This contest has been closed. Thank you very much for applying.

Contest Results

To all of you who have entered the contest

We would like to express our deepest appreciation for your participation in the OCTOPUS Rack Design Contest, organized by the D3 Center at the University of Osaka.

This contest was held to commemorate the launch, in September 2025, of the University of Osaka next-generation compute and storage infrastructure: OCTOPUS: Osaka university Compute and sTOrage Platform Urging open Science. To mark this occasion, we invited submissions for a design that would serve as the symbolic “face” of OCTOPUS. Despite the short notice and limited application period, we were honored to receive a total of 20 entries.

The evaluation process was conducted with the utmost rigor through blind review, following the precedent of the SQUID Rack Design Contest held in 2021. The judging panel consisted of 18 members drawn from the D3 Center together with representatives from co-organizing, sponsoring, and supporting companies. As each submission reflected the originality and aesthetic excellence of its creator’s design concept, the selection of one Grand Prize and two Excellence Awards required careful discussion and deliberation. With the generous support of our co-organizing and sponsoring partners, the number of Excellence Awards was expanded from the initially planned two to three. Consequently, a total of five award-winning works were selected: one Grand Prize, three Excellence Awards, and one Special Jury Award. The results are hereby announced below.

The Grand Prize design, created by Ms. Ann Grishunova, will be prominently featured on the computing racks of OCTOPUS, serving as the visual identity of the platform. Furthermore, it will be widely disseminated through the D3 Center’s website, promotional materials, and related communications. We sincerely hope that OCTOPUS will be recognized not only by researchers and engineers in academia and industry as an indispensable “octopus” enabling advanced research with “large-scale research data”, “artificial intelligence”, and “scientific computing and simulation”, but also by the broader public as a next-generation computing and storage platform that underpins Japan’s cutting-edge research and promotes “Open Science”.

On behalf of the OCTOPUS Rack Design Contest Committee and the faculty and staff of the D3 Center at the University of Osaka, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants for their outstanding contributions.

Awardee

Grand Prize

Ann Grishunova 様

Grand Prize Winner’s Comment（Ms. Ann Grishunova）

It was important for me to draw a modern and technological illustration
that will harmoniously display the beauty of Japanese culture 🎆

I am grateful to the OCTOPUS Rack Design Contest Office team for holding
the contest!

ExcellenceAward

石山　晴賀様

高溝　萌子様

見岳　佑心様

Special Jury Award

北村　友莉　様

This contest has been closed.

Showcase your art on OCTOPUS at the University of Osaka!

The D3 Center of The University of Osaka will launch the operation of OCTOPUS（Osaka university Compute & sTOrage Platform Urging open Science） —a next-generation computing and storage infrastructure— in September 2025. This platform will be available to researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students at universities, research institutes, and companies across Japan.
　To celebrate the launch of OCTOPUS, we are calling for proposals for an artwork that will serve as the new iconic “face” of OCTOPUS.
　The winning artwork will be printed on the front of the server racks (1940 mm x 3500 mm) located in the IT Core Building— our data center—and will also be featured widely on our website, publicity materials, and more.

Deadline

Submission deadline: 12:00 PM (Noon), Friday, July 18, 2025 (JST)
Submissions must be received by this time.

Awards

【Grand Prize (1 entry)】VISA Gift Card worth ¥300,000 and Certificate of Award
【Excellence Award (2 entries)】VISA Gift Card worth ¥70,000 and Certificate of Award

（As a result of careful discussion and review, the number of Excellence Awards has been revised to three.）

【Special Jury Award (Several entries)】VISA Gift Card worth ¥30,000 and Certificate of Award

Theme

「Designs that represent OCTOPUS」

Inspired by the following keywords:

(Reference: Sample Image) Illustration design of the previous "OCTOPUS" system
The new design will be applied to the illustration area of the previous OCTOPUS system.

"OCTOPUS" Computing Rack Group (Design Placement Area)
Top View

"OCTOPUS" Illustration Design
Sample Design Placement Image

Submission Materials

【Design Artwork】

Note: Submissions using generative AI or traced from AI-generated images are strictly prohibited.

【Concept Description】

Approx. 1 A4 page describing the design concept

How to Participate

Please submit your entry via email to the address listed below.

Note: Only one entry per person is accepted.

Eligibility

Open to all (no restrictions)
Note: Individuals involved in the organization of this contest, as well as those who have previously received the Grand Prize in a rack design contest held by this center, are not eligible for award selection.

Entry Fee

Free of charge

Jury

The jury will consist of members from The University of Osaka D3 Center and representatives from our co-hosting, sponsoring, and supporting companies.

Result Announcement

Winners will be notified by late July 2025.
Results will also be published on the campaign website.

Copyright

The ownership and copyright (including the rights specified in Articles 27 and 28 of the Japanese Copyright Act) of submitted and winning works shall belong to The University of Osaka D3 Center.

Organizer

D3 Center, The University of Osaka

Supporters

Co-Sponsors

Submission and Inquiry

E-mail:system@cmc.osaka-u.ac.jp
5-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan