Up Close with our First Honorable Mention

Eric Chang is a sophomore at the City College of New York. His entry was named First Honorable Mention in this year's Student Design Competition, earning him an internship at Esquire magazine!

Click "more" below for his complete entry and his thoughts on how he came up with his winning idea.




(Click on the above spread for a larger version)

First Honorable Mention
ERIC CHANG
UNIVERSITY City College of New York
YEAR Sophomore
PROFESSOR Liana Zamora
CATEGORY Outdoors

What was your inspiration in creating your entry?
When I think of this sport, mountain biking, that dynamic and positive energy plays an important role, so I wanted to create something that goes with the nature of the sport. Therefore, not only the colors were chosen to display high energy, but also the design elements were created to mimick the path of the trails. I wanted the viewers to feel the sport, to be able to cast themselves in the situation as if they are virtually riding the bike. 

What was the biggest challenge in creating your entry?
In designing my entry, because I was making an design that has to show some level of energy (mountain bike, outdoor), I tried to instill a sense of movement and energy into the layout and font choices as well as the decorative elements. The way I made them interact with each other to bring out the best result took me awhile.

Do you participate in any publication--or design-related campus activities?
No, but I wish I could take part in some of the activities to sharpen my design senses.

What are your favorite magazines?
Currently my favorite magazines are the IDN and a magazine published in my country, Taiwan, called Xfuns. Computer Arts is also one of my top choices. My favorite magazine is simply the type of magazine that has a bit more complex layout. Wired and Esquire (many versions) are quite interesting too.

What do you want to do while in New York for your internship?
Just to absorb as much life experience as possible and enjoy the magnificent view of the city. There is just too much to learn.


Wanna know more about our annual competition? Click here for this past year's rules and info. Next year's competition and deadline will be similar, so get those brainstorms going!