Organizer:
Aalto University Student Union (further AYY)
AYY invites all students to an open design contest: To design and create academic honors (a chain of office) for the provost of Aalto University (further Aalto). The contest is open to every student of Aalto; you can participate alone or in teams of two.
What is the provost’s chain of office?
The chain is an academic honor worn in academic and state affairs by the provost, such as the opening ceremony of the Aalto University, in the Conferment Ceremony and in parades.
Definition of the contest design
The aim of the contest is to design and create a modern chain of office for the provost of the Aalto University, that clearly depicts the values of Aalto: Passion, courage, freedom, responsibility, ethics, and student spirit. The idea is that the chain of office represents the Aalto spirit. The organizers hope that the contestants grasp the task in an open-minded and unprejudiced manner. Design choices that are interdisciplinary are considered a plus. The chain does not need to be traditional, but it needs to meet standards of dignity and elegance to be used in academic and state affairs, and can it be worn by male and female provosts alike. The design needs to be financially feasible. The design schematic must state an estimate of the costs of producing the design. AYY withholds the right to not implement any design submitted if it so chooses.
Participants
The contest is open to all students of Aalto University, including postgraduate students.
Judges
The panel of judges consists of six members; three students and three members of academic staff. The judges will be unveiled later. The Secretary General of AYY will act as the secretary for the panel.
Submitting contest designs
The designs are submitted electronically to the Secretary General of AYY, niko.ferm(at)ayy.fi by Monday 16th of October 2017 by 16:00. The design should remain secret, and it cannot be one that has been unveiled prior to the contest. The sent material must contain a visual design of the chain of office, a description of the concept, and a list of materials. The material sent must be provided in a manner which allows the panel of judges can evaluate the design in all matters that are essential to the contest.
Reward
The winner of the design contest will be paid a monetary reward of 1500 EUR. The panel of judges will also award acknowledgement awards. The costs of crafting the winning chain of office will be decided separately with the winning designer. Reclaiming the crafted chain, intellectual property rights and possible further designs are separately decided between the winning designer and AYY.
Judgment criterion for contest designs
The panel of judges will take special note on the artistic quality of the design, along with how well the values of Aalto, student spirit, Aalto spirit and interdisciplinary themes are visible in the design.
The designs are evaluated namelessly, which is why the description or the design schematic should not contain any names of the designers.
Contest timetable and proceedings
The contest is announced on the 19th of September 2017.
The design phase closes on the 16th of October 2017 at 16:00, by which the designs must be electronically submitted to niko.ferm(at)ayy.fi
The panel of judges will make its decision shortly after the submission deadline.
The chain of office must be ready by the 4th of December 2017.
More information on the contest
President of the AYY Board Joona Orpana, joona.orpana(at)ayy.fi