There are several factors to consider when entering a competition for an award. To help you prepare your entry for the GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards, we’ve pulled together some useful hints and tips.
Go through the following best practices to win over the jury members.
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
You may upload up to ten (10) images per entry. Select images that give an overall view of the design and others with close-up shots. Keep in mind that if you win, your photos will be posted on the Website, featured in INTÉRIEURS magazine, and showcased at the gala evening. Make these photos shine and truly showcase your project’s or product’s strengths. Using a stand-in model to show your product dimensions or to help understand your product’s function is a good idea, just as long as you remember to have a model-release form signed when doing so.
APPLY WHEN ELIGIBLE
Each design discipline has many sub-categories for you to choose from and many entries are eligible in more than one category.
To increase your chances of standing out, we recommend that you submit your projects or products in each of the categories that correspond to you.
A 50% discount is offered when entering your design in additional categories.
When registering your project, you will be asked: the Name of the firm(s) to be written on the certificate or trophy if your project is a winner. This information will be used to prepare:
▪ Award winners’ certificates ▪ Honorary plaques ▪ Trophies
as well as for all other material including magazine articles and press releases. Pay special attention to how you write your name and those of other firms if you are in a consortium and check the official spelling.
FIND THE RIGHT WORDS
MAKE THE READING EASIER
Make your application easy to read! Avoid industry jargon, superlatives and any acronym without first explaining what it stands for.
TWO OFFICIAL LANGUAGES
Competition communications are always in both of Canada’s official languages, English and French, and entries will be reviewed by an international jury. The texts of your project (for the web and for the Jury) must therefore be provided in both English and French.
If you are not comfortable with one of these two languages, you can use a mechanical translation available for free on the Web (e.g. Deepl // Google Translate // Reverso…).
A SIMPLE TEXT
For any and all texts, restrain from using “ALL CAPITALS”, resort to using “Title Case” fonts instead.
TALK ABOUT YOURSELF FROM A THIRD-PERSON
Your project description should be formal and written from a third-person perspective. Imagine how a magazine editor would feature your design and write the description accordingly. The information provided in your description will also be featured in press releases and publications. Even more reasons to find the right words!
CHOOSE A MODEST DESCRIPTION
Be modest and don’t overdo the superlatives to describe your project. “This glamorous premium prime project” does not sound good. Try to control your enthusiasm for the project and let the work speak for itself.
DO NOT CONCLUDE FOR THE JURY
Do not conclude for the jury: Say why you chose a particular feel or explain where the inspiration for a product came rather than state conclusions such as “my design is aesthetic because it…”. Let the experienced and knowledgeable jury members draw their own conclusions.
BE CONCISE
Be concise, but don’t lose the descriptive aspects of your project or product. Avoid explaining common issues. For example, don’t waste words explaining why that world needs a more energy-efficient green generator—the jury already knows. Instead focuse on how your solution is different.
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