Design Gallery in San Francisco, and traveling exhibitions this year in Asia and Europe. We also have long-term, searchable archive-galleries of entries on the website, and new for 2015, the Spark E-yearbook. Yes, of course we have to charge a fee for all of these winners benefits, but it is less than 1/4th the charge of the least expensive major European competition.
Spark is delighted to send either bulk posters or Spark postcards (in English) for staff or students, as long as supplies last. Please send an e-mail with your address and the number of pieces that you would like.
No. The judges are very busy during this process and unable to deal with this level of detail. If we need further documentation, we will contact you.
Yes—we’ll have it in the Spark website gallery and available for the judges.
Yes, we request a good clear 75 word description of the design and how it exemplifies some (or all!) of the criteria and/or mission statement. If you have a website, put a link to that media into the available field in your My Submissions form.. Also include 3 jpgs or screen “grabs.” App entrants must also provide a link to their program in a major, public app store.
The Celebration and launch of the exhibition will be in San Francisco, at the Autodesk Design Gallery. It won’t be a typical awards show, more a happy gathering of people who believe Design Can Make A Difference, and a first chance for entrants, winners, VIP’s and Press to view the winning designs in exhibition.
Yes– no problem. Just put “Design” in for first name, and “Team” for last name on the form. You may log in and change this yourselves.
Great question. Upload sample images from your work as jpgs, and in the entry form section, put in a link to your work on an app store, and a link to it on Youtube, so the judges can view it there. (Please do not upload the file to Spark or send it on a disc. It can’t be viewed.)
Enter and pay the fee, and apply the coupon before it expires. You can put in design samples during the process, and change them later with the final design.
Any language is OK, but please provide an English-language translation for our judges. A written one is fine.
Your best is very good indeed! Thanks for your interest in Spark.
Yes and No, of course! Yes, hurrah—refunds are available, but there is a $10 handling fee. No, sorry, not after 4 weeks prior to late deadline.
We have tried to create a very open entry system, for every possible type of design, so we have listed a large number. Sometimes, a design may even fit more than one award type. Don’t worry about choosing the “best” one when registering. Everything is judged on its merits. Designs are judged in the context of our Criteria. There are no rigid divisions–specialty areas are listed here so a designer feels that their work is appropriate and welcome. We can have any number of winners–or none in any given area. All depends on the work, and the design sensibility of jury. That’s why we work hard to find tough, fair and collegial judges. The judges will pick the best designs. Could choose 20 Sparks in a given area and none in the next. If a nominee is mis-placed, they can move it to an area they think is better suited. The judges rule!
One mb maximum. We recommend that the first photo you upload is a horizontal rectangle, because that is used in the Entry Gallery, and other shapes can distort. The second and third photos can be of any shape. JPG format only–no PNG or PDFs allowed.
If you have paid your entry fees (which licenses the use of the SparkMark logo), you may use the SparkMark as soon as you receive your notification of winning. The SparkMark can be utilized as long as the original design is being featured, sold, marketed or published. Please inquire for details.
For a uniform release of information, we ask winners to wait until the Awards Exhibition premiere before announcing their winning of the award. However, should you have planned a special occasion, please let us know—exceptions are possible.
We only need physical entry materials from Spark Product; Spark Graphic and Spark Spaces entrants.
Viewed on a computer monitor, large screen, tab or laptop.