CCSLC APPRENTICE: Challenge 6

[Mac the Knife]

Ghetto Farm Boy taking a hiatus from the CCSLC Apprentice competition, he has asked me to step in and oversee the sixth challenge, and I promise you it will be something unique, for with this one, you're going to make money. Well, sort of.

In military and certain other circles, a small coin or medallion which bears an organization's insignia or emblem is carried by its members to prove membership, as well as to enhance morale (via drinking contests, for example). While I won't go too deep into the history of challenge coins (you can definitely find tons of material on them via the internet), I will establish your next challenge: creating a challenge coin which will be minted, then used, by my non-profit sports organization, Capital Area Team Sports.

In our case the challenge coin will serve a variety of purposes, the most important of which being (i) to give credit to our members for their service in the operations of our flag football league and other programs, and (ii) to use as a flip coin when needed. Of course there'll be some drinking games it'll come to be used for over time as well.

Your task - design a series of coins that we can consider for minting as official CATS challenge coins, subject to the following parameters:

• The coins will measure 1.00 and 1.25 inches in diameter respectively, with the smaller coin representing the smaller denomination.
  
• Each coin must incorporate CATS' primary logo in some fashion; a vector copy of this design is available to task leaders via PM to me. To clarify, "in some fashion" means that the primary logo can be altered if needed. Use of a secondary logo in place of the primary, while not necessarily preferable, will not be an automatically disqualifying factor.
  
• Each coin design must feature both an obverse (front) and reverse (back) design.
  
• The preference is for each coin to be circular, though that is not necessarily a "deal-breaker" requirement.
  
• Each coin must incorporate the organization's motto ("Amicitia per Contendo") on the obverse.
  
• Each coin's final design will need to be transmitted in Adobe Illustrator 9.0-compatible format to yours truly, for ultimately delivery to the minter.
  
• The coins' reverse would be include a denomination mark of Five Dollars or Ten Dollars, respectively (not "$5" and "$10"), and for legal reasons must include the wording "Credit redeemable for any program operated under the auspices of Capital Area Team Sports, Inc." To clarify, the wording needs to be large enough to be 'readily legible.' Having it in ultra-small text can be construed under the law as trying to obfuscate it, and as a result could be interpreted as the coin's value being redeemable for cash - which it isn't.
  
• Finished designs must be delivered to me in Adobe Illustrator 9.0-compatible format, in both full color and "outline" format (i.e., the basic features of each design, without colorization of any kind).
  

In addition to these mandatory parameters, there are some things which are optional:

• Color choices. As you investigate challenge coins you'll realize they offer a remarkable amount of flexibility in this area. Go with that.
  
• A secondary motto ("Victoria Amat Curam") may be used, provided it's used on the side of a coin opposite "Amicitia per Contendo."
  
• A date ("2009", for when these will be first distributed) may be included if desired.
  
• Edge engraving, a la the Presidential Dollar series; it won't be used in the actual minting process, but for competition purposes if you want to take a stab at it, feel free.
  

Your judges for this competition (presuming they wish to do so) will be JPSlapshot, pcgd, Lee, Gary, and Mockba.

Final submission from each team will be due at 11:59pm on Wednesday, August 27.

Questions regarding this challenge can be directed to me via PM. Best of luck to you all.

[GFB]

Thanks for stepping in for me Mac... I have a busy week ahead of me....

Don't worry, I'll be around...

[fiasco!]

Cool challenge. I got kicked off the judging committee?

[pollux]

Cool challenge. I got kicked off the judging committee?

So did I, apparently...

[Mac the Knife]

Nah, you weren't kicked off - I just hadn't been following who had done it previously. Consider yourselves added to "the board."

[-(dp)-]

I know you said to PM you the questions, but just in case the other team was also unsure, I will ask here. When you said we have to use CATS's primary logo, do you mean the one with the four figures and whole wordmark has to be used, or will the one figure with just c.a.t.s. be okay?

[Mac the Knife]

I know you said to PM you the questions, but just in case the other team was also unsure, I will ask here. When you said we have to use CATS's primary logo, do you mean the one with the four figures and whole wordmark has to be used, or will the one figure with just c.a.t.s. be okay?

The multi-figure one is our primary. The ones below are secondaries. All were done by pcgd, and today I found out that the primary looks really, really cool on a cap.

[maz]

this thread is kinda important....can we get it stickied so it doesnt keep falling back?

[Mac the Knife]

I've added some clarifying points in the original post in the thread based on some questions which have been posed by both teams. Should further clarification be needed, please post such inquiries here and I'll follow-up as needed.

[Mac the Knife]

48 hours and 25 minutes to the deadline... and neither team has squat.

This should be interesting. Have Prodigy! and Optimus met a challenge they can't overcome?

[ShinyHubCaps]

Well I finally have some time to work on this, so I plan to do so in the next two days.

However, I would like one clarification: If we were to count the number of colors in use, does that include the color of the coin (or is that a given, and if so, what colors are available)?

Also, does the AI 9.0-compatible file need to be included with the final presentation? Wouldn't it be preferable to only take in the files of the winning team? I ask because I do not know if I can export in an AI 9.0-compatible file, and last time I did (.eps for Challenge 2), there were some logistics problems. I could probably get the files in that format, but it may take longer than expected, and I don't want to be penalized for not having Illustrator.

[Mac the Knife]

Well I finally have some time to work on this, so I plan to do so in the next two days.

However, I would like one clarification: If we were to count the number of colors in use, does that include the color of the coin (or is that a given, and if so, what colors are available)?

Also, does the AI 9.0-compatible file need to be included with the final presentation? Wouldn't it be preferable to only take in the files of the winning team? I ask because I do not know if I can export in an AI 9.0-compatible file, and last time I did (.eps for Challenge 2), there were some logistics problems. I could probably get the files in that format, but it may take longer than expected, and I don't want to be penalized for not having Illustrator.

