01 · Concept
Is there a real idea?
A clear, defensible point of view that connects the brief to the audience. Concept first, decoration second.
About GenNext
Most students leave school without a body of work a creative director can read in five minutes. Most studios don't have a way to find young talent before someone else has signed them. GenNext exists to fix both ends of that.
The work
Across the season, teams respond to authentic briefs across Visual Graphics, Motion Design, Web & UI, Digital Illustration and Brand Storytelling. Each one comes with the materials a working studio gets on day one — context, audience, deliverables, brand assets and reference.
The judging panel rotates each round and includes working creative directors, illustrators, motion artists and platform leads. They score on the lens they apply at work: concept, craft, originality, storytelling and audience fit.
After every round, the jury returns a written critique alongside the score — so by the time you reach the Finals, you've built both a portfolio and a real read on how to keep getting better.
Judging criteria
The same five criteria run through every round. Teams that score highly in the season do so because they've thought about all five — not because they happen to be visually polished.
A clear, defensible point of view that connects the brief to the audience. Concept first, decoration second.
Typography, hierarchy, motion, code. The discipline-specific fundamentals, judged in their own terms.
References are welcome, repetition isn't. We reward distinctive voices over perfectly-rendered familiar ones.
Whether it's a poster, a title sequence or a product flow — the work should carry a viewer somewhere.
A great idea badly aimed misses. We look for work that meets a real audience where they are.
Every brief includes the exact rubric judges score against. No mystery. No politics.
Who can enter
GenNext is open to currently-enrolled students aged 14–24, in teams of two to five. We actively recruit young women, self-taught creators and students from communities under-represented in creative industries.
High-school teams. Slightly shorter briefs, the same five judging criteria. School coordinator required.
Undergraduate and FE college teams. Full-length briefs and access to all five categories.
Mixed-age teams compete in Band B. We encourage it — younger creators on senior teams consistently lift the work.
Partners
GenNext is built with a rotating roster of partners — agencies who write the briefs, platforms whose tools we put in your hands, and schools whose students we welcome each year.
Markup, review and collaboration tools for every registered team. Bluebeam also runs mentor sessions during Foundations.
Free educational seats for every team — for Web & UI briefs and team collaboration.
Finalists are hosted at the annual 24G Creators' Forum, where the live pitch round takes place.
Registration closes 26 January 2024. Free fee-waiver places available for under-represented schools — apply through the registration form.
Start your application →