Info for creatives / FAQ

"User" account should be chosen by those who are planning to join a contest and submit a project. This type of account allows voting.
Note well, User accounts are not allowed to launch contests.
"Client" account is for those (either Individual or Companies), who want to launch a contest themselves. This type of account allows voting.
Note well, Client accounts are not allowed to join contests. Individual Client accounts are conceived for privates, without a company, who want to launch a contest. Company Client accounts are conceived for companies that want to launch a contest.

What are the Facebook and Twitter connects options?

If you like, you can signup in Desall by connecting to your Facebook or Twitter accounts. After granting Desall access to Facebook or Twitter, you will be able to choose your preferred username. Note well that you cannot edit the e-mail address. In case of the Twitter connect option you will also have to confirm your account by clicking on the link provided in the Activation e-mail. (Check also your SPAM folder).

What should I use for my username?

Users are free to choose their username as long as they do not harm the sensibility of the Community by using bad or offensive language. In case the username has already been taken, you will be prompted an error message. We suggest you NOT to use your full e-mail address as username, in order to preserve your privacy.

I did not receive the activation e-mail. What should I do?

Before contacting us, check your SPAM folder inside your inbox and look for our e-mail. If our e-mail has been flagged as SPAM, please unflag it and add noreply[at]desall[dot]com and info[at]desall[dot]com to your contact list to make sure you will receive further communications. If you still cannot see it, write us to hello[at]desall[dot]com and we will be glad to assist you.

Why on earth has the Activation e-mail been flagged as SPAM?

Sometimes e-mail providers flag as SPAM messages coming from unknown recipients. If this is your case, please unflag it and add noreply[at]desall[dot]com and info[at]desall[dot]com to your contact list.

I forgot my password and/or username.

No need to worry. Go to the login page and write your e-mail in the "Forgot username or password?" field.

What are the mandatory fields for the Signup?

The mandatory fields for Signup are: Username, Email, Password, Repeat Password. You must tick the checkbox “I'm over 18 and agree to the Privacy Policy & User Agreement”.

Can I have more than one account?

No, users can have one account all life long. If there are troubles with your account, please contact us to hello[at]desall[dot]com.

How can I delete my account?

Simply get in contact with us writing a request email clicking on the following link. A member of our staff will get in contact with you as soon as possible.

PROFILE

What is the profile page for?

The profile page is a section where you can edit your avatar, personal information, including a short bio, tags, your own website, social network, etc. Our suggestion is to fill in all fields, including a nice picture, to catch the attention of our Clients.

What are the mandatory fields to browse Desall.com?

No fields are mandatory. However we suggest you to complete your profile.

What are the mandatory fields to be able to vote?

No fields are mandatory. However we suggest you to complete your profile.

What are the mandatory fields to upload a project for a contest?

The mandatory fields to upload a project are shown in the drop down menu named “Upload your design? Fill in the mandatory fields *”, in the bottom of the profile page. They are: Name, Address, City, State (for those countries with no States, write your province/region/…), Zip Code (postal code), Country.
You can decide which of the following fields you want to show or not in your public profile page by checking the "public" check-box: Birth year, Name, City, Country.

How can I change my password?

If you want to change your password, go to the “Password” tab in your profile page.

How can I change my notifications/newsletter settings?

If you want to change your notifications/newsletter settings, go to the “Notifications” tab in your profile page.

What is my “Portfolio” tab?

The “Porfolio” tab is a section of your profile page where all the projects submitted for a contest are listed. Works created for purposes other than the contests held on Desall cannot be uploaded.
If you have an online portfolio on other platforms, you can write the URL in the website field from your “Profile” page.

What is my “Favorites” tab?

The “Favorites” tab is a section of your profile page where you can see all users/clients, designs and contests that you have picked as favourite, as well as the users/clients that have favourited you.

What is my “Badge” tab?

The “Badge” tab is a section of your profile page where you can see your achievements. The most active you are, the most badges you get!

What is my “Awards” tab?

The “Awards” tab is a section of your profile page where you can see the awards you have won joining our contests.

CONTEST

Can I join as a Team?

Yes, you can join as a Team as long as you enter the personal information of one referee only. In the profile description you should provide the Name and Surname of all members of your team. In case you get selected for the awards, Desall will contact directly the referee of the Team. In case of a workshop award, one access only will be granted to the team unless otherwise specified.

Are there any restrictions for joining a competition?

