NEXT STEPS FOR FINALISTS

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All IDEA 2009 Finalists have now been notified via email. Please ensure your spam filter settings do not block emails from idea@idsa.org. In order to advance to the final round of judging, it is critical that you follow the next steps in a timely manner. Finalists who do not submit the necessary materials on time will not be eligible to receive an IDEA Award. Questions? Contact IDSA.

The deadline for finalist confirmation and receipt of all entry materials is May 11, 2009.

STEP 1: Prepare your materials for judging

+Sending a product sample or mock-up/prototype for the final judging round is not required but it is highly recommended, UNLESS the object weighs more than 50 lbs. (23 kg) or if it is larger than 30” x 30” x 30” (76 cm x 76 cm x 76 cm, or roughly the size of a small table). Larger/heavier objects will be accepted on a case-by-case basis only; contact IDSA for details. If you need to send your object mounted to a base, this is acceptable as long as the overall size and weight restrictions are still met.

+In lieu of a product sample, you must send a single, mounted poster measuring 24" x 36" explaining your design challenge and solution. Vertical or horizontal orientation is your choice. The poster is your choice to tell the design story, so feel free to include multiple images and/or storyboards.

*Tip: Instead of shipping your mounted poster, you may wish to have your poster, along with your entry form and glamour shot, printed at one the following local printers and transported from there to the judging. Note, IDSA is not affiliated with these companies and does not endorse one over the other. These are provided only for your convenience. However, please reference IDSA when placing your order so they may be transported together at no charge. The deadline to send your files to these shops for printing is also May 11. Posters ordered through these shops will be held for direct delivery on May 19, not shipped to the warehouse.

FedEx Office Print & Ship Center - 325 7th St NW, Washington DC 20004
Order online
Phone: (202) 347-8730 Fax: (202) 347-8737
E-mail: usa0671@fedex.com 

MINUTEMAN PRESS - 555 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20001
Phone: (202) 347-6777 Fax: (202) 347-1048
E-mail: print@minutemanpress-dc.com

+A video is also encouraged if you haven't already submitted one as part of your entry. If you have a newer or extended video to send, please upload it to the IDEA dropbox online by May 11. Please use only your entry ID for the video filename. If you haven't made changes to any video you submitted originally, you do not need to resend it. Videos for the final round may be up to 15 MB and 5 minutes. Acceptable filetypes include .MOV, .WMV, .AVI, .SWF, and .MPEG/.MPG.

All IDEA Finalists must also send:

+ One full-size printed glamour image (8.5" x 11") of the entry and

+ One copy of your original entry form printed from the edit/submit tab in your OMNI account online. Note, this form will display a low-resolution glamour shot for our quick reference; it will not show all of your original images or PDFs. Printouts of your original design/challenge images or PDFs are not needed but may be included to supplement samples and prototypes.

What NOT to send

+ You must NOT include the designer’s or design firm names anywhere on the printed entry form, images or other submitted material (excluding shipping and release forms and labels) or your entry will be disqualified. As before, it's acceptable to have corporate brand names or logos on the materials you send, if they are inherent to the product. Do NOT send design credits or a list of the designer's names. Final design credits will be verified with winners prior to any publication or announcement.

+ If you already submitted a video and haven't made any changes, please do not resend it. 

+ Do not include a printed release statement or a copy of your paid invoice in your package.

STEP 2: Get your shipment ready

IDSA will receive all materials at an advance warehouse. Please follow the directions provided to ensure that your materials are received properly. If you have multiple Finalist entries they can be sent in the same outer box provided they are separately packaged and labeled inside. Clearly indicate on the outer label that the box contains multiple entries.

You may use the shipper of your choice but we highly recommend paying for a tracking service to avoid delays and lost shipments. If you are shipping products internationally, you may also wish to use a customs broker to reduce the likelihood of problems with your package being held at U.S. customs.

Return shipping: If you would like samples/prototypes to be returned, you must indicate this in your entry form online, pay an additional $20 handling fee, and include a prepaid airbill from Fed Ex or UPS in your shipment. Otherwise winning entries will be held for exhibition in the Design Gallery of the 2009 IDSA International Conference and for other exhibitions through November 2010. Following that, we will return your product to you if requested at your expense or you may donate the sample to IDSA's permanent collection. Printed images, videos and other 2D materials will NOT be returned.

Label everything you're sending including any cords/accessories in the original packaging. For posters and images, please affix labels to the back right corner. You can print labels quickly from your OMNI account main menu or make your own with the following information:

Next, your outer shipping label should be addressed as follows:

contact phone number for delivery: 703-260-3085

If you are sending multiple entries in one package, please list all entry IDs with corresponding categories on the outside of the box. Packages should be delivered during normal business hours M-F. Do not schedule a Saturday delivery as there will be no one to receive your shipment.

STEP 3: Return to OMNI to confirm your entries

Once your shipment is ready, return to your OMNI account to provide IDSA with shipping/tracking information for each Finalist (click Confirm Finalist Information under Step 3 on the main menu), electronically sign the release statement, and pay Finalist fees online. (Students are exempt from the Finalist fee although other material handling fees may apply.)

STEP 4: Send all materials to arrive no later than May 11

Winners will be notified the week of May 25 via email. Good luck!