Update: the Dezeen x Samsung Out of the Box Competition is now closed for entries.
The Samsung Out of the Box Competition is a global contest that challenges contestants to design innovative new objects for the home that can be made by repurposing cardboard packaging.
The competition is free to enter for anyone over the age of 18 in any country around the world, with prize money totalling $20,000.
Brief
The competition is inspired by Samsung's Eco-Package concept, which its The Serif, The Frame and The Sero televisions are shipped to customers in.
The packaging is part of Samsung's ongoing efforts to make its business more sustainable, which it set out in a report last year, by making its components and manufacturing more environmentally friendly, and reducing greenhouse emissions and other waste. The Eco-Package concept was named an honouree at this year's CES Innovation Awards.
Electronics companies use thick, corrugated cardboard boxes for shipping in order to properly protect the goods inside. These boxes often end up as waste, as the size and weight of the cardboard boxes means they are difficult to recycle in an average home, which contributes to around 90 billion tons of cardboard and paper being discarded every year in the US alone.
Samsung's Eco-Package concept, which it says is a first in the industry, aims to reduce this waste by providing customers with a way to repurpose its television packaging into new household items.
Each Eco-Package cardboard box is printed with a special dot matrix pattern, which, when the box is opened out flat, can be used as a guide to create a range of different objects for the home by cutting and reassembling the box.
The sturdy nature of the cardboard makes it suitable for constructing a range of different objects. Samsung provides instructions for different furniture designs through a QR code located on the box. Currently available designs include a TV console, a storage box, a magazine rack and even a cat house.
The contest is seeking innovative new objects for the home that can be made by repurposing cardboard packaging, which are different to the examples presented by Samsung.
Contestants are free to design any kind of object for the home that can be made by reusing cardboard packaging.
It is not mandatory for contestants to use a Samsung television box for their design – they can use any kind of cardboard packaging. However, the shortlisted designs will be built and photographed using boxes for The Frame 75", The Serif 55" or The Sero 43" televisions, so contestants should use cardboard that can be folded flat in a similar way. In addition, entrants should ensure that no brand logos are visible in their finished designs.
Information about the dimensions and thickness of the cardboard boxes that will be used to recreate the shortlisted designs can be downloaded here.
The design must be something that anyone could build for themselves at home. It must therefore be practical to assemble with everyday household tools and not require any specialist skills or equipment.
Entrants should also consider who their product is designed for and how it will fit in with and enhance their lifestyle. Entrants must submit a short description of their concept explaining what lifestyle the object has been designed for and how it is assembled. In addition, they should submit at least one and up to ten images showcasing their design.
Entrants are strongly encouraged to build their design from cardboard and photograph it for their entry. At least one of the submitted images should be a lifestyle image depicting the object in use in the home. Additional supporting images could include drawings, sketches, renders or 3D-models.
Optionally, contestants can also submit a video or animation showing how the object is assembled.
If you have any questions about the brief, please read the competition FAQ, which provides answers to the most commonly asked questions about the contest.
Judging criteria
We are looking for innovative objects that will enhance the lifestyle of a The Serif, The Frame or The Sero television owner.
Entries will be judged on how original the idea is, how visually appealing the object is and how useful it would be in the home. In addition, consideration will be given to how practical the design is to build from cardboard.
As Samsung has already designed a TV console, a storage box, a magazine rack and a cat house using recycled cardboard, submitted designs for similar products would have to look and be executed very differently in order to impress the judges.
Who can enter?
The competition is free to enter for anyone over the age of 18 in any country around the world, regardless of whether they are a professional designer, non-designer, or a student. Entries from individuals or teams will be accepted and entrants may enter more than one design, if they wish. However, entrants will need to fill out and submit a separate entry form for each design they submit.
The entrants will need to present their designs to an English-speaking jury and must be able to explain their design on camera in English. If contestants enter as a team, they will be asked to select a single representative to present the design.
How to enter
Contestants will need to submit their entry via this form and include the following information:
› The name of the design, which will appear on all communication and media coverage.
› A description of the design explaining the concept, what lifestyle it has been designed for and how it is assembled (maximum 300 words).
› A lifestyle image depicting the object in use in the home.
› Up to nine supporting images showcasing the design.
› Optionally, a video or animation showcasing the design and its assembly.
Each image should be a single image, free from any logos or text. They should be JPGs with a maximum resolution of 300 dpi and a maximum file size of 1 mb each.
The optional video or animation should be uploaded to an external hosting platform (such as YouTube or Vimeo) and submitted via a URL.
For teams, one member of the team should submit the entry. There will be a special field where all the names of the team can be entered.
If an entrant wants to submit multiple entries, they should fill out and submit a separate entry form for each one.
All entrants must read and agree to be bound by the competition terms and conditions before entering.
Sharing your entry on Instagram
Entrants are encouraged to follow the @SamsungTV account on Instagram.
Once you have submitted your design on Dezeen by filling out and submitting the entry form, please share an image of entry on Instagram using the #ecopackage hashtag and tagging the @SamsungTV account.
This is a great way for your design to get more exposure, however, it is optional.
Closing date
All entries must be received by 23:59 BST on 29 May 2020. Any entries received after this date will not be considered.
The shortlist will be announced and published on Dezeen in July 2020. The finalists will be announced in August 2020 and the winner announced in September 2020.
Shortlist and finalists
Once the competition closes for entries, Dezeen and Samsung will select a shortlist of the best designs, which will be constructed, photographed and published on Dezeen.
Of this shortlist, five finalists will then be selected to present their designs to a jury comprising Samsung executives and Dezeen editors.
The jury will select first, second and third place, which will be published on Dezeen and Samsung’s @SamsungTV Instagram account in September 2020.
Winners and prizes
The competition has total prize money of $20,000, which will be divided among the top five finalists. The winner will receive a top prize of $10,000, the runner up will receive $5,000 and third place will receive $3,000. The fourth- and fifth-placed entrants will receive $1,000 each.
Terms and conditions
By entering the competition, all entrants agree to be bound by the competition terms and conditions. Full terms and conditions for the competition can be viewed here.
Contact
Any questions about the competition and all press enquiries should be emailed to [email protected]. However, before you email us, please make sure you have read the competition FAQ, which provides answers to the most commonly asked questions about the contest.