The coin color I presume wouldn't enter into it; to my knowledge they can facilitate any number of colors, so knock yourselves out.

Yeah, the winning team's is all that would be needed; we can cross that bridge if/when we come to it.

[mania]

The Prodigy Design Collective is proud to present it's submission, it's design bid for coins used by Capital Area Team Sports, Inc.

The two colors of the coins are silver, for the ten dollar variety, and gold for the five dollar coins. Joining the coin color is a piercing dark sky blue. On the obverse side, the primary logo is prominently featured. In addition, the organization's motto, Amicitia por Contendo is arched on the top half of the coin, with Oak branches and the minting date along the bottom half.

On the reverse side, the Oak branches (representing Raleigh's nickname, "The City of Oaks") are once again featured, only more prominently. The required legal disclaimer lines the coin's edge, and, raised above the face of the reverse side is the monitary value. Although this is hard to see in a two-dimensional vector drawing, in a real situation this would add texture and draw a lot of attention to the coins design.

This is submitted for the board's approval.

[ShinyHubCaps]

For this challenge, we designed the obverse and reverse sides of two challenge coins for Capital Area Team Sports, Inc.

These designs are classic and true to the tradition of challenge coins, while at the same time, able to implement the modern techniques of producing them.

The design itself is one that fits all of the challenge requirements into the small space provided. On the obverse side of the coin, the multi-colored ridge, similar to other challenge coins that have been produced, is able to include all of the colors of the original primary logo. This is pertinent because, as the pastel colors ran together in the center of the coin, the colors are able to stand out in a bold manner along the ridge. This is true for both the silver (five dollar) and gold (ten dollar) designs.

The reverse shows a design that is simple, relevant, and accomodating to the amount of text that was required in this region. The silhouette of North Carolina is a bold, recognizable icon, and it shows up well in the coin without being cluttered by too many colors or too intricate of a pattern. The triangle, meant to represent the cities surrounding Raleigh (the aforementioned "Capital Area"), is done in negative space and should show up well on the final coin. At the bottom of the reverse side is an oak leaf, which is a symbol of Raleigh in particular, as it is the "City of Oaks." The oak leaf also replicates the smooth, sweeping look of the primary logo, which was part of the contest requirements. The rays of pastel represent the logo colors in a bold, distinguishable fashion; the colors do not run together, yet they work together to create the distinct impression of a horizon.

As mentioned, the colors are pastel renditions of those in the primary logo. From our research, we discovered that many printers of challenge coins are able to use up to five colors at the original minting cost. Others stated that the price would increase from no colors to one, but the price is constant between one color and five. Using this, we created a distinct look using only five colors, keeping in mind the expense that it would be to the client to have these minted and painted.

[Mac the Knife]

Gentlemen, the submissions for Challenge 6 are in. Judges, please submit your comments and a vote for one of the two teams by 11:59 pm (ET) Thursday. Thanks!

[pollux]

Prodigy

Both coins look really good. I like that they are both alike and use the same design. The is consistency with the use of rings on both sides, and it is a nice feature on the reverse side to display the disclaimer in there. The letters and numbers are easy to read and easily recognizable. My only nitpick would be with the obverse side, it looks a bit empty. While the logo is very horizontal, it could've been nice to fill in the area over and under it. But aside from that, it really holds up well.

Optimus

First, you missed the deadline by 8 minutes. I know it's not much but I previously ripped Prodigy for missing it, so that's a major negative point for you. For the coin, I think there's too much going on without being tied together. There's the 4-colors outer ring on the obverse, but it's not there on the reverse. Those rings seem to be added just for the sake of having all the colors from the logo, which in my opinion weren't necessary. The reverse is busy on the top half, but very clean on the bottom. Letters are hard to read and the value written on two colors might not come across good on a real coin.

Verdict

Prodigy by a mile on this one.

[ShinyHubCaps]

I don't think being 8 minutes past the deadline should be a "major negative point" at any rate. The way I see it, we were 23 hours and 52 minutes ahead of the "deadline."

The contest will run on a strict time schedule. Once a challenge is given out, the team has 36 hours to name a Task Manager. Each challenge will last 7-10 days. Once the challenge time is over, Task Managers will have 24 hours give their final presentations to the Board (details of the final presentations will be addressed later on). The Board will choose a winner the following day. Then the Board Room session will occur over the next 1-3 days. Then the next challenge will start. So here is a quick look into the general schedule:

Challenge Given

7-10 days Task Managers Named (first 36 hours)

Preparation Time

24 hours Final Presentations Due

24 hours Winner Named

1-3 days Board Room

Besides, Prodigy was 16 minutes late on Challenge 2, and nobody mentioned it. Either we're both early in these separate instances or we're both late; be consistent.

[fiasco!]

Prodigy's coins are cleaner and nicer looking. That's all I really have to say, aside from that I don't like the multicolored business on Optimus' coins.

Winner: Prodigy.

[slapshot]

I like Prodigy's coins better. Optimus' remind me too much of poker chips. The use of color is inconsistent, and the athletic-serif font does not compliment the curved lines and type of the CATS logo. The design especially does not work in black & white...the lines radiating from the North Carolina outline are very distracting.

Prodigy's coins are more effective with use of a more limited color scheme. I do think that the numerals should stand out, and I don't like the bullet on the left hand side of the obverses where the legal copy goes. The legal copy should start at the bottom and work its way around, so the bullet would end up centered directly underneath the visual middle of the numerals.

Winner: Prodigy

[pcgd]

Yep...its prodigy.

Although I still think both coins would look much much better with the single character inside them...aka the secondary/vertical logo.