In case you missed it (I know I did), a friend from abroad pinged me about the openBC openDESIGN contest — basically an opportunity to design the Business Card 2.0. (Haven’t heard of openBC? You should!).
They’re looking to drum up interest over in the states, so I figured I’d pass the word along. Heck if you win, it’s pretty good money, so I don’t mind doing a little PSA.
What’s in it for you? Well, according to the contest challenge page, you’ll:
- Get your design talent featured on a high-traffic site and generate awareness for your microbrand
- Have your work judged by jury made up of prominent experts
- Receive a contract to work together with a prestigious and global client to integrate your ideas
- Win 12 months’ free premium membership if you are voted a weekly winner
- Be in with a chance of winning €10,000 up front if you produce the winning design concept
- The winners name will be featured on over 1.5 million profile pages for the first 3 months
Sounds good, eh? What’s in it for me? Well, in exchange for pimpage, there’s a good chance they’ll be doing up their new profile pages in hResume and hCard (now to keep them to their part of the deal… heh.)
Now, the site redesigners have been keeping a log of their efforts across the whole site, almost like watching the Tour de France of web design (getting quite contentious at times). Things are nearing the last leg though, with only a week to go before the contest is up… So, if you want your shot at €10,000, get your entries in ASAP. Veloso, Stamatiou and you 9rules folks — I’m lookin’ at you!
Factory Joe 
For the ones not knowing openbc and don’t want to go over there:
The simple explanation could be “like LinkedIn”, but openbc is much more than that especially because it *is* the business card.
You can set up for who sees what of your contact details per person on the net. And you will find a lot of non american contacts in there as well as most of the 1.5 million users come from outside of the US.
It is especially *the* network for connecting to Europe.
[ Yes of course I am biased in saying so, as I am moderating the Global Business Women Forum in openbc. ;o)]
Designing for this and winning is also bound to be featured in magazines as openbc is one of the poster childs of european as well as german web 2.0ish application. The design contest itself is also conceiving a lot of attention just by itself.
If you where ever looking for that international part in your resume …
And as somebody already asked the question at reboot: No you don’t have to work for them if you win. 😉