The only restriction for joining a competition is the minimum legal age according to the Italian legislation, viz. 18 years old.
Exceptions for school students or similar can be made in special circumstances - please contact us directly on the topic.

Is there an entry fee to join a contest?

No, all contests on Desall.com are free to join for everyone.

Do all contests have Material files and where can I find them?

No, not all contests have “Material files”. In case there are, the “Material files” icon will be active (light blue colour). The “Material files” icon is available under the text of the brief in the contest page
Note well that the brief is always available for download in PDF format.

How long does a contest last?

There is no fixed timing for a contest. Every contest has a specific calendar which is available inside the brief document attached as PDF in the contest page. In addition, for every phase you can check the duration from the coloured upper bar inside the contest page. For the Upload phase there is also a countdown showing exactly how much time is left for submissions which is visible under the brief.

What is the Coming soon phase?

The Coming soon phase is a period during which the brief of the contest is published but the Upload phase has not been opened yet. This phase should help everyone read carefully the brief and analyze all aspects before uploading the projects.

What is the Upload phase?

The Upload phase is the period during which a contest is open for submissions. Only in this phase can designers submit their proposals.
Note well that every contest has a specific Upload phase time.

What is the Community vote phase?

The Community vote phase is the period during which a contest opens for the votes of the Community. Everyone can join this phase to vote for their preferred designs, as long as he or she signs up on Desall.com.

What is the Client vote phase?

The Client vote phase is the period during which the Client selects the winners of a contest.
The winners are always chosen by the Client, regardless of the Community vote, if not stated otherwise in the brief.

Where can I find all information related to a contest?

All information related to a contest are available in the “Brief” tab of the contest, from the contest page.

How can I see what contests are open at the moment?

The contests which are open are the first ones listed from the “Contests” page on Desall.com.
You can also check it from the description or status bar under the thumbnail of the contest.

Which are the contest typologies?

The contest typologies are: “Industrial design”, “Craft design” and “Interior design”.
“Industrial design” focuses on projects expected to enter mass production, “Craft design” regards artisan products and small series, while “Interior design” is related to the development of interior design projects, space planning, furniture design etc.
More info on: https://desall.com/LaunchContest

What is the difference between single phase and sequential contests?

Single phase contests focus only on one aspect of product development, either related to “Industrial design” (New idea, Product design, Naming, Packaging), “Craft design” or “Interior design".
Sequential contests are related only to the “Industrial design” contest typology and include two or more phases (New idea + Product design + Naming + Packaging).

What is a contest with NDA?

NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. It is a contract through which the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement.
A contest licensed under NDA requires users to accept it in order to read the brief, make an upload and browse the gallery.
During the Community Vote phase you can invite people to vote your project. To cast their vote, they need to signup in Desall.com and accept the NDA too. A NDA contest is indicated by a crossed-mouth icon on the thumbnail. Once you are logged in and have accepted the NDA, the icon will not be visible.

What is a private contest?

A private contest allows only the Client to view the submitted proposals.
Everyone can read the brief and join the contest.
For this type of contest, the Community Vote phase is not present.
A private contest is indicated by a locker icon on the thumbnail.

Do you have any doubts or questions about a contest?

Please contact us directly clicking on the “Have a question?” light blue button on the left side of the contest page.

What is the Contest Agreement?

The “Contest Agreement” is the document that contains all terms and conditions related to every contest.
The “Contest Agreement” is specific for every contest, all participants are thus invited to carefully read it and accept it before submitting any project.

What is the time zone of reference for the contests?

All date and time references are calculated using the UTC time zone.

What time do contests end?

The default time for the closing of a contest is 1.59 PM UTC. If you want to know what time it is in your local timezone, try this or this one also (WCAG 2.0 compatible).

Who keeps the IP over my projects?

The IP always remains with the authors of the projects, viz. you. With the payment of the award or with the exercise of the option right the Sponsor is granted a license for the use of the project. For more details please read the Contest Agreement of the contest you are interested in available from the Contest page.

What if I am not the winner?

Following the end of the contest, the Sponsor has by default 12 months of either an option right or a pre-emption right on all the projects submitted for the contest. In case of option right, you cannot propose your non-winning projects to any third party throughout this time. In case of pre-emption right, you can propose them to third parties but before giving away their licenses you have to enquire if the Sponsor has any interest. In order to do so, please contact our team.

What is the difference between option right and pre-emption right?

