Rules
About
Advent of Design (AOD) is an annual UX/UI design event by Inova that takes place each December. Since 2022, it has offered a series of fun design challenges that bring together designers and design enthusiasts—from beginners to experts—to stretch their creative muscles in a festive and competitive environment. AOD is open beyond Inova employees, and the competition has no entry fee.
How does it work?
Ten design challenges are released daily or every other day at 8:00 AM CET throughout December, with new challenges appearing until almost Christmas. AOD ends on December 19 so it does not get in the way of last-minute Christmas shopping. New challenges are never posted on Saturdays or Sundays. Each design challenge remains open until the next challenge begins.
What design tool must I use?
You must use Figma for designs and prototypes. A .fig file is required for evaluating your submission. Some challenges also require a written description.
How do I export the .fig file?
In Figma, go to File > Save local copy and upload the resulting .fig file through our uploader. Please submit only one design solution in each .fig file.
AOD has already started. Can I still join?
You can join at any time before AOD ends, but you cannot make up points lost by missing earlier design challenges. That is perfectly fine if winning is not your only motivation.
Who evaluates the challenges?
A two-person judging panel consisting of an Inova senior designer and a highly creative project manager evaluates submissions against criteria prepared for each design challenge and assigns points to every entry. Judges do not see who submitted an entry while evaluating it.
How are the winners selected?
At the end of all AOD challenges, the top three participants are rewarded according to their total score across all submitted design challenges. Please remember that our judges are human if results are delayed. If Chuck Norris competes, he automatically wins.
What are the judges looking for?
Each challenge includes a scenario and requirements. Read them carefully. Some challenges focus more on UI, while others focus on UX or prototyping skills. Originality and creativity are evaluated only when specified and are never the primary criteria because they are difficult to evaluate consistently. Some submissions also require an explanation entered into the text field when submitting the design.
IMPORTANT: All designs must be your own work. Plagiarism and AI-generated work are not allowed.
Key criteria can include:
- Design aesthetics: use of color, typography, visual coherence, and interpretation of the given theme
- Concept execution: effective execution of the concept
- Usability and user experience: intuitive navigation, features, and platform-specific considerations
- Interactivity or animation: well-executed prototypes and meaningful interactive elements
- Relevance: content appropriate to the theme, platform, context, and audience
What data do you collect, and what happens to my designs?
We collect and process personal data such as your name, email address, and other competition-related details solely to administer the competition and communicate with participants. We do not claim ownership of or assert intellectual property rights over submitted designs.
You can read more about data protection and privacy in the GDPR section.
I placed in the top three. How do I receive my reward?
Congratulations! Make sure your email address is specified in your profile. We will contact you for any additional information needed to send your reward.
For any other questions, write to us at aod@inova.si