RSA postage stamps competition

There are two different stamp design briefs within this competition -


Competition Brief 1 -
Celebrate the idea of 'firsts' and create stamps that inspire the nation whilst instilling national pride.


The 'firsts' set will consist of 6 stamps featuring the queens head present with a first class value. They must be the definitive size 20.3mm x 24.1mm.


Competition Brief 2 -
Celebrate the influence of British fashion in a visually exciting way that would be a joy to use on post.


Examples of initial starting points include -

1. Mary Quants mini skirts or Ozzie Clarkes flowing gowns
2. Cutting edge UK fashion - which designers are on the cusp of british fashion design?
3. Fashion inpired by music trends - for example the union jack dress
4. The legacy of UK fashion - fashion fads that still make an influence today.

The set will feature a series of six stamps each with the queens head and pertaining the value of 1st, 58p, 60p, 67p, 88p, 97p. Designs can be placed on to the templates provided or new recommendations for guideline sizes can be produced - maximum depth - 37mm.


Guidelines for both briefs -

1. The stamp designs must contain the queens head in correct relation with the stamp size.
2. Consider the small scale of a stamp.
3. Designs should combine clarity with detail.
4. Each stamp design should be visually distinct from the next.

The target audience is broad and wide ranging, including young, old, the general public and stamp collectors.


Submission details

1. Up to 4 x A3 boards showing final visuals and design process - one board to include the six final designs at 4 x actual size, one board to include designs at actual size.
2. A short type written piece of maximum 500 words (at 14 pt.) describing your solution.
3. Any models or mock ups to be photogrpahed and presented on one A3 board.
4. A sketchbook pertaining to the brief.
5. Students short listed for an interivew will be asked to prepare a 5 minute presentation.

Having first read this brief, I can't say that I am particularly excited by it. I like the idea of producing illustrations for stamps, but I'm not sure how inspired I feel by the design briefs of UK 'firsts' or UK fashion.
There seems to be rather a large workload associated with this competition as there are various pieces of work which must be submitted along with the final design solution.




Competition deadline -


Entry forms and fees - Thursday 17th February 2011.


Entries - Monday 7th March - Friday 21st March 2011.


Illustrative Practises module deadline - 11th March 2011.


The illustrative practises module deadline occurs during the submission period for the competition. This would mean that if I chose to enter this competition, I should be able to submit my final visuals for the competition in on the dealine of the module. However, as the final submissions deadline for the competition is the 21st March, then if I found that producing the final competition visuals for the illustrative practises dealine was impossible then I could aim to submit at least 4 of the final stamp visuals along with developed roughs of the other 2 designs.


Competition judges


The RSA website including the brief does not include who the judges are, it merely gives judging criteria

1. Design Craft
2. Inguenuity
3. Insight
4. Communication
5. Social benefit

As no details of the judges are givenit is difficult to know what style of illustrative or design work will appeal to the judges the most.

Competition prizes -

Royal Mail Awards
Value: £5,000 cash awards
Value: £2,500 internship at Lewis Moberly and/or Pentagram
Duration: 12 weeks
Location:  London

The prizes for winning this competition are probably the best that I have seen yet. Not only is there a large cash prize (£5,000), but from what I can understand from the interent site, the winning students also get £2,500 paid torwards an 12 week internship at Lewis Moberly or Pentagram (which after researching on the internet I found to be design brand consultancies) - here's a link http://www.lewismoberly.com

Although I think that having an internship at Lewis Moberly or Pentagram would be a really useful experience (- would provide contacts for future work, improve CV and possibly lead to further work within the companies) I must admit that working within a brand design company is not something which excites me as an illustrator, - this is not an area of illustration I am consider entering. As a result of this, I can't say that this part of the prize really appeals to me, even though I know it could ultimately be the making of a design career.

Possibly the best element of winning the competition would be the knowlege that hundreds of people all over the world are seeing the stamps which you designed - it would be a great way to promote yourself as an illustrator.

Even if design entries were to be shortlisted, attending the award ceremony for the competition with work which you have produced would be a opportunity for promotion of yourself as an illustrator as well as a chance to possibly start networking.

Having a shortlisted entry (or winning entry) on a CV could really improve chances gaining of future illustration commissions / work.

If I were to enter this competition, I think that the best place to start would be to research - there are several different links for further reading on the competition brief webpage, which would be a good place to start. After doing a bit of research, I could then decide which of the two briefs appealed to me the most (UK 'firsts' or UK fashion) - at the moment I think that UK 'firsts' appeals to me the most.