not just a shop product competition

1Application information

2Design guidance

3Terms and Conditions

4Privacy Notice

5Your details

6Self-employment

7Your designs

8Equal opportunities

9Careers & Employability communications

10Confirmation

not just a shop: Greeting Card Design Brief 2026
Application deadline: 10am Monday 29 June.
We encourage applications from all disciplines.
What we're looking for
Designs can be illustrative, typographic, photographic or mixed media that clearly communicate their chosen occasion.
Designs should be appealing to the public and represent the creativity and diversity of UAL. Entries will be judged on their originality and public appeal.
Who can apply
Students currently studying at 1 of the 6 UAL colleges on a BA, MA, PHD or FdA level course.
How entries will be judged
- Designs presented to a high standard.
- Creativity, uniqueness, and offer fresh approach to the theme of birthday or Christmas
- Commercial viability, wide public appeal.
Priority will be given to students who have not previously won the competition.
Number of designs per applicant
1 applicant can submit up to 3 different designs.
Please be selective when submitting your work. Ask friends to help edit if needed.
To enter
Prepare your designs, following the criteria:
- Christmas card design - Avoid using any seasonal greetings, this will keep the design more open to a wider audience.
- Submission file type: High resolution JPEG (300 dpi) with max size of 1MB.NB: If selected you will need to supply an Illustrator, EPS or Tiff file.
- Image format: 105 x 148 mm portrait or landscape (with allowance for a 3mm bleed around outside edge)High resolution JPEG (300 dpi) with a max size of 1MB.
- No key design elements (e.g. text) should be within 30mm from the bottom edge.
Please note:
- Do not send multiple colourways of 1 design. We will only put 1 forward if you do.
After you apply
Winners will be contacted on 23 July 2026.
The winning designs will be produced by not just a shop and we will need the Illustrator, EPS, or Tiff files. Copyright in the design will remain with the creator, not just a shop will print a limited run to sell in store and online.
The prize 
We will select up to 12 designs to produce and each designer will receive:
- Cash prize for your design*
- 10 copies of their greetings card
- Professional photography for portfolio.
* Birthday card prize is £75 per design; we will be producing 50 to be sold as single cards. Christmas card prize is £150; we will be producing 96 to be sold in packs of 6.
You can win with multiple designs, for example if you submit a commercially strong birthday and Christmas card you will receive a combined prize of £225.
Get support
Read about and download the full brief with previous winning entries and application support.
Contact notjustashop@arts.ac.uk for advice in regards to any:
- barriers to your participation
- access requirements (not limited to disability).

The audience, and who will buy and who will receive it.
- We are looking for designs that are appealing to the general public and represent the quality, creativity and diversity of UAL.
- Consider who would buy your card and who would receive it.
- Commercially appealing cards are open to a wide audience and does not need prior context to understand or enjoy.
Think about the message you want to convey with your design
- Successful designs will be able to visually communicate their occasion and will be instantly recognisable to a customer that they’re either a birthday or Christmas Card.
- Consider if your design will be received positively by loved ones and professionals.
How does the colour palette impact your design?
- Consider if the colouring elevates your design to stand out if on a busy card display.
- Check if the colouring works well together by doing a test print.
Is your image original and a different take on birthday or Christmas card?
- We are looking for contemporary and unique designs that successfully communicate their occasion.
- Research birthday and Christmas cards to inform your fresh approach to the theme and to understand the current market.
Does your image fit the file type and dimensions set in the criteria?
- Make sure your artwork has a high image quality, at least 300dpi.
- We would advise doing a final quality check before submitting to ensure; the dimensions are correct and that your design is clear, readable text size (if included), finished colouring etc.
If using AI to create your design, consider the following:
- How does AI enhance your practice?
- Does the design reflect the creativity of UAL and feel appropriate for not just a shop’s audience?
- Is the design exclusive to you or can someone else also create the same design?
- Does the AI software allow you to sell the design commercially? This can be checked in their terms and conditions.
- Are you able to amend the design if changes are requested?
If you are unsure about how to use AI while at UAL, please read the statement on our position on AI - Our Position Statement on AI | UAL

Terms and conditions 
- This competition is open to current students from all UAL colleges and courses (including international students).
- We are looking for UAL exclusive designs, designs that have been previously licensed by other retailers are not eligible.
- There is 3 design limit per student. Do not send colour variations, the panel will request this if the design is successful.
- Students are welcome to collaborate on the design(s), but to note that the prize money will be divided equally between them should their design be selected.
- Designs should be commercially viable and may be required to be adapted to increase suitability (in agreement with the entrant).
- Artwork can be produced in any medium but must be submitted as a high-resolution digital image.
- Winning applicants will need to supply the final artwork to UAL as an Illustrator, EPS or Tiff file and provide a short designer biography.
- The intellectual property of designs submitted but not selected will remain entirely with the students who created them.
- Designs entered must be your own original artwork, of which you hold and will maintain the copyright to.
- Christmas card prize of £150 is equivalent to royalties for production of 96 (16packs) greetings cards. If we decide to print more, we will contact you to discuss a further fee.
- Birthday card prize of £75 is equivalent to royalties for production of 50 cards. If we decide to print more, we will contact you to discuss a further fee.
- If a student submits multiple winning designs, they will receive a combined prize. For example if they submit, 1 winning birthday and 1 winning Christmas card they will receive £225.
- The winning designs will also be used across UAL marketing and advertising materials to promote not just a shop and future competitions. You will be credited whenever image is used.
- Production of the greetings cards will be managed by UAL.
- The greetings cards will be produced as branded merchandise for UAL. The branded details will be in the back of the greeting card, we will send this over for the winner’s approval.
- The greetings card range will be sold both in-store and through the online shop from November 2026.
Schedule
Deadline for submissions: 10am, Monday 29 June 2026
Feedback to applicants: Thursday 23 July 2026
Agreement * REQUIRED
- I confirm I agree with the terms and conditions and schedule above.

not just a shop: Greeting Card Design Brief 2026

What we're looking for

Who can apply

How entries will be judged

Number of designs per applicant

To enter

After you apply

The prize

Get support

The audience, and who will buy and who will receive it.

Think about the message you want to convey with your design

How does the colour palette impact your design?

Is your image original and a different take on birthday or Christmas card?

Does your image fit the file type and dimensions set in the criteria?

If using AI to create your design, consider the following:

Terms and conditions

Schedule

Privacy notice

Purpose and legal basis

Sharing

Retention

Other information

Personal information

Self-employment monitoring

Your designs

Design 1

Design 2

Design 3

Equal opportunities

Communications

Review your responses