Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Water Is Life International Poster Competition 2011


After taking the Graphic Communication module in school, I thought I wanted to put what I have learnt to good use by setting myself a challenge during the last school break. So when I came across this poster design competition organised by Berlin University of the Arts and Nanjing Arts Institute, opened to students studying fine arts, design, communication design and architecture, I decided to take part in it, even though strictly speaking, I am not a design student. I only had two weeks after exams to work on my design and managed to submit my entries (I submitted two entries) on the date of closure which was on 31 December 2010.

My Design Rationale: As the source of water continuously depletes, the survival of all life on Earth is at stake. The grim problem of water scarcity is never about humans alone. My idea was to depict a quest for water by representatives of all living things, from mammals, reptiles to birds, insects and even plants. Among the group are offspring of each living thing, representing hope for the future. However, the survival of their future is also dependent on whether the quest for water, the elixir of life, can succeed. 

To be honest, I was so busy about starting my internship at the start of 2011 that I have totally forgotten about this competition I have entered. So when a parcel from Germany arrived at my doorstep, with a really thick book three months later, I was really puzzled.

I haven't expected to win anything, but to my surprise, the poster design on the left was awarded Excellent Design by the Berlin University of the Arts. It was also published in a book which showcased the top 100 poster designs in the competition.

It was such a pleasant surprise! Which wouldn't have happened if I had not tried. That crazy two weeks spent trying to design something decent was well-worth the effort after all. :)

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