STC Washington DC Chapter Art Competition Entrants

Society for Technical Communication

Washington, DC Chapter

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Technical Art Competition

• What's New This Year?
• How Do I Enter the Technical Art Competition?
• What Software Should I Include with my Online Entry?
• What Equipment Will the Judges Use for Judging Online Entries?
• How Will Technical Art Entries Be Judged?
• What Are the Technical Art Categories?

The technical art competition accepts physical media and online entries. Physical media include products that are mounted for viewing or included in a book, brochure, or other paper-based publication. Online includes art in products that depend on an electronic medium for delivery, with the exception of Adobe® Acrobat® Portable Document Format (PDF) files. See below.

For physical media entries in the technical art competition, entries should be quality reproductions. Original artwork will not be accepted. Entries requiring mounting should be on standard-sized foam core or mat board. If such entries are not mounted, they will not be accepted and will not be returned.

Note: Online art entries must be integrated into a viewer application, not dependent on the design package used to create them. For example, a piece of art included in a help file or HTML page is acceptable. A file saved from a design or graphics application is not acceptable.

What's New This Year?

Updated Platform and Browser Standards:

The platform requirements have been updated to include Windows Vista and not to include Windows NT.
The list of standard browsers includes Firefox 2.0 and does not include Netscape Navigator 7.1.

PDF Documents

Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) files are accepted only in the Technical Publications and Technical Art competitions (not the Online Communication and Online Technical Art competitions). If an entry is submitted as a publication or artwork that is distributed in Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF) format, it should NOT be submitted in electronic format—it will not be accepted.

Four printed and bound copies of the publication or artwork are required. If bound, the binding should be simple, but sturdy, such as a three-ring binder or report folder. If the entry includes color that impacts how it is used, then color copies should be submitted so that the judges can evaluate it appropriately.

How Do I Enter the Technical Art Competition?

For each entry that you want to submit:

Read the Entry rules and select the category for your entry from What are the Technical Art categories?
Download the entry forms.
Note: The 2008-2009 STC International Competitions' forms are used for both the chapter-level and international-level competitions.
- Competition Entry forms (22K zipped .rtf file )
- Additional Contributors form (10K zipped .rtf file )
Complete the entry forms using the instructions in the Entry Forms & Instructions page.
Make 4 copies of your entry, the Competition Entry form, and the Competition Entry Description form. (One copy is for your records.)
Write a check or make a secure payment using PayPal for the fees. See Fees and Payment.
Assemble your entry package using the Competitions Checklist.
Mail the entry package with your check or printed PayPal payment acknowledgement. See Deadlines and Delivery Instructions.

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What Software Should I Include with my Online Entry?

Judges will have access to the following standard software. You do not need to include it on your CD.

Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
Firefox 2.0
Windows Media Player 6.4

However, if your entry is designed to run on a hardware or software environment that is not part of the standard judging environment (see below), then you can either include it on the CD copies or bring the required software or equipment to the Consensus Meeting. If you want to do the latter, make arrangements with the Technical Art Competition Manager, Eddie VanArsdall, . Entrants may not demo their entries.

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What Equipment Will the Judges Use for Judging Online Entries?

The platform standards for judging will be as follows. (Note: these are updates from last year's competition.)

PC-based entries will be judged on a system having 3 GHz Pentium IV processor (or equivalent) running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista with a 780 x 1200 color monitor. All systems will have a CD-ROM/DVD drive, sound card, USB port, and speakers.
Macintosh-based entries will be judged on an equivalent system running Macintosh OS X 10.3.9 or OS X 10.4.x and any required software supplied with the entry. All machines will have a CD-ROM/DVD drive, sound card, and speakers.
Web-based entries will be judged using Firefox 2.0 or Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0. Or you may specify another browser on your entry form.

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How Will Technical Art Entries Be Judged?

Entries will be judged by a panel of judges, usually two to three technical communication professionals. Judges have the right to question the category of an entry and confer with the Entries Manager/Competition Manager about recategorizing the entry. For details, see the Entry Rules.

Technical art is judged on how well it visually communicates a technical message. Judges evaluate the visual appeal, technical execution, and presentation of each entry to determine awards based on the entry's strengths and weaknesses.

An entry on the Web is judged as it exists on the day of judging.

Demonstrations of the entry by the entrants are not permitted.

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What Are the Technical Art Categories?

For Online Technical Art entries, the platform (such as Web, Windows, or Macintosh) is not a consideration in determining the category.

To categorize an entry, determine the purpose of the document and compare the purpose to the category descriptions.

