Shanghai Daily news

Entries for the contest

Organizers of the Shanghai International Poster Competition for the 2010 World Expo have a big headache: So many submissions keep pouring in that they have extended the deadline to mid-October.

Competition officials estimate several hundred entries have been received from 17 countries and regions, and the number is expected to increase.

One first prize, two second prizes and four third prizes will be awarded, as well as eight honor prizes, 130 qualifiers and 60 special awards. The first-place winner will receive 35,000 yuan (US$4,415) and all but the 60 special awards will receive a cash prize. Selected selected posters will be shown worldwide.

The poster competition aims to promote the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai and the world. "Harmonious City" is the contest theme, matching the expo theme - "Better City, Better Life." It is so far the largest poster contest in Shanghai.

Works from professional designers, students majoring in design and design buffs are welcomed.

Designer Shen Haopeng from Shanghai, also a judge for the competition, encourages everyone to participate.

"It will be a great chance to evaluate your understanding of the city as well as your design level by an international standard," he says. "It is also an opportunity to see works from different cultures and learn from them. And the winning participants will gain a lot of confidence, which is important for their design careers."

Shen also encourages foreign designers, especially those who are living in China to show their talents. "They have the advantage of viewing Shanghai from a more objective point of view. Locals take many things for granted and we may miss a lot of precious elements. These elements will particularly attract foreigners and they can expand them to a global level."

The competition is endorsed by the International Council of Graphic Design Association. The judging committee is comprised of both Chinese and foreign design experts. They will review submissions in mid-October and the results will be announced by the end of the month.

Recently Shen and designer Hon Bing-wah, a judge from Hong Kong, spoke to students at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts.

They both said that originality and understanding of the city would be key to a successful poster for this competition. Hon also gave examples about different city cultures.

"Every city has its own history, culture and personality. In order to design a successful poster that represents the spirit of the city, it is very important to fully understand the specialness of the city before getting down to work," says Hon.

Shen expands on the concept of originality: "Some designers are creative only in the form of the work, which is fine in designing because he might be the first one who took such a path. But the best works are usually innovative in both form and content.

"In order to achieve that, I suggest that you do not look at masters' works before designing for the competition. You should not consider what the judges would care about or how they are going to evaluate. You need to have confidence in your own ideas and just do it," he adds.

For those who want to participate in the contest, Shen suggests that traditional elements should be concretely considered.

"After all, the World Expo will be held in Shanghai, China, if there is nothing to signifying this, it could be a poster for any other city. However, as for the trend that 'Local is Global,' I think traditional elements should not be put there just for decoration or to raise attention.

"The designer has to encapsulate the essence and spirit of the traditions in his poster," he adds.

The official languages for the competition are English and Chinese, however, Shen says the designer should not rely on words. "When I look at a piece of artwork, often I will take the words off and see if I can get what the poster wants to say. The images should already be sufficient to convey the message - words are a plus.

"Particularly for this competition, since it is an international competition, the designer should use even fewer words," Shen says.

Those who are interested should log onto www.ipc.eastday.com for entry form and instructions.