If the contest sets forth an option right for the Sponsor, it means that in addition to the awards the Sponsor can purchase other projects throughout the 12 months following the end of the contest for a preset amount specified in the brief. If the Sponsor has a pre-emption right, you can propose your non-winning projects to third parties but before selling them you have to enquiry into the Sponsor interest contacting our team.

UPLOAD

When can I make an upload?

Users can make a submission only when a contest is open for the Upload phase.
All info about the contests are available inside the contest page.

How to make a new upload?

Provided that you have already signed up on Desall.com as User and have filled in all mandatory fields, you can make a new upload by clicking on the green “Upload” button inside the contest page.

What is the format for the images of an upload?

All images should be edited in 4/3 format (960x720 pixels), horizontal orientation, RGB color mode only (not CMYK), .jpg or .png extension, no bigger than 1 MB. Note well that you can add extra material and images inside a .zip “Archive” from the ad-hoc field.

Is there a limit of uploads allowed?

There are no limits of uploads per user per contest, provided that every submission is different from one another (if you reupload the same design with little changes only – such as colours, title/text changes, extra renders, etc. – it will be removed).
Note well that you are not supposed to create another account (read here)

How can I edit/remove my upload?

You are not allowed to edit or remove your submissions since it is just like a normal competition. If you need to make little changes – such as colours, title/text changes, extra renders, etc. – contact us to hello[at]desall[dot]com specifying your changes, username and design.

My images are cropped. What should I do?

First prepare the images as suggested above.
Secondly, if the contest is still in the Upload phase, make a new upload with the correct images and get in contact with us as soon as possible writing to hello[at]desall[dot]com in order to delete the wrong entry.
If the contest has closed in the meanwhile, contact us as soon as possible and send us the correct images to hello[at]desall[dot]com.

The upload button is not working, what should I do?

First of all, make sure the contest is in the Upload phase and you are logged in.
If the contest is in Upload phase you should see the green button named “Upload” inside the contest page.
On the contrary, if the button is grey, please contact us as soon as possible writing to hello[at]desall[dot]com.

What are the mandatory fields to submit an upload?

In order to submit an upload you need to provide: “Project name”, a short “Abstract” (max 500 characters), at least 1 “Image”, “Tags” to describe your project and accept the “Agreement”.

Why should I write a description for my upload?

The description is an important field for you to complete, because it gives you the chance to further explain your entry, drawing the attention of the reader (ultimately, the Client) on a specific aspect of your project.

Can I use copyrighted materials for my upload?

Generally you cannot, unless you have the license to do so. Consider that the license required may vary from contest to contest. We suggest you to use royalty-free images or use self-created material.

Why should I upload my entry at the beginning of the Upload phase, rather than at the last minute?

The sooner you upload your entry, the better. In fact, should another user upload a project which is very similar to yours - and there should arise a dispute about it - priority will be given to the earlier entry.

What is the design "Hidden option"?

This option allows you to keep your entry hidden from the other participants until the start of the Community Vote. You can activate this option only if you publish your project within the first half of the Upload phase. This option is not available for private gallery contests.

COMMUNITY VOTE

What is the purpose of the Community Vote?

The Community Vote is the phase which starts when the Upload phase has closed. During this phase all people can cast their votes for their favorite projects by signing up on Desall.com and clicking on the “Vote design” button in the left side of the design page.
This is an important stage for designers that allows them to promote their designs to the whole Community, inviting friends to join and sharing the projects throught the social networks.
In addition it is very important for the designers, because the Clients use it as a marketing research and might be influenced in the final choice of the winners, which is not directly decreed by the votes of the Community.

Do I need to be registered on Desall to vote for a design?

Yes you do. Voting is open only to registered users. Sign up on Desall.com, it’s free!

How can I vote?

Signup in Desall.com, go the page of the design you want to vote and click on the green “Vote design” button on the left side.

When can I vote?

Votes can be cast only during the Community Vote phase, which starts just after the end of the Upload phase.

Why can’t I vote?

First of all, make sure the contest is in the Community Vote phase and you are logged in. Secondly, note well that voting from more than one account is not allowed, in which case our system automatically blocks the voting option and warns us about the illicit activity, that may end up with the removal of the design.
Last, make sure the contest is not Private, in which case the Community Vote would not be present.
If none of the above mentioned cases match your situation, please contact us to hello[at]desall[dot]com.

Can I vote from more than one account?

No, double accounts are strictly prohibited on Desall.com.
The votes should reflect the real preference of the public.
Whoever should be caught to carry on malicious, dangerous or illecit activities, will be strictly punished.

