I’d like to thank…

Several times a year Norwegian designers (and designers in all other countries I assume) get together to celebrate themselves and their work. As a student there are also a bunch of opportunities to get some sort of statue or diploma. Coming up in the spring is Gullkalven, a yearly student competition. I’ve found myself to be thorn, trying to decide whether I should enter or not.

Don’t enter awards competitions. Just don’t. It’s not good for you.
– Bruce Mau

Bruce Mau is probably right, but let’s consider it anyway: When entering a design competition there is of course the fun concept of actually winning an award and then be able to brag about it on my website afterwards. But at the same time the whole ordeal is kind of nauseating. It seems that everyone wants to be a part of the award-winning crowd (show-offs and attention-seekers) and get all the fame and glory they can grasp. And you might ask: “Doesn’t everybody want fame and glory?” Well… There might be more important things in life (which might sound like something only a loser would say, but I’m yet to enter a competition). So after some consideration I have narrowed it down to this:
1) ENTER if you seek fame, glory and attention from the people in the business, or
2) DO NOT ENTER if you feel that there are more important things to life than award shows, like reading a book or gazing at the stars.

But there is actually a hidden third point to this list:
3) ENTER if you want to use an award show/competition to raise awareness about important political or personal issues.

The last point might sound like selling out, but it’s quite the opposite. I think of it as crucial that someone actually shows the rest of the design business that there are in fact those with integrity and who want to use their design skills for the benefit of something important. I have actually made it a rule for myself that I will only enter design competitions if the work I send in is of some political/radical/rebellious character. But when I do that, the important thing isn’t to win. As long as my work gets shortlisted (and therefore will be seen by a many designers) I have done my job: I have put a message out there, both the message portrayed by the content of the design job, as well as the message that design can be used for something imporant if you want it to.
(In two weeks I’ll have the results of the first design compitition I’ve ever entered; the job I sent in of course has a rather strong message, so I’m very excited to see how it goes.)

I don’t think future clients care too much about how many awards you’ve won, that only shows that you are crazy about awards. Many clients actually complain about designers who are working for them who seem more interested in doing work which wins them awards rather than doing something that benefits the client… If you are going to misuse a client like that, you rather do it for a political reason rather to win a meaningless award. I think future clients are more interested in who your past clients were rather than if fellow designers think your work looks good or not, but that’s just how I (a student) see it.

So thank you to all the award-obsessed designers and endless lists of award competitions e-mailing me notices that “the deadline is drawing near!” who made me realize how silly the whole thing is.