Grad Minds Logo Design Contest

This is an invitation for submission of new logo designs for Grad Minds, the University of
Toronto's Graduate Student Mental Health Committee. The contest is organized in two phases:
the submission phase and the voting phase.

Stage 1: Submission Phase

Eligibility and Rules
● Entries must be submitted via the Grad Minds Logo Design Google Form by Tuesday,
October 13, 2020 @ 11:59 PM.
● The contest is open to University of Toronto (full-time and part-time) graduate students
only. Please use your utoronto email account for submission.
● Submissions can be made individually or in groups of two (2). Each individual or team
may submit no more than two entries.
● All submitted work must be the original work of the entrant(s) and must not include, be
based on, or derived from any pre-existing or third-party designs, trademarks, or
copyrighted images.
● Upon submission, all entries will become the property of Grad Minds. By submitting an
entry, each entrant agrees that any and all intellectual property rights in the logo design
are deemed assigned to Grad Minds.
● The winning entry designer(s) will be acknowledged on the Grad Minds’ website as long
as the logo design is used.
● Grad Minds reserves the right to disqualify any entry at its sole discretion. No
correspondence shall be entered into prior to disqualification.

Logo Design Specifications

The logo design does not need to include the text “Grad Minds.” The logo design will be
evaluated on the following criteria:
● Clarity of message related to Grad Minds (please refer to our website)
● Visual impact
● Reproducibility (for web and print use, for colour and greyscale use, for large and small
scales)

Technical Requirements for Submission

● Design can be produced by any means you like, but we require the final submission be a
high-resolution vector file (e.g., in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign).
● Acceptable file formats: AI, PSD, EPS, PDF (no Word files or PowerPoint files)
● Resolution requirements: 300 ppi minimum
● Size: 500px by 500px
 ● Maximum File size: 10 MB
● Please flatten your artwork for submission.
● If you use texts in your image, include fonts within the file.
● Colours must be CMYK, though the logo may also be produced in black and white.
Designers are advised to avoid gradients and half-tones.

Stage 2: Voting Phase

Voting and Selection Process
● Voting of the logo design will take place online between Monday, October 26, 2020 and
Sunday, November 22, 2020.
● The Grad Minds Executive Committee will review the five logo designs with the most
votes and select the logo that most closely fulfill the three logo design specifications:
○ Clarity of message related to Grad Minds
○ Visual impact
○ Reproducibility (for web and print use, for colour and greyscale use, for large and
small scales)
● The decision of the Executive Committee will be final.
● The winning design will be announced at the December Town Hall Meeting scheduled
for Wednesday, December 2, 2020.

Prizes
● The designer of the winning design will receive a $100 gift card.
● Two runner-ups will receive $50 gift cards.

Good luck, and thank you for your submissions!