Dates The East vs. West Coast Design Competition runs April 10–12, 2026. The Opening Ceremony and sprint kickoff begins April 10 at 5:00 PM EST / 2:00 PM PST. Design work must not begin before the ceremony. All submissions are due April 12 at 11:59 PM EST / 8:59 PM PST. Judging takes place April 13. Winners are announced at the Awards Ceremony on April 14 at 5:00 PM EST / 2:00 PM PST. No extensions will be granted under any circumstances.
Eligibility Open to any student currently enrolled at a participating Adobe Ambassador campus. You must register with your school email address. Working professionals are not eligible. Each participant may only be on one team. Teams must have 2–4 members — solo submissions are not accepted. Cross-campus teams are allowed and encouraged. There is no registration fee.
Project and Submission Requirements All submissions must be made through Devpost before the deadline. Each team must submit the following:
- Project title and team description
- Track selection (Brand Identity, UI/UX MVP, or Adobe Express)
- Design files via shareable link (Figma, Adobe XD, or equivalent — set to "Anyone with the link can view")
- Presentation or pitch deck covering design decisions and rationale
- Adobe Express documentation: what feature(s) you used, why, and what you created
- Demo/pitch video (minimum 1 minute, maximum 3 minutes)
Name your project file: [TeamName]_[Track]_EastvsWest2026. Export all deliverables as PDF or PNG at minimum. Adobe Express must be used meaningfully by every team regardless of track — superficial or token use will be scored lower. Teams missing any required component may be disqualified.
Prizes $100 in total prizes distributed across the following awards:
- Overall Winner (any track)
- Brand Identity Track Winner
- UI/UX MVP Track Winner
- Honorable Mentions (all tracks)
All participants receive a certificate of participation, private judge feedback, and portfolio-ready work completed under real startup constraints. Prize amounts per placement will be confirmed and announced before competition weekend.
Judging Criteria and Winner Selection Judging takes place April 13. The panel includes industry designers, product managers, brand strategists, and a representative from the Leslie Entrepreneurial Institute. Final scores are a weighted combination of judge panel scores (primary weight) and community votes on Devpost (secondary, lower weight).
Projects are scored on the following criteria:
UI/UX Track: Visual Design & Aesthetics (30%), UX & User Flows (30%), Adobe Express Integration (20%), Accessibility & Inclusivity (20%)
Brand Identity Track: Brand Identity & Concept (30%), Graphic Design Craft (30%), Adobe Express Integration (20%), Versatility & Application (20%)
Overall Winner (all tracks): Concept & Originality (20%), Design & Execution (25%), Adobe Express Integration (15%), Impact & Shareability (20%), Retention & Longevity (20%)
All tracks are also evaluated on Impact, Clarity, Feasibility, Strategic Thinking, and Craft. Winners are announced at the Awards Ceremony on April 14. All teams may receive private feedback after the ceremony — winners receive full rubric scores and written judge notes.