Topcoder Holiday Card Graphic Design Challenge

Welcome to the "Topcoder Holiday Card Graphic Design Challenge"! We want to wish our customers and prospects a very Happy Holidays and we want to have YOU, the community, design the digital card (still graphics or animated GIF?). The “Holiday Card” will be emailed to our customers so you can expect most of them to experience the “card” on a desktop or mobile device.

The design should embrace the Topcoder brand, be vibrant, whimsical, and uplift spirits as we enter a time of celebration, family, and fun for many across the globe.

You are not limited by tools, software, or end format. The only requirements are that the final asset can be sent as part of an email and follows the Topcoder brand.

Round 1

Submit your initial design for a Checkpoint Feedback
1. Holiday Card

Round 2

Submit your Final Design plus Checkpoint Updates
1. Holiday Card
Overview

• Still image/ graphic (JPG or PNG format)
• Animated GIF (not a requirement, but something to explore if you want)
• All assets must be on-brand for Topcoder. Refer to the new topcoder.com for inspiration and to familiarize yourself with the new brand
• Graphics will be used in email communications. Must fit within a 600px by 600px space.
• Do NOT include the "Email Content" in your designs. We are ONLY looking for the graphics for the email/ digital holiday card.
• Most importantly, be creative and have fun!!

Email Content
The below copy is what will be written and shown alongside the graphic that you create. Hopefully, this sparks some ideas and gives you context. DO NOT include the copy into your designs. We are only looking for the graphic.

• "This challenging year deserves a silent night. We wish you, your family, and friends a very happy holiday as we look forward to what the new year has in store for us all".

Branding Guidelines

• Your graphics and assets must follow the Topcoder brand
• Use topcoder.com for inspiration and to familiarize yourself with the brand
• You can view colors and download our fonts from https://topcodr.co/brand

Target Audience

• Topcoder customers and clients

Things to Avoid In Your Designs:

• Religious symbols or overly used "Christmas" type imagery (christmas trees, for example)
• Overly “Winter” settings as many of our customers don’t live in areas where it even snows!
• “Technology” the design doesn’t need to have a mobile phone or tablet or anything to do with “technology” in it - if anything, this should be a time to unplug and be with your family and friends
  • If you are to use “technology” in your design, make sure it shows how it connects people and brings people closer together OR how we can put down technology to connect more deeply with those that are here with us

Things to Embrace In Your Designs:

• Human connections
• Time with loved ones
• Gift Giving / Helping One Another
• Family

Judging Criteria
Your submission will be judged on the following criteria:

• Overall idea and execution of concepts
• How well your concepts "look" like Topcoder and follow the brand
• Creativity

Size & Format:

• 600px by 600px (can be other aspect ratios, as long as it fits within that space)
• PNG, JPG, animated GIF

Stock Artwork

• Stock Photography is not allowed in this challenge
• For the icons, use only Streamline icon set that we will share in the forums
• For the fonts, please stick with Barlow, Barlow Condensed and Roboto  as per Topcoder branding guidelines

Submission & Source Files

• Preview Image: 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 File: PNG, JPG, animated GIF
• Source Files: Provide all editable source files. You are not limited to the tools/ software that you can use. Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, Sketch, Etc.

 
Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase, you may be asked to modify your graphics (sizes or colors) or modify overall colors.