Judges will award your entry out of 100 points, allocated as follows:

Overall Concept / Experience (20 points)

This is the highest scoring criteria - so it's pretty important! To deliver an inspiring pitch that best outlines your project concept, submit a succinct, (only 700 words) engaging project summary that explains the clients vision, the design and fit out objective, the result and outcome.

The project summary is then supported by a selection of imagery that best showcases the concept and criteria elements overall. Your selected photos are really important to giving the judges an understanding of the overall project. Basically, if you don't have photos that can show elements of all the criteria below, it will be almost impossible for the judges to successfully award points.

So choose your photos wisely - make sure they reflect the judging criteria. Don't rely on moody blurred out images of glasses on tables to tell the story.

HOT TIP: Use the montage upload option to show more of the details and experience.

Entries will score up to 10 points for the following criteria:

Impact of shop front, signage and graphics

Not all entires have a shop front - but there will be some form of signage integration and/or use of graphics within the design - don't forget to show this.

Fit-out quality and complexity

This is where the art of design and excellence of shop-fitting delivery is showcased. This is how one design can outweigh another based on the execution.
Budget can be a factor - however there are often simple innovative ways that a design detail or element can be bought to life without a big $ budget. It's the attention to detail and seemless delivery that is important here.

Innovation

Think new technology or customer service solutions. Describe solutions to challenges you faced that are outside of the norm.

Space planning / customer flow

Tell us what you did to maximise your SQM, improve your customer and or operational flow. Make sure you include your floor plan.

Ambience (Lighting, Colour, Flooring)

Lighting and finishes help make the experience - but they are often overlooked in the photos uploaded. Highlight your unique finishes.

Brand integration

Branding is a critical aspect of retail. Branding is not just logos and signs - it's how you reflect the brand essence to customers through elements like:

• Brand colours, patterns, icons, messages

On;

• Signs, walls, imagery, glazing navigation, imagery, joinery, fixtures and fittings, or on menu's, napkins and glasses

Merchandising and display / joinery

If you are selling product - how it's merchandised and displayed is critical to sell through and this must be considered as part of an effective retail environment. If you are showcasing hospitality and services - it's about how the offer is packaged through some of the key joinery elements like bars, reception counters, and food cabinets. 

Response relative to brief and budget

Judges will award final points after reviewing the project summary and photo submissions and measure how they think the project responds to the clients brief. This is an important final assessment - as some projects look fabulous - but do not necessarily deliver to the clients requirements. Make sure your submission effectively demonstrates how the clients brief has been bought to life.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a new criteria and excellence category in 2017, and is judged independently by our sponsor, Kiwi Property. To be considered for this award, you must indicate the sustainable aspects of your design/fit-out in the project summary. We will then be in contact with you to further discuss the sustainable aspects of your project in more detail.

Finally and most importantly please don't leave the process of entering until the last minute. I know it's hard when you are busy doing the doing, but you won't get the best result from rushing to meet the deadline. Take some extra time to assess your content, get your peers to look over the project summary and photos for relevance.

That's it...good luck! We're looking forward to seeing more beautifully designed and constructed Retail Interiors as entrants in the Red Awards 2017.