Global event thrown open to Indian web designers

The world''s largest web designing competition, Webdesign International Festival (WIF), a three-day event, targeting web designers from around the world, is now being thrown open to Indian designers to benchmark their capabilities in creating innovative graphic interfaces against their peers globally.

The fifth in a series of events that started in 1999 under the name of ''Marathon de l''Internet Creative'', held only in France, the subsequent events saw a global involvement, that led to the name of the event being changed to the Webdesign International Festival or WIF.

The event in 2006 saw participation from 21 countries that included, among others, the US, Canada, Brazil, France, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Romania, England, New Zealand, Portugal, Switzerland and Tunisia.

The finals of the current round will be held from 17 April to 19 April, 2008 with the pre-selections being held online, simultaneously across the globe, on 18 January. Two countries, Brazil and Tunisia, have chosen to organise an on-site pre-selection in their own respective countries.

The best web designers will be selected to compete in the finals held in France. The event is open to professionals and amateurs alike to register themselves online on
www.webdesign-festival.com to participate in the event.

The aim of the WIF is to create a graphical, dynamic and interactive web interface by following a compulsory and unique theme. Judges use all the criteria that put down the foundations of a dynamic and interactive web project, including the use of various writings and module formats, "intuitivity", website navigability, ergonomics, graphical look, architecture etc.

The WIF is made up of an international competition called Webjam. Various activities, conferences and meetings bring together the best specialists in interactive design, and makes for an ideal place to interact with the elite of the web.

The competition is open to any web designer, interactive developer, graphic developer, etc., who are then gathered in teams from two to four, and are given 24 hours to create a graphic, interactive and dynamic interface. The theme is revealed on the day of the final competition.

By the time the curtain falls on the preliminary round, only 40 teams made up of the best of the best will be invited to Limoges, France, to take part in the Webjam contest finale. Financed by the Limousin Regional Councilor, the European Commission (FEDER), Limoges town council and companies of international fame such as Adobe and Air France, WIF is also seeking partners in India who can act as a link for promoting and organising the event here.

Though this years'' prize is yet to be decided, last year, ''The Mighty Fighting Tigers'' from the United States, who participated in the ''professional'' category, won a world tour to meet renowned international designers. France won the event in 2004, winning a prize money of 6,000 euro.

Given the internet''s global nature, with no geographical boundaries and designs being increasingly influenced by the designers'' tradition and culture, an Indian entrée would definitely tweak a lot of interest, given the expertise, creativity, and immense talent and experience Indian designers are gifted with. It may even be that an Indian would bringing back a piece of France as part of the winnings.