Design Bloopers Competition
Written by Tara: Freelance Designer on Monday, 30 of April , 2007 at 8:49 pm
Win a $50 (approx £25) Amazon Voucher by writing a 50-100 word blog post (see details below) on, either your biggest graphic design bloopers (mistake/s) or the biggest/funniest design mistakes you have seen.
Inspired by Aaron from Milienzo.com post why proof reading is important I started thinking about graphic design mistakes. I did a google search expecting to find references to thousands, but nothing except articles like “10 web design mistakes to avoid”. So, did I search the wrong terms, or is nobody prepared to admit to their design mistakes?
Several years ago, when I was still an employee, I had to create a wordsearch in a company’s newsletter I had designed. The wordsearch contained words relating to their products. The only problem was I spelt one of the words wrong within the puzzle so no-one would ever be able to find it…ooops. The next issue of the newsletter they had a competition to spot the deliberate mistake in the previous issues word search (seriously!).
What about deliberate mistakes too? A photographer I sometimes use, was telling me, that when he was much younger he used to be a photographer for a catalogue company and had to photograph product shots all day. To ease his boredom, he and his fellow photographers used to moony into the reflection of shiny products. He said no-one ever noticed, but he and his colleagues would see their bottoms reflected throughout the catalogue. Needless to say, I avoid giving him shiny objects to photograph!
To enter just email competition@graphicdesignblog.co.uk along with your 50 - 500 words (describing it, where you found it etc, your name, URL ), if you have got an image of the design blooper to go with it that’s great too. It can be your own design mistake, a colleagues or something you have seen in a book or on the web.
Some suggestions include - 1. the worst typos or grammatical errors you have seen 2.logos which look like something else 3. photography which has been flipped so wording reads the wrong way or a flag becomes that of a different country 4. brochures with missing contact details or logo
The best entries will be posted on this site with your name and website URL, so don’t forget to include that with your entry. The winning entry, chosen by myself (unless anyone would like to volunteer as a guest judge?) will receive a $50 (approx £25) emailed voucher from Amazon. Closing date for entries 21st May 2007.
Like competitions?… Enter the competition to win a mascot at Bloggingtips.com too!
Category: General Graphic Design, Competitions
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Pingback by Links Round up - May 1st 2007
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 8:15 am
[…] Design Bloopers Competition - Regular Blogging Tips commentator Tara posts a competition to win a $50 amazon voucher. All you need to do is email Tara with your design blooper. […]
Comment by Asgeir Hoem
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 8:45 am
Damn. I read this post this morning, and have been thinking constantly since. Still haven’t found any worthy of submitting. Fun, though. 
Got any submissions, so far?
Comment by Tara1
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 8:52 am
Hi Asgeir,
You mean you’ve never made any? 
I look forward to seeing your entry!
Early days for entries, only posted last night.
Comment by David Airey :: Clicks Donate
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 10:00 am
Good luck with the competition, Tara.
It’s a great idea, and everyone loves a competition.
Comment by Tara1
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 10:04 am
Thanks David, I hope so
Be great if you could enter, if you can think of anything? Its just a bit of fun really.
Comment by Tara1
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 10:07 am
If anyone has any good ideas on ways to promote it I would love to hear them. Thanks
Comment by Asgeir Hoem
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 1:06 pm
Tara, I’m too young. I haven’t had time Probably made heaps without even knowing it, though. A day will come when I realize the logo I just charged thousands of dollars for looks veeeery much like a penis (Airey’s post). :p
Comment by Ahsan R. Shami
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 5:18 pm
Everyone reading the thread could also Digg it. I’m sure that’d help get the word out some.
I think we’ve all made quite a few blunders, but the lovely power of denial allows us to block them out pretty effectively.
I’ll keep searching my mind for something significant. It’s there, rest assured!
Comment by Tara1
Made Tuesday, 1 of May , 2007 at 5:58 pm
Hi Ashan,
Thanks for the comment and the digg (much appreciated). It doesn’t have to be your own mistakes - embarrass your friends too, thats what friends are for 
Comment by Tara1
Made Thursday, 3 of May , 2007 at 8:28 am
Santosh P
Thanks for your entry by commenting, I haven’t published it as I assume you would like to be entered in the competition. I hope thats OK.
Pingback by cymru66 » Blog Archive » Design Bloopers Competition - win a $50 Amazon voucher!
