The Achilles Heel of Product Design Competitions and the Fair Judging Solution
http://www.upassoc.org/upa_publications/upa_voice/volumes/2007/august/judging.html

Buttiglieri, Rich
Usability Professionals Association
2007

Abstract:

I have judged a fair number of national and international product design competitions (five in the past three years alone) and each has made the same procedural mistake: products are assembled and categorized, judging criterion are devised, reputable judges are assembled, and yet we judges never see or touch the products in person. Instead, we receive a set of written documents describing each product, its intended function, and its design process. Imagine an art contest conducted by email and you get the gist of what's going on out there.