FAQs for the Zero Boundaries™ Design Competition
What is the Zero Boundaries™ Design Competition?
Who is eligible for the competition?
Why is ZINK Imaging sponsoring the design competition?
How can I join the competition?
Who are the judges?
What is the judging process?
Will there be any kind of guidance or help for entrants?
What is ZINK™Technology?
Zero Boundaries™ Design Competition Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Zero Boundaries™ Design Competition?
ZINK Imaging is sponsoring our first annual product design competition, challenging designers to imagine new and innovative solutions that enable and enhance printing with the ZINK™ Technology. ZINK is the world's only totally ink-free full color printing technology that enables products that are mobile, embeddable, simple to use, easy to maintain and the most respectful of the planet. ZINK is a catalyst that frees product designers to create and imagine a variety of innovative product ecosystems that were never before thought possible.
Who is eligible for the competition?
Established design firms, emerging designers, students of design, and design enthusiasts - whether entering individually or as teams.
Participants must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence. They must also agree to and accept the contest rules and maintain the confidentiality of their submissions. Participants must also register for the competition in advance of submitting an entry form and supporting materials so they may obtain a registration number to include on their materials. This will facilitate fair and equitable blind judging.
What are the awards?
• First place - Option 1 - $10,000 cash prize
• First place - Option 2 - $10,000 cash prize
• Second place - Both Options - $1,000 each
• Third place - Both Options - $500 each
Participants can submit multiple entries AND win multiple prizes. The contest structure means that one talented designer alone COULD win more than $25k in cash and awards! In addition, the top 25-50 finalists will be publicly announced and promoted as well as featured on our website. The final 6 winners will receive additional publicity and showcasing, plus special awards to commemorate their accomplishments, including a ZINK-enabled product! All entries may be showcased in our on-line and vision galleries as well as future marketing materials.
Why is ZINK Imaging sponsoring the design competition?
We are looking for a fresh perspective on printing; a global perspective from both students and professionals that explores printing possibilities beyond the traditional thinking about how and where printing integrates into a person's life. We believe ZINK offers an incredible opportunity to re-imagine the value of printing in the digital age.
The design community is particularly attuned to the importance of understanding the needs of different markets, as well as how to address those needs. This connection between the product and the user, the hallmark of design, is critical to the success of any ZINK innovation. Designers are also trained to think "outside the box", a very valuable skill for businesses. By partnering with designers, we hope to bring a fresh perspective to the many possibilities of printing without ink. We believe the Zero Boundaries™ competition will yield applications that are unexpected, that meet customer needs that we don't know about, or suggest totally new uses for the technology. We are hopeful that the competition will broaden our horizons as to the full potential of the ZINK Technology.
Equally as important as this fresh perspective are holistic design solutions that encompass the entire ecosystem around new contexts and applications for printing. We aren't looking for new industrial designs, or a new "fit and feel" for ZINK-enabled products, but rather new ways to articulate a clear vision of the innovation potential of the ZINK Technology.
How can I join the competition?
Participants must register for the competition first in order to receive a registration number. The first step in the registration process is to review and agree to the terms of the competition. Registration is open now and closes on June 8, 2009.
Registrants must then enter their submissions by June 8, 2009. Entrants can submit more than one submission - they can chose to submit a design solution for Option 1 or Option 2, or both Options, or multiple submissions for each or both options.
An entry form is required for each submission, along with a storyboard outlining the problem and the design solution ecosystem and a computerized rendering of the ZINK-enabled device.
You only need to register once, regardless of the number of submissions (unless you are entering a submission as an individual and as a team or on multiple teams).
What is the design challenge?
ZINK Technology and ZINK Paper™ reinvent color printing to meet the needs of this digital world by empowering people to use printing in an entirely new way - anywhere, anytime. ZINK uniquely makes printing a valuable and critical part of our digital world. The digital world becomes "real" through the power of a ZINK print.