Made Sunday, 6 of May , 2007 at 1:33 am
[…] head on over to the great Graphic Design Blog where you’ll find full details of the competition. Just to let you know, all you have to do is write a blog post on either your biggest graphic […]
Comment by Tara1
Made Sunday, 6 of May , 2007 at 8:47 am
Hi Steve - cymru66
Thanks very much for the mention. Much appreciated.
Comment by kat
Made Tuesday, 8 of May , 2007 at 4:32 pm
Oh, I made a huge blunder about five years ago. Do I want to admit it and have it posted for all to see? That’s the question
Comment by Tara1
Made Tuesday, 8 of May , 2007 at 4:43 pm
Hi Kat,
Go On tell us
I told you mine!
Pingback by Graphic Compromise | graphic design art and typography blog
Made Wednesday, 9 of May , 2007 at 4:42 pm
[…] way, if you have a piece of work that you hate but your client loves, why not enter it for “The Design Bloopers Award” over at the Graphic Design Blog; I’ve got a couple of pieces waiting in the […]
Comment by inspirationbit
Made Thursday, 10 of May , 2007 at 3:05 pm
huh.. glad there’s still time left for this competition.
To tell you the truth, I was thinking of hosting a group writing project titled “Your Design mistakes”, but then thought that the idea was too close to another group project hosted by dailyblogtips - “Your Blogging Mistakes”. So instead, I’ve decided on my current topic: Source of Inspiration.
I’m glad I did that, because you’ve already launched this competition.
Comment by Hobo SEO
Made Sunday, 13 of May , 2007 at 5:18 pm
Are you limited to just one blunder?
Comment by Tara1
Made Sunday, 13 of May , 2007 at 5:56 pm
Hi Hobo SEO
As many as you like
Comment by Hobo SEO
Made Sunday, 13 of May , 2007 at 6:00 pm
Where do I begin ….
Comment by The Thinking Blog
Made Monday, 14 of May , 2007 at 1:07 pm
Does anything written in Comic Sans count?
Comment by Tara1
Made Monday, 14 of May , 2007 at 1:16 pm
Hi The Thinking Blog
I think anything in Comic Sans definitely counts
Comment by chris
Made Monday, 14 of May , 2007 at 3:09 pm
Wow, now I wish I had saved some of my projects from my own Halls of Shame. Sometimes, I’ve gotten so caught up in the design of a project, that I forgot to check spelling of the text itself.
I hate when that happens….argh.
Comment by Tara1
Made Monday, 14 of May , 2007 at 3:26 pm
Hi Chris,
I’ve done that too. Worse still is when you do it on a big headline.
Comment by oscar
Made Monday, 14 of May , 2007 at 7:04 pm
I wish I could take credit for finding it, but this unintentionally penile logo takes the cake.
And yes, I know all about these.
Pingback by cymru66 » Blog Archive » 3 cool current competitions
Made Tuesday, 15 of May , 2007 at 1:55 pm
[…] Design Bloopers Competition - Win a $50 Amazon.com voucher: This one’s easy and should be a lot of fun. Simply write a 50-100 word blog post on, either your biggest graphic design bloopers/mistake, or the biggest/funniest design mistakes you have seen. […]
Comment by johno
Made Wednesday, 16 of May , 2007 at 2:13 am
I think I found some of my own work to enter
Not recent work, I hasten to add. Will try to send this week.
Comment by Tara1
Made Wednesday, 16 of May , 2007 at 8:44 am
“Not recent work”
Of course we believe you
Look forward to seeing it, the closing date for entries is 21st May
Comment by steve
Made Monday, 21 of May , 2007 at 7:49 pm
so, today’s the day for the competition to close. can’t wait to see the winners!
–Steve
Pingback by The Logo Factor - The Art & Business of Logo Design » Speaking of design competitions
Made Thursday, 24 of May , 2007 at 3:50 pm
[…] an interesting take on the design competition deal - Graphic Design Blog is holding a design blooper competition in which designers are invited to send in their cock-ups, srew-ups, typos and other goof-ups. […]
Pingback by barely average . blog [Ahsan R. Shami] » I’m Not Sure I Really Wanted to Win!
Made Sunday, 3 of June , 2007 at 5:37 pm
[…] over at graphic design blog started a Design Bloopers Competition contest a few weeks […]