First, we’d like to thank those who entered, and by doing so, decided to take their school assignments up to 11. But, like with Highlanders, we can only end up with one. And with that in mind, we have chosen a winner for the 2008 36 Point Student Design Challenge.

The rules were simple. Take a class project, and: 1) use only black, red, and white; 2) add in the given photo of Donovan Beery’s head; 3) see how large of a ‘36′ you could feasibly fit on the assignment. Geoff, your entry has embodied the rules to a tee.

A short description from our winner: I was working with an unfamiliar medium and technical complications put me back like $70, and it still didn’t come out the way I had planned. Basically, the black color was backwards from the red, so nothing lined up. The digital file is attached, but it was printed (incorrectly) on 180lb cold press paper using photopolymer plates and oil-based black and red inks.

I was in the first class to ever use the photopolymer plates, and the teacher hadn’t used them before either; so it was a learning process the entire class.

And our thoughts: I always forget how many student projects are about learning, and simply experimental in nature. The line art sent was fine, but the backwards black plate adds an unexpected twist to the print which we enjoyed more than if it would have turned out right. Donovan’s head on a horse’s body hunting a rabbit is fantastic. Job well done, and enjoy the Chip Kidd autographed poster that is on it’s way.

Just a reminder that students have 3 weeks to get your entries in. For details and rules, click here. There is no cost to enter (and since all we require is digital files, no postage cost either). One winner will receive a poster signed by Chip Kidd. To clarify, you don’t have to have your assignment back from your teacher to enter, just handed in by then. As if you needed an excuse to do your assignments in nothing but black, white and red anyway.

Entries must be submitted to 36 Point at or before 5:00 p.m., CST, Wednesday, November 26, 2008.

Students, do you feel a lack of excitement in your current project? Do you need more direction on the design? Do you want to have a few unneeded rules to work with? We’re here to help!

Welcome to the official kickoff of the 36 Point Student Design Challenge! We think your college years are some of the most important years for graphic designers. While generally we like to think of graphic design students as a serious, studious bunch, with lots of learnings and yearnings going on, we know there’s a lighter, brighter side to your experience as well. Specifically, the side that knows how to use graphic design for awesome, instead of for good.

The Rules

Prizes will be awarded to students who complete a graded, class assignment/project that contains the following subversive Three Eements:

Element Number 1: The number 36, prominently. (rule by Donovan Beery)

Element Number 2: A color pallet that consists only of red and black ink on white paper — classic graphic design colors. (rule by Nate Voss)

Element Number 3: An adult human male penis. (rule by Chip Kidd) Sadly and upon great personal and profession introspection about the possibility of us getting into trouble for getting you kicked out of your program for the inclusion of said adult human male penis, and the slightly-less-troublesome, slightly-more-heinous replacement suggestion (by another friend of the show) of “dead puppies,” we have opted to amend Element #3 to the most penis-like thing we could find:

Element #3 (Revised): Donovan Beery’s head.

Students, do you feel a lack of excitement in your current project? Do you need more direction on the design? Do you want to have a few unneeded rules to work with? We’re here to help!

We’ll give more specifics in next weeks podcast, with timelines and such, but here are the first two of three rules to start adding into your current school project: 1) Work a ‘36′ into the design. The bigger the better. And only use black, white, and red. Shades of gray are acceptable, but shades of red (pink) are going to be frowned on.

We’ll be posting the best samples after the competition. One student will win a sweet autographed poster to also be announced next week. In the meantime, start thinking with ‘36′ in all of its red and black glory.