Entrants are challenged to design a complete ZINK-enabled product "ecosystem" that demonstrates the power of the ZINK Technology to link the digital world to the real world via a tangible ZINK Print. Entrants have two ways they can solve this challenge: 1) by creating a ZINK ecosystem that will make today's youth crave ZINK products in the context of their digital and mobile world or 2) by creating a "ZINK World" in a context or market of their choice.
Who are the judges?
We have assembled an A-list panel of judges for this competition comprised of professionals and influential personalities from industrial design, to business innovation, cultural trends, and gadget pundits. Each member of the panel of judges will be evaluating the design challenge through their own lens to ensure that the entries with the most holistic and informed solution win.
Here is our esteemed judging panel in alphabetical order:
• Paul Bradley, Executive Creative Director of Industrial Design, Frog Design
• Kate Greene, Technology Editor, Technology Review Published by MIT
• Tom Hughes, Chief Design Officer, Idealab
• Brian Lam, Editorial Director, Gizmodo
• Darren Murph, Associate Editor, Engadget
• Mary Tripsas, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School
• Richard Watson, Co-Founder and Partner, Essential Design
• Irma Zandl, President, Zandl Group
What is the judging process?
The panel of judges will determine a short list of finalists via a process administered by a ZINK Imaging representative. Projects will be judged purely on their quality; judging is blind, personal identification of entrants will not be available to judges. The panel will be looking to award designs and concepts which best meet the judging criteria below.
Winners will be further selected from the short list of finalists - a first, second and third place winner for each option. These winners will be selected based on a rating system that takes into account how well they respond to the design challenge and the content and variety of their submission materials.
Finalists will be announced on June 22, 2009 and the overall winners will be announced on June 29, 2009.
The panel of judges will be evaluating each design solution by asking questions like those below. Entries will be judged by their ability to holistically solve the design challenge.
• Does the design take advantage of the unique value proposition (benefits) of the ZINK Technology?
• Is the proposed solution original and fresh?
• Does it represent the disruptive nature of the ZINK Technology?
• Does the design possess solid consumer / user benefits and functionality?
• Does the design demonstrate insight into the consumer or target and how fits into their lifestyle and needs?
• How relevant is the design to the target market?
• Does the proposed design solution demonstrate a holistic solution to the problem?
• How appealing is the visual design and aesthetic appearance?
• How well thought out are the UI, both physical and soft elements (if applicable)?
• Is the quality of the argument for the proposed solution convincing? Both a clear rationale and a relevant solution given the problem/need?
• Is the design practical given today's technology, materials, and cost that the target customer would pay for the product?
• What is the quality and clarity level of the presentation and the design models?
• What is the feasibility of the concept with regard to processes and costs?
Will there be any kind of guidance or help for entrants?
The ZINK team is standing by to answer your questions via email at contest@ZINK.com. There are also conceptual databases available at www.ZINK.com/design-details and background information on ZINK at www.ZINK.com/ZINK-background.
What is ZINK™Technology?
ZINK Technology is the "magic" behind the ZINK Paper and the world's first ink free printing solution. The Paper is an advanced composite material with cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals embedded inside, and a protective polymer overcoat layer outside. The crystals are colorless before printing, so ZINK Paper looks like regular white photo paper. Heat from a ZINK-enabled device activates the crystals, forming all the colors of the rainbow.
Who is ZINK Imaging?
ZINK Imaging Inc., a privately held company, was founded to enable millions of customers to enjoy the magic of ZINK™ Zero Ink™ products. ZINK Imaging invented, manufactures, and is an OEM supplier of the ZINK Printing Technology and the award winning ZINK Paper™ to partners that will bring ZINK-enabled products to market under their respective brands.
ZINK Paper is currently branded and sold by a variety of ZINK Imaging brand partners including Dell, Polaroid, and TakaraTomy. It is available globally for purchase at many retail and on-line locations. Some of the locations where a consumer can purchase ZINK Paper include Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and Dell.com.
ZINK Imaging's headquarters and research and development labs are in Massachusetts, with a state of the art manufacturing facility in Whitsett, North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.ZINK.com.
The ZINK™ Technology and ZINK™ trademarks are owned by ZINK Imaging, Inc.
