TCO22 Finalist Certificate and Tabletop Design Challenge

Welcome to the TCO22 Finalist Certificate and Tabletop Design Challenge.

We are so excited about starting working on the upcoming TCO event and we would like you to take part in it. We are going to run some challenges in which you have a chance to design the artifacts that will be used during the event. 
 

CHALLENGE OBJECTIVES

• To design a certificate concept with 7 variations that finalists will get for qualifying for the event.
• To design a table top concept with 6 variations, the finalists will work behind during the competitions.
• The designs should fit the brand and the spirit of the event.

Round 1

Please provide the following designs for checkpoint along with your Marvel prototype for review.

• 01. Certificate concept (with at least 1 variant)
• 02. Tabletop concept (with at least 1 variant)

Round 2

Please provide the following designs with checkpoint feedback incorporated for final review along with your Marvel prototype.

• 01. Certificate concept (with all 7 variants)
• 02. Tabletop concept (with all 6 variants)

PROJECT OVERVIEW

• Each year Topcoder invites its most successful members in that year to an onsite event, Topcoder Open in the US to compete against each other in 7 competitions / tracks and crown the ultimate champions of these fields. Just like in the Olympics we like our main event to look awesome and treat our finalists the best way we can.
• Besides all the decoration, molinos, signs etc, each finalist will get a number of customized things out of which in this challenge we would like you to design the finalist certificates and the table tops.

AUDIENCE

• TCO finalists who will get these certificates.
• Spectators who will visit TCO22 in person or will follow the broadcasts. They will want to be able to spot their friends, colleagues easily competing behind the table tops.
• Topcoder customers
• Topcoder staff

REQUIREMENTS

• Size should be: 11.5 x 8 inch (0.125 bleeding margin to be added)
• Variations: We would like to see variations for all the 6 competition types (Algorithm, First2Finish, Development, Marathon, Quality Assurance, UI Design) and for the non-competitior trip winners (gig workers, copilots). The variations should show in colors, icons, specifics of each track if applicable.
• Track colors: Use the below base colors, but we don't limit you to use only that shade if you wish to have a gradient.
  • Development, F2F, QA: green #4CC94C
  • UI Design: blue #2C95D7
  • Algo and MM: orange  #FD7D01 
• Content: We would like to include the following items/information on the certificates:
  • TCO22 logo and Topcoder logo (please note that we only use the black and the white variations of the latter, not the colored one anymore)
  • “This certificate is awarded to” + handle + full name
  • Awarded for “2021 Topcoder Open ” + [track] + “finalist” or Awarded for “2021 Topcoder Open ” + Gig Work / [track] Copilot + “trip winner”
  • Signature space
  • Signature name and role: Jessie D’Amato Ford, Head of Community

• Size should be: 46 x 23 inch (width x height)
• Variations: We would like to see variations for all the 6 competition types (Algorithm, First2Finish, Development, Marathon, Quality Assurance, UI Design)
• Content: We would like to include the following items/information on the table tops:
  • TCO22 logo
  • Name plate: member flag (use any flag for now), handle and competition type (“UI Design Competition”) - would like to see an option with and without the name plate

FORM FACTOR

• Certificate - 11.5 x 8 inch (0.125 bleeding margin to be added) - should be printable at 300dpi
• Table top - 46 x 23 inch (width x height) - should be printable at 300dpi
• To Marvel: please upload a smaller resolution to Marvel for review so it decreases the loading time. 

DESIGN GOALS & PRINCIPLES

• You are expected to respect Topcoder’s brand guidelines (font sizes might be altered due to the different application). 
• The artifacts should represent Topcoder and the yearly event, TCO. 
• Style-wise we expect bold, exciting, engaging, fun, yet elegant output.

 BRANDING GUIDELINES

• The Topcoder Branding Guidelines have been shared on the challenge forum
• These guidelines have been prepared for UI design, so in terms of font sizes you may apply changes.

 JUDGMENT CRITERIA

• Creativity: Impactful; the design is different or unique from what is already out there.
• Exploration: Flexible; follow the provided sizes and content and branding but you have freedom over everything else.
• Aesthetics: Hi-fidelity design; provide a top-notch finished looking visual design.
• Branding: Strict; carefully follow the provided Design System and stick to them.

DESIGN ASSETS

• Topcoder Branding Guidelines
• Examples from previous events for reference
• Topcoder logo (please note that we only use the black and the white variations of the logo. Do not use the colored version anymore)
• TCO22 logo

STOCK PHOTOS AND ICONS

• Photos: use only free photos from the sites allowed by Topcoder or you can use any photo from Topcoder’s Flickr album.
• Icons: use icons only from the Streamline icon set.
• Fonts: use only Topcoder’s brand fonts (Branding Guidelines are shared on the challenge forum).

MARVEL PROTOTYPE

• Ask for a Marvel project to be assigned to you on the challenge forum
• Upload your designs to your assigned Marvel project.
• Share your Marvel prototype link in your Declarations.txt when submitting.

FINAL DELIVERABLES

• Source.zip
  • Original source file(s). If you use Figma, the link is not sufficient.
  • Create files in Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, Adobe Illustrator.
• Submission.zip
  • Your designs exported as PNGs
• Declarations.txt
  • A text file that contains all the notes about font usage, photo and icon declarations and your Marvel prototype link 
• Preview.jpg
  • Create a JPG preview file of 1024 x 1024 px