Challenge Summary
Welcome to the TopCoder Studio Help Area Icon Design Contest. TopCoder Studio is working to redesign, update and improve the user experience of the Studio Help Area. The goal of this contest is to design the requested icons/graphics so a user can easily recognize a specific Help Topic.
Round 1
Your 25 Help Topic icon design concepts
Round 2
Your finalized Help Topic icon designs with milestone feedback incorporated.
TopCoder Studio wants to enhance the user experience for the Studio Help Area. Provide 25 simple icons to appear under each Help Topic listed in the Studio Help Area. Have fun with the design and think about how the user (YOU) will use this Help Topic. With these icons, we want to make it easy for members to find important information and represent what each help topic is about.
Notes
- Only provide an icon design for the Help Topic items listed in the reference file: HelpTopic Template.psd. Note: these are also written in RED in the reference file: HelpCenter_Topic_Page_Article_Callouts-1.docx
- The "Member Tips" icon - we only need one design but it will appear in several places within the Help Area
- Make sure all icons provide the same look and feel
- Icons need to represent what the Help Topic is about. For a definition and explanation, reference file: HelpCenter_Topic_Page_Article_Callouts-1.docx
- Clean, simple, professional design
Primary Goals
As part of the Help Area improvements, we want icons to appear next to the Help Topics listed in the attached Word document. Reference file: HelpCenter_Topic_Page_Article_Callouts-1.docx. Only provide an icon design for the items written in RED font. The icons need to represent the title of the Help Topic. Attached for your reference is a screenshot that shows where the icons live on the specific Help Topic page. The icons should follow the style shown in the attached file: topic_page_icon_placement-1.png. These two icons work for this topic but if you have a suggestion for another design concept, you can include it in your submission.
Attached to this contest specification is a Photoshop template that you must use to prepare your submission. Insert the full set of 25 icons into this template, then hide the gray background circles and save the template as a 1024x1024 PNG image. Upload the resulting file in your submission zip, and also upload it as your preview image.
Branding Guidelines
- The icons should follow the style shown in the attached file: topic_page_icon_placement-1.png
- Do not include clip art or stock photography in your design
- All designs must be your original work
- Colors are up to the designer to decide
- Colors have to make sense with the Help Topic and how it functions
Target Audience
- TopCoder Studio Help Area visitors
- New TopCoder Studio members
- Current TopCoder Studio members
- TopCoder and TopCoder Studio Admin and Staff
Judging Criteria
- User Experience!
- How well you create the "Help Topic" icons
- How well they enhance the user experience and make navigating through the site easier
- We want the users to be able to see the difference and know what the icon represents from a glance
- Cleanliness of your graphic design
What to Submit
Preview JPG/PNG Image File
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
Submission ZIP File
All requested contest requirements/screens as JPG or PNG files.
Source ZIP File
All fully editable original source files of the submitted design as required by the contest under "Source Files" in the side bar.
Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to complete one round of minor changes to ensure your submission meets the stated requirements of this contest. See more information about Final Fixes.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.