COLORFUL FAQS

WHAT IS COLORFUL?
COLORFUL is a unique creative competition created in the mold of Young Guns, one of the industry's most recognized and influential honors for young creative professionals. Because winning Young Guns can have a dramatic effect on one's career, COLORFUL seeks to highlight young BIPOC creative talent, giving them the opportunity and confidence to shine ahead of entering Young Guns and other such platforms.

WHAT IS THE AGE LIMIT?
COLORFUL entrants must be 30 years of age or younger at the beginning of the competitio’s calendar year in order to be eligible. This means you must be born no earlier than January 1, 1993.
Entrants may be required to submit proof of age in the form of a passport, driver's license or other government-issued ID.

HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO I NEED TO QUALIFY?
Eligible COLORFUL entrants must have a minimum of two years of paid professional experience. Both full-time and freelance work qualify.

WHAT IS BIPOC? WHAT IS LATINX?
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. This includes Asians, Pacific Islanders, Middle Eastern, North African, and Latinx individuals.

Latinx is a gender-neutral term used to describe people of Latin descent. This includes but is not limited to Latin descendants of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean, and can often refer to those of Iberian descent.

BIPOC people are frequently underrepresented in Western creative industries in general and in the Young Guns family of winners in particular. COLORFUL seeks to address that underrepresentation. Please take all of this into consideration when entering.

I’M NOT SURE IF I CONSIDER MYSELF BIPOC. CAN I STILL ENTER?
While COLORFUL is geared towards BIPOC creative professionals, anybody who meets the age and experience qualifications may enter.

I'M A STUDENT. CAN I ENTER COLORFUL?
Sorry, COLORFUL is not open to students, unless you also have the aforementioned minimum work experience.

WHAT IS THE ENTRY DEADLINE?
The deadline for all COLORFUL entries is June 27, 2024.

HOW MUCH IS THE ENTRY FEE?
COLORFUL is absolutely free to enter.

WHAT SORTS OF CREATIVES CAN ENTER?
Like Young Guns, COLORFUL is an international competition for all who qualify. Entrants must be professionals working in creative fields including but not limited to: graphic design, photography, illustration, advertising, art direction, environmental design, film, animation, motion graphics, interactive design, typography, architecture, copywriting, product design, package design, fashion design, furniture design, interior design, sound design or industrial design. That said, if your work does not fit within any of these categories, this does not necessarily mean that it isn't eligible!

CAN CREATIVE TEAMS ENTER?
Certainly! Teams/partnerships/collectives of up to three people may enter as one unit, however, each person must adhere to all other eligibility qualifications.

I'VE ENTERED COLORFUL BEFORE. AM I ELIGIBLE TO ENTER AGAIN?
As long as you still meet the age requirements, you are welcome to enter COLORFUL again. However, if you won one of the cash grants during your previous attempts, you are no longer eligible to enter.

I'VE ENTERED YOUNG GUNS BEFORE. AM I ELIGIBLE TO ENTER COLORFUL?
If you meet all other qualifications (30 years of age and under, and at least two years of professional experience) you are free to enter COLORFUL. However, if you have successfully been named a Young Guns winner, you may not enter COLORFUL.

WHAT KIND OF WORK CAN BE ENTERED?
COLORFUL entrants must link to six professional and personal projects, with a minimum of four projects being professional, published work. Unpublished and client-rejected spec projects may be included as personal work. In all cases, you must have played a primary creative role in each project, and led each project’s vision.

Projects entered need not have been created in a particular year — entries will be judged as a collection of work. Submissions need not conform to any specific media categories; your entry may feature projects in one medium or several.

MAY I LINK TO MORE THAN SIX PROJECTS?
No. Your COLORFUL submission is also an exercise in self-curation. Take care in deciding which six projects best represent you and your talents.

MAY I LINK TO FEWER THAN SIX PROJECTS?
No. Your COLORFUL submission should demonstrate your track record of consistently creating phenomenal work. If you cannot confidently include six examples of your best work, perhaps you may need another year or two to reach this level.

I CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT WHICH PROJECTS I’D LIKE TO ENTER. CAN I EDIT MY ENTRY?
Unfortunately, once your entry has been submitted, you cannot edit the projects within it.

I'VE WORKED ON PROJECTS WITH OTHERS. CAN THESE BE SUBMITTED?
Yes, but you must be one of the principal creatives on the project, and that role must be evident. Each project should be a demonstration of your creative vision, not just your ability to execute someone else’s vision.

WHAT ELSE DO I REQUIRE TO ENTER?
In addition to the six projects, entrants must record a roughly 60-second video introducing themselves and outlining how they intend to use their grant money should they be fortunate enough to receive it.

This video need not be professionally shot; a simple camera phone video will do. The important thing is that your personality shines through!

WHO ARE THE JURY MEMBERS FOR COLORFUL?
The COLORFUL Jury will be composed of professional creatives, some of whom will have had the experience of winning COLORFUL or Young Guns in the past. The jury will be unveiled in June.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES FOR COLORFUL?
The first ten entrants who meet all qualifications will receive free entry into Young Guns 22, regardless of how they are judged in COLORFUL. This is intended to provide these creatives the experience of curating their work for a globally recognized competition without risk.

After two rounds of judging and discussion, the jury will select one individual or team as the first-prize winner. This winner will receive $3000.00 USD to contribute towards the dream project described in their entry. A second-prize winner will receive $2000.00 USD, while two third-prize winners will each receive $1000.00 USD.

In addition, the jury will also select a class of finalists to be recognized. The winners and the finalists will all receive free entry into Young Guns 22.

WHEN WILL THE WINNER AND FINALISTS BE ANNOUNCED?
The winner and finalists will be announced in early July 2024, with plenty of time for participants to enter Young Guns 22.

HOW WILL COLORFUL AFFECT MY CHANCES OF WINNING YOUNG GUNS 22?
COLORFUL is judged by a jury of top-level creatives, all with an interest in seeing more diversity in the creative industry. Simply entering COLORFUL puts you on their radar. Winning or being named a COLORFUL finalist means that these same people feel that you have a good chance to win Young Guns — as seven COLORFUL winners and finalists have previously done. You might not go on to win Young Guns 22, but with their vote of confidence and a free entry into the competition, you'd be crazy not to try.

WHEN DOES YOUNG GUNS 22 OPEN FOR ENTRIES?
YG22 will open for entries on May 15, 2024.