QSDC - Publishing and Award Ceremony

Assigning a Quality Score for Design Competitions - Publishing and Award Ceremony

Abstract: The publishing options and award ceremony is fundamental for a design competition in a sense that this event creates one of the highest impacts in terms of communication by inviting press members and also by bringing together sponsors and participants. In this paper we discuss how we could assign a score for the publishing and award ceremony details of a design competition.

First of all, to calculate a raw quality score for publishing and award ceremony details we firstly check the available public material and communications by the organizers such as emails, flyers, call for submissions, press releases, posters, and the competition website. If we cannot find this information from the aforementioned communication, we send the competition organizers an email to ask them.  We use the publishing options and award ceremony score sheet to calculate the raw store.

Publishing Options and Award Ceremony score is calculated with the following criteria: Result Book / Annual, Gala Night, Post-PR Campaigns, Physical Exhibition, Competition Results and Privacy Concerns.

Please note that for publishing and award ceremony score, we do not consider other details such as the fees and costs, winners details etc. as they are discussed in separate sections.

Collected Information: Publishing and Award Ceremony

Publishing and Award Ceremony Score Sheet:

1. Results Book
1. Is there a result book? If yes, Score++10
   If the design competition has a result book, that is certainly preferable as it creates a solid future reference for participants and it also act as a communication tool that could also be distributed to press members.
2. Is the book sold to participants or given for free?
1. Result books are sold to all, Score++
   Giving this information in advance is considered positive as in some conditions, result books could even act as a mainstream source of income for certain type of design competition businesses.
2. Result books are distributed free to all, Score++10
   If result books are distributed to all participants including non-winners for free, this of course creates a higher incentive for participants, furthermore this also increases the credibility and transparency of a competition.
3. Result books are distributed free only to winners, Score++5
   This is the industry practice, usually result books are distributed free only to winners and press.
4. Result books are distributed free only to press, Score++3
   Distributing result books to press can create further publicity for participating designers.
2. Are the Competition Results Published Online, Score++
   This information might be relevant for some participants as they could be sensitive to have their submissions available online for viewing.
3. Gala Night / Award Ceremony
1. There is a Gala Night, Score++20
   Having a gala night is an added value for the design competition, it is an event that press members could be invited and it is a social setting where fellow designers could meet with each other.
2. There is not a Gala Night, Score++
   Providing this information in advance is considered positive.
4. Physical Exhibition
1. There is a permanent physical exhibition, Score++10
   Having a permanent physical exhibition creates an added value for the designer, especially if the design is going to be exhibited in a high-profile museum or gallery.
2. There is a temporary physical exhibition, Score++5
   A temporary physical exhibition could create an added value especially if it is organized within a design week, a tradeshow or event.
3. There is not a physical exhibition, Score++
   Providing this information is considered positive as it provides added transparency for the design competition.
4. Location of the physical exhibition, Score++5
   If there is a physical exhibition, either temporary or permanent, where it will be held is of importance, designers taking part in the competition could make use of this information while deciding to join or not especially when participants are required to send physical prototypes or models.
5. Post-PR Campaign
1. PR-Campaign not available, Score++
   It is positive to note whether there will be PR services to winners or not.
2. Free PR-Campaign for Winners, Score++10
   If a pr-campaign is provided to winners for free, this would generate further positive impact and publicity for the participants and therefore it is definitely a great added value to the design competition.
3. Paid PR-Campaign for Winners, Score++2
   It is considered positive to provide the possibility to run a paid pr-campaign for participants who would like make most out of the opportunity of winning a high-profile design competition.
6. Personal Information
1. Are Designer Photos Published?, Score++
   Some designers will be sensitive for their photos to be published in the annuals, therefore providing this information is positive.
2. Are Private Information About Designers Published, Score++
   Many entrants may be careful about not to share their personal and private information such as contact details, bios etc, and the competition organizers should clearly state this information, thus providing this information is considered positive.
1. No, Score++
2. Yes, Score++
3. Opt-in, Score++5
   It is better to let the participants choose whether they consent publishing private information rather than making them agree a predefined format.

Maximum Possible Score (77) is achieved with a competition with the following configuration:

Publishing and Award Ceremony Score Sheet:

1. Results Book
1. Is there a result book? If yes, Score++10
2. Is the book sold to participants or given for free?
1. Result books are distributed free to all, Score++10
2. Are the Competition Results Published Online, Score++
3. Gala Night / Award Ceremony
1. There is a Gala Night, Score++20
2. Gala Night Venue is clearly stated, Score++5
4. Physical Exhibition
1. Is there a Physical Exhibition, Score++10
2. Location of the Physical Exhibition, Score++5
5. Post-PR Campaign
1. Free PR-Campaign for Winners, Score++10
6. Personal Information
1. Are Designer Photos Published?, Score++
2. Are Private Information About Designers Published
1. Opt-in, Score++5

Short Notes: Please note that ++ means to increase by one (1), and -- means to decrease by one (1), so score ++ means, score will increase by one (1). Score ++n means to increase score by n (n) points; Score ++3 means to increase score 3 points. Score // means does not affect score.

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