Slashdot Merchandise Design Competition
Slashdot invited all creative geniuses to participate in the official Merchandise Design Competition. Whether working solo or in a duo, participants were challenged to let their creativity run wild and help design the club's official swag!
The Challenge & Guidelines
Participants from IISER Kolkata were tasked with designing a minimum of one T-Shirt/Hoodie (both front and back). The rules were strict to ensure fairness and quality:
- Originality First: No AI-generated designs were accepted, and strict plagiarism scrutiny was enforced.
- Branding: Designers had the freedom to tweak the Slashdot branding, but the official IISERK branding was strictly prohibited from being included.
- Submission Formats: High-quality editable files (such as .af, .ai, or .psd) packed into a zip file were required.
Judging Criteria & Prize Pool
The competition featured a grand prize pool of 7,000 INR. Submissions were scored out of 50 points based on the following criteria (10 points each):
- Originality in Design
- Print Feasibility
- Relevance to the Club
- Typography
- Versatility in Design
Note: Participants could also earn up to 10 bonus points for submitting extra swag designs alongside their clothing designs, such as stickers, laptop sleeves, keychains, or desk mats.
Competition Timeline
- Contest Open: 20 June 2026
- Original Deadline: 15 July 2026
- Extended Submission Deadline: 20 July 2026
- Audience Choice Poll Deadline: 11 August 2026
- Winners Announced: 13 August 2026
For full details on competition copyright policies, please refer to the "Circulation PDF for Merch Design.pdf" distributed during the event.
🏆 The Winners' Circle
After a thorough evaluation by the Core Committee and an enthusiastic public poll, the brilliant minds behind the legendary new merchandise have been selected:
- 1st Place: Afreen Chowdhury
- 2nd Place: Pratham B Sarma
- 3rd Place: Arya Basak
- Audience Choice Winner: Swarali Shingne
Congratulations to our winners! All winners received their respective cash prizes and a set of merchandise featuring their very own designs.