Why Make a Video

We encourage everyone to include a video testimonial in their entry, but the video is NOT required. Think of this entry component as a rare opportunity to tell the jury about your design, and convey your belief in it, in a way that text and images can’t. Within the 2 minutes and 30 seconds limit, you should share what you set out to do with your design, what’s notable about your project and why it deserves an award.

Think of it as a "Show and Tell" – hold up your design, do a demo if appropriate, point to distinguishing characteristics, etc. You may use any visuals you like, if you choose to. Since we intend for these to be easy to make, we encourage you to go low-tech and informal, even straight-to-webcam. It’s your testimonial, not the execution of your video, that counts.

How to Include Your Video with Your Entry

Upload your video file in the Project Video portion of your entry. Please review the formats and restrictions below to ensure your video will qualify.

Rules for Your Video

• Your video must be in mp4 format.
• Keep the length of your video a maximum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Longer videos will not be reviewed by the jury.
• Title your video file with your project name: eg projectname.mp4
• All videos must be in English.
• There is a limit of one video per entry.

Tips for Creating Your Video

Make your design the star of the show - keep the video focused on the intent, process, execution and learnings of your design.

Make it personal. This is your story told your way. It should have a healthy dose of Point of View and be compelling to watch. You want the jury to learn about you and your process through the video.

Make sure to cover following points:

• What you were trying to do when you were designing your project.
• What your challenges, situations, etc., your design addresses.
• What’s great about it, what separates it from what’s already out there and why it deserves the world’s attention.

Have fun while you’re doing it! This is supposed to be a delightful, informative, and personal addition to the required entry materials.

Sample Videos

Get inspiration for your video testimonial from the examples below. Explore different approaches, use props, people, technology; whatever works and is at your disposal. Above all else, your video should put your design front and center.

Example #1: Say Less, Show Off More

The video testimonial for Beep, the 2015 Consumer Products Professional Runner Up, doesn’t really contain any talking. What it does accomplish is showing the product in action and how the features benefit the user. This video is of a higher production value, but it stays under the 2:30 maximum length and gets the design’s point across in a fun, entertaining way.

Example #2: Give a Tour of Your Design

The IF Platform was the winner of 2017’s Professional Commercial Equipment category for its outstanding design and concept, which makes the 360 degree tour of the design an ideal way to communicate it. The video shows the design from all angles and demonstrates how it moves and works. Although the production value of this video is clearly high quality, the idea behind it is still clear, simple, and possible to execute on both the professional and student level. This is a very effective way to get the point of the design across.

Example #3: Simple, Yet Effective and Informative

In just under two minutes, Mauricio Romano introduces the 2015 Consumer Products Student Runner Up honored project, Aura Water Pipe. His video is a clean, concise review of the intent of his design, its features and what makes it so great. This is a wonderful example of a no-frills video testimonial that gets all the important points across in a very simple way.