AIGA Flux 17 Student Design Awards
“The only thing that hurts harder than a failure is not trying.”
Flux Student Design Awards is a nationwide student design competition, which celebrates the best creative works produced each year by an undergraduate and graduate students from across the country. Established in 2006, the event recognizes outstanding design work produced by students in the categories of Identity, Packaging, Poster, Publication, Social Impact Design, UX/UI, and Video, Television, and Motion Graphics. The best design works will be selected by a jury of creative professionals and presented annually by AIGA Blue Ridge.
When I first tried to join this competition, my intent was to just do it for an extra credit. But then I thought maybe I should continue doing so since I have got nothing to lose by trying again, anyway. It required a great deal of courage on my part, though. I just doubted my capability as a designer at first because I was still a sophomore when I tried to join into a design competition for the first time.
After the results from the Flux 16 competition in 2017 came out, I found out that I was right—I really did not receive any award. Surprisingly, I did not feel discouraged since I knew I was only doing this for extra credit in the first place. But there was this curiosity that pushed me to try again. I just realized that there is nothing to get pressured about it if my intent is to only compete with myself and not compare myself with the accomplishments of other people. I took advantage of this opportunity to better myself for me. I used the competition so I would be able to identify my strengths and recognize my weaknesses after I receive some feedback from the judges. In that way, I can improve on my weaknesses the next time I join another competition.
The following year, I joined into the same competition again. And then, on January 2nd, 2018, I found out that five of my works got accepted into Flux, and I just could not believe it myself. For someone who joined the same competition twice but never received even a single award on my first try, it was really surprising. I even kept refreshing my browser to see if the results would change (that’s how surprised I am!). I just never even thought a day would come when I get to receive more than one award in a competition. I am truly grateful for this unforgettable experience, and I am so glad that I kept trying and did not give up this time around.
My pieces that got into the competition include The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil Book Cover, Ella FitzGerald Poster, National Spelling Bee Poster, Anthropomorphics and Grunge Jacket Design, and the Virginia War Museum Identity System.
AIGA Blue Ridge hosted a reception the following month to honor all of the Flux winners. Just as I thought I only had five awards, I found out that my Virginia War Museum Identity System also received a Viewers Choice Award during the reception on February 3rd, 2018. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the event and witness how it happened. However, according to my friend who attended the event and called me few minutes after the voting, the Viewers Choice Award was voted by placing beans into the corresponding jar. The prizes that came with it included a gift certificate from BLICK Art Materials, and a Navy Blue Hardcover Notebook from MOO Online Print and Design Company, which were all mailed out to me a few weeks after.
To see the video with all of the winning entries, please watch it here ➝