Creating a Community for Freelance Graphic Designers

Communication design / Events

Cut & Paste is a global graphic design event that works towards giving designers rather than brands the spotlight. It's live, it's fast, it's competitive, but best of all it is lots of fun.

By Gabrielle Kennedy / 07-01-2009

Bringing Graphic Designers back into the picture

Graphic design can be a lonely world. Much of the most inspired work comes out of the small studios of young freelancers whose designs enter the corporate machine of advertising agencies and get spit out the other side. During the process, the minds behind the designs are long forgotten - remaining anonymous and often underpaid.

To combat this, and to help to create more vibrant communities for graphic designers, Cut & Paste launched in New York in 2005. The event is a knockout competition - participants design graphics and illustrations according to themes and against the clock for a live audience. The work is beamed up on overhead screens and the mood is festive.

“It’s like a party,” says Amsterdam event director Afaina de Jong. “People drink beer and everyone - from important agency heads to students - relax and watch the talent.”

Now in its 5th year, Cut & Paste has gone global and competition categories have expanded from 2D to include 3D and Motion Design. This year the event starts in North America, moves to Europe and Asia, and then finally back to New York in June for the grand finale. In each participating city, selected designers battle it out live in front of a prestigious jury of judges and a critical audience.

A theme is given. 16 contestants work for 15 minutes cutting and pasting their designs together. Half are cut and the remaining 8 advance to the next round with a new theme and another 15 minutes to design a solution. Just 4 make it to the final before the final winner is announced. That winner travels to New York for the global knockout round.

For the 3D and Motion Design categories, participants are given a project one week earlier but have to finish it live at the event.

“We want to help give especially young designers more of a profile,” says De Jong of the motivation behind the event. “Often they exist at the bottom of the food chain so this type of thing gives them the chance for more exposure.”

More broadly, Cut & Paste is about making the design process more visible. “Most people only ever get to see the end product,” says De Jong. “Our event shows the thinking process, how it all works, and what the design decisions that have to be made are.”

Holland has a rich tradition in graphic design and is expected to shine in that category. “Of course it will be extremely cool,” predicts De Jong, “but I think 3D and gaming is becoming much stronger here so it’s going to be exciting to see what the participants come up with.”

But it is not just talent. Similar to the recent crop of successful and popular reality shows like Project Runway and Top Design, time constraints and instantaneous judging, as well as the live audience add pressure and put designers outside their comfort zones. Some rise and some fall. The unknown is what makes the event an exciting one to watch.

“This is going to be great for agencies to spot talent, and for the design community to get together, and enjoy themselves,” says De Jong. “Just having the Dutch design community all together at one event is an exciting prospect.”

Calls for the Amsterdam leg of the Cut & Paste Global tour close on February 20th. The event will be held at the Paradiso on the 2nd April.