What is the difference between Desall votes and Facebook likes?

Only the Desall votes are counted during the Community Vote phase, however also the likes on Facebook might be considered by the Client as further feedback for the market research.

AWARDS

Where can I find the awards for a contest?

The awards of a contest are written in the “Awards” tab inside the contest page. In addition, they are also reported in the PDF brief attached to the contest page.

Do we get royalties for all the contests?

No, not all contests confer royalties. In the “Awards” tab it is always specified whether royalties are conferred or not. The royalties information are also included in the “Contest Agreement”.

Who decides the total amount of the awards?

The total amount of the awards is always decided by the Client which launches the contest. Desall is not involved in the decision.

When do we get the money?

Once the winners have been selected by the Client, the Desall Team will get in contact with them asking for the necessary billing information.
Thus, the time for the payment depends on the single Client and is usually no longer than 3 months.

How do I receive the money?

The only allowed payment method is the bank transfer.

Does any tax apply on the award?

Yes, the Italian legislation applies taxes on the final sum of the award depending on Age and Residence of the participant.

WINNERS

Who chooses the winners?

The winners are always chosen by the Client, unless otherwise stated in the brief.

When will the winners be announced?

The winners are announced after the Community Vote phase, once the Client has made the choice. Time may vary according to the Client. Usually it takes no longer than 1 month.

Where are the winners of a contest published?

The winners are always published in the “Awards” tab of the contest page, once the contest has been closed. In addition, you will find a brief article on our blog (blog.desall.com) presenting the winning projects and on our social networks.
Note well that in case of a NDA contest (NDA contest), you will first have to accept the NDA to view the winning proposals and authors; in case of a private contest, only the author of the winning proposals will be visible.

WEBSITE

What browser should I use?

We suggest you to use the latest version available of your preferred browser.
Desall is compatible with all latest browsers.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 or earlier is not supported.
If you don’t know what browser to use, we suggest you Google Chrome (download the latest version).

Any doubt about the icons or functionalities?

Check our “Instruction booklet”.

Want to leave a feedback or a comment for the website?

You can leave a feedback or a comment from all pages of our website clicking on the blue tab on the right side of your window named “feedback”.
Note well that this feature is not meant for voting or commenting a design.

Want to leave a comment on a design?

You can leave a comment on a design from the design page, once you’ve logged in Desall.com.

What languages are allowed on the Desall.com?

Only English is allowed on Desall.com because our Clients, regardless of their location, often have international personnel.
In addition, Desall is an international community of creatives and to help everyone understand and join the discussions English must be preferred.
In case you see comments written in other languages, please report them to us clicking on the “gear” icon next to the comment and on the “flag” button which pops up.

How can I follow a user, client or contest?

In order to follow a user, client or contest you should click on the “plus” icon on the top-right corner of the thumbnail.

How do private messages work?

If you want to send a message to a user, go to his/her profile page and click on “Send a message” button on the left side. When you send a message an automated mail by noreply[at]desall[dot]com will be sent to his/her e-mail address with the content of your text. If you want to reply, you just need to click on the “Reply” button inside the e-mail which will redirect you to the profile page of the user you want to contact and click on the “Send a message” button.
Note well that this system has been conceived to preserve your privacy by concealing your email address.

Why should I follow a user, client or contest?

You would want to follow a user, client or contest if you are planning to be updated about the related activities, such as new uploads, contests or announcements.
Note well that you need to activate your notifications from the “Notifications” tab in your profile page.

What if a user keeps bothering me with private messages?

Go the user “Profile” page and click on the red button on the left side called “Block this user”.
Please contact us in this regard writing to hello[at]desall[dot]com.

How can I block all private messages?

Go to the “Notifications” tab inside your “Profile” page and uncheck the “I want to send and receive private messages” box.

GENERAL

What is Desall?

Desall is a crowdsourcing web platform for participatory design that connects companies and private clients to an international Community of creative talents, through the organization of design contests open to all.

What is crowdsourcing?

“Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers” (Cit. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdsourcing).
Desall has opened the project development to an international Community of creatives that contribute to the process joining our contests.

How can I contact you?

If you want to contact us in regard to a specific contest, please go to the respective “Contest” page and click on the blue button on the left side of the page called “Have a question?”.
For general enquiries, please write to hello[at]desall[dot]com.

If you did not find what you were looking for, please contact us using our form.

back top

Info for creatives / FAQ

Desall from A to Z

About us

Info for creatives

Info for clients

Rules

Products