The Technical Art Competition has 17 categories:

Mechanical Illustration, Line
Mechanical illustrations (line) are composed entirely of lines, dots, and solid areas and may be color or black and white. The artwork requires precise depiction of the subject, including the proportions or relationships of objects depicted or represented and subject matter is not open to interpretation. Entries may include exploded views, cutaways, orthographic or isometric projections, schematics, diagrams, graphs, charts, and tables. Physical media entries must be mounted. Each copy of the entry must be accompanied by a sample of the illustration's publication or an example of its use.
Mechanical Illustration, Tone
Tonal illustrations are composed of shading that graduate from one color (or shade of gray) to another. . Illustrations may be color or black and white. Requires precise description of the subject, including the positions or relationships of objects depicted or represented. Mechanical illustrations provide precise description of the subject, including the positions or relationships of objects depicted or represented. The illustrations may include exploded views, cutaways, orthographic or isometric projections, schematics, diagrams, graphs, charts, and tables. Physical media entries must be mounted. Each copy of the entry must be accompanied by a sample of the illustration's publication or an example of its use.
Interpretative Illustration, Line
Interpretative illustrations are composed entirely of lines, dots, and solid areas and are color or black and white. While the subject is technical in nature, intended use permits artistic interpretation of features or physical arrangements. The image includes illustrative views depicting arrangement or general configuration, cartoons, and conceptual visualizations (as in technical proposals). Physical media entries must be mounted. Each copy of the entry must be accompanied by a sample of the illustration's publication or an example of its use.
Interpretative Illustration, Tone
Tonal illustrations are composed of continuous tones that graduate from one color (or shade of gray) to another. They may be color or black and white. While the subject is technical in nature, intended use of the artwork permits artistic interpretation of features or physical arrangement. The image includes illustrative views depicting arrangement or general configuration, cartoons, and conceptual visualizations (as in technical proposals). Physical media entries must be mounted. Each copy of the entry must be accompanied by a sample of the illustration's publication or an example of its use.
Photograph
Photographic entries contain technical content that demonstrates mastery of light and the medium (film or digital). Photographs may contain innovative lighting, multiple exposures, or other effects and may be black and white or color. Physical media entries must be mounted.
Manual/Book Design
This category includes user and reference manuals designed for technical products, services, or organizations; and books on technical subjects. The design should support the flow of information and the ease with which the reader can locate and identify specific information. The judges are looking for the design and presentation of the publication. Writing style, grammar usage, etc. are NOT judged.
Annual Report Design
Annual reports summarize the activities or financial position of a corporation, governmental agency, or nonprofit community organization. The design should support the focus and projected image of the entity and present financial and technical information in a visual manner.
Catalog Design
Catalogs may be used to deliver information about technical products and services. Catalogs should present large amounts of data in a readable format and provide information on ordering the product or service while being visually pleasing.
Magazine Design
This category includes regularly scheduled publications in a magazine format with a feature treatment, including photographs and art, about an organization, technology, industry, or scientific field. The intended audience may be either internal or external, special-interest, or the general public. Submit three consecutive issues as a single entry.
Cover Design
This category includes published covers, software product splash screens, and World Wide Web home pages. Design considers integration and placement of visual images and accompanying text. If only the visual image is presented, it will be re-categorized into Category 3 or 4. Covers must be mounted; front and back views are preferred.
Promotional Poster Design
Promotional posters support or market an employee campaign, a technical product, an organization, or an event. The entry description should include information about the poster use. Physical entries must be mounted.
Informational Poster Design
This category includes posters that communicate educational information (as opposed to marketing) about a technical or scientific subject, service, or organization. The audience may be technical or the general public. The entry description should include information on how and where the poster was used. Physical entries must be mounted.
Packaging Design
This category includes packaging for hardware, software, multimedia, end-user merchandise, and boxes containing two or more manuals. If the package includes software, do not include software media.
Promotional Materials Design
Promotional materials include flyers, advertisements, product data sheets, single-unit promotional handouts, and multiple-page publications that market a technical product, service, or organization. Corporate and program identity materials (folders, stationary, logos, etc.) are acceptable if they communicate technical information or images visually.
Informational Materials Design
This category includes multiple-page publications that provide information to the general public or a particular audience about a technical or scientific subject, product, service, or organization. Publications include newsletters, technical reports, proceedings, and organizational manuals.
Quick Reference Design
This category includes materials that provide concise reference to essential features of a technical product, service, or subject. This includes graphical devices, data reference tools, and other job aids.
Display
This category includes large-scale presentations such as trade show booths, exhibits, and billboards. Because of the size and space requirements of the original, photographs, illustrations, or other representative material is accepted in lieu of the display. The presentational material is not judged in and of itself, but is used to provide information about the display. Presentation material must be appropriately mounted or bound. An explanation of the actual display must be provided.

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