CGTrader Sets the Challenge: Pimp Your 3D Printable Gadget to Win!

Lithuania-based CGTrader is a design-driven 3D model marketplace serving both computer graphics and 3D printing uses. Artists share and sell designs through this community, and customers can either browse the available designs or commission a custom design for whatever they have in mind. CGTrader has been around since 2011, when 3D designer Marius Kalytis founded it, and has since become a hot spot for 3D artists and designers to “showcase their work, get valuable feedback, learn from peers, and interact in a designer-friendly environment.”

Part of the unique offerings on the CGTrader website is a Challenge tab, on which the company posts calls to creativity.  In addition to ongoing weekly challenges — in which the designer who increases their reputation score on the site the most wins a prize (this week, it’s $25 in CGTrader gift credits) — some longer-term challenges offer more comprehensive goals and bigger prizes. All of the current year’s challenges are visible on the tab, and about half a dozen are active at a given time, allowing for a great breadth of options for designers to seek inspiration and challenge their imaginations and their design skills.

The 3D Printed Gadget Accessories Challenge is open through December 8th.

“Think about a box. Do you picture it? Now think out of the box. It’s a dead-simple instruction how to become a cool inventor.”

Thus begin the instructions for this intriguing challenge. The 3D Printed Gadget Accessories Challenge is perfect for those designers who thrive on creativity, on seeing everyday objects in unique ways. We all have more gadgets than we do pockets — you name it, smartphones, tablets, cameras, tablets — and CGTrader wants to see some neat accessories for them.

They offer as starting suggestions multi-purpose cases, stands, headphone/earbud holders… but what really counts in this challenge is originality. “Originality,” they’re sure to note in the Things You Must Know category, “will definitely be considered when judging.” If you enter, you can post files for as many models as you like; uploading more than 10 will make you eligible to enter the Portfolio category. You can enter yourself  or with a team, and geographic location doesn’t matter.

There are rules about what to design and how you can enter, but it’s pretty straightforward: all entries must be new, original content, and they have to be awesome accessories that can be 3D printed. Basically? Pimp your gadget via accessory.

CGTrader will judge the contest on three major criteria:

• Quality of the 3D printed gadget accessories model
• Uniqueness, innovation, and general achievement in design of the 3D printed gadget accessories model
• Clear and attractive presentation of the model

For all these considerations, there have to be some pretty sweet awards, right? Right! Two categories will be judged for prizes.   Best Model prizes include an overall winner and two runners-up; Best Portfolio (for at least 10 designs submitted) will have one winner.

The winner of the Best Model category will be awarded a pretty impressive array of prizes: