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NovelTee Competition:

Igniting Innovation in T-Shirt Design

Hosted by EAST

Competition Overview

The 2025 NovelTee: Igniting Innovation in T-Shirt Design competition invites creative EAST students to showcase their design skills. We're seeking an original t-shirt design that embodies the spirit of EAST -- innovation, collaboration, and positive impact. Your design should resonate with the EAST community and be versatile enough for anyone to wear proudly. Whether it's capturing the essence of creativity, teamwork, technology, or community impact, this competition celebrates originality and innovation in t-shirt design.

Please note: Due to the wide-open nature of this competition, it is limited to 10 submissions per EAST program. If more than 10 submissions are received, EAST will only consider the first 10 submissions.

Submission Instructions

To qualify, all details and project descriptions in the online application must be complete. This information will be used as a part of the judging criteria for this competition. The submission deadline is 3:00 pm CST on October 4, 2024.

REMEMBER: The submission form will automatically close at 3:00 PM CST on the deadline date. If you are in the middle of submitting a form at this time, your submission will NOT be received. Please remember that upload speeds can vary depending on file type, school bandwidth, etc. Deadline days have high submission traffic, which can also cause delays in uploading files and submitting applications. If you encounter an issue on the day of a deadline, EAST staff may only have limited availability to assist. EAST staff will not grant a deadline extension. It is recommended that you DO NOT wait until the last day or the last minute to submit your application.

Step 1 - Get Ready

Before submitting your application, make sure you have all the required materials:

  • Design Files
  • Team Photo
Design File Requirements

Participants are required to submit the following files:

  • Final T-Shirt Design (.ai or .eps): The design must be fully editable in Adobe Illustrator. Hand-drawn images, raster images, or designs created in non-vector formats like JPEG, PNG, or Canva are not acceptable. Submissions must be original and must not infringe on any copyrights.
  • Final T-Shirt Design (.jpg): Provide a preview image of your design.
  • Two Color Design: Choose two colors from the provided list that enhance your design. Select your two colors from the dropdown menu in the application.
Project Team Photo Requirement

Submit one high-quality, professional-style photo of the designer(s) only. The photo should show the student(s) from the shoulders up against a neutral/solid background.

Step 2 - Complete the Online Application

Make sure you explain why your design is a great representation of EAST. Include how it reflects the themes of creativity, teamwork, technology, and community impact.

Note: You will upload the items from Step 1 in the online application.

Step 3 - Upload Design Files & Photo

Combine all files from step one into one (1) Zipped File with a 1 GB (1048576 KB) max file size. Be sure to review the requirements in step one. For instructions on how to zip a file click here for Windows instructions or click here for Mac instructions.

Step 4 - Submit

After completing the online application, click the "Submit" button. Once you see the "Submission Received" page, you will not be able to make any changes. If you do not receive an email confirmation, assume there was an error and your submission was not completed. Please go back and complete the online application again. If you still do not receive an email, please contact events@EASTstaff.org.

Finalist Selection

Finalists will be selected and announced prior to EAST Conference, and the winning project will be available for purchase in the Gear Store at EAST Conference 2025.