Floral Competition Essentials

Learn from a veteran competitor and judge.

How to really read a brief, understand where the marks sit, and evaluate your work the way a judge would. These are habits that carry over directly into everyday design.

Runs for approximately one hour, with live Q&A at the close.

Offered in Sydney, New York and London time zones.

The Theme

We'll examine the work of finding a reading that fits the theme and works for the marking criteria.

The Marking Schedule

How well does this work meet the brief? - is a useful question to ask of your everyday designs and in competition.

Let the Marking Schedule be your guide, and assess your work objectively against it.

Find out how to develop that habit, and how it can change your work.

Floral Competition Essentials

Floral Competition Essentials is Mark's essential guide to maximising your chances of success in floral design competitions. It is suited to anyone improving their competing game, refreshing before getting back into competition, or wanting to understand the competition process without yet entering.

The eBook covers a broad range of aspects of competing: researching competitions, analysing and interpreting the schedule, understanding the marking criteria, designing, planning and preparing for competitions, and reviewing your competition results and learnings afterward.

Includes the companion video

Applied Interpretation

In this edition of Applied Interpretation, Mark takes his structured method of theme interpretation and applies it to the schedule of this competition-style event, Between the Gaps.

Between the Gaps works a conceptual theme, which as a category is harder to interpret than themes that name an object. This edition exercises the method on that harder kind of theme.

Follow Mark as he works through the schedule, analysing the theme and identifying design solutions that answer this specific schedule and marking criteria. Then read on as Mark applies the analysis to three example designs created for this event.

Includes the companion video

Applied Interpretation: Between the Gaps works a conceptual theme which, as a category, is harder to interpret than themes based around a tangible object.

This edition exercises the method on that harder kind of theme.

What you Gain

Applied Interpretation offers you a method for interpreting any schedule and the confidence to handle difficult themes.

It provides a clearer path to find where the marks are, and way to find design direction in every part of a brief, not just its theme, but its setting, occasion and constraints.

What's Inside

The Applied Interpretation eBook (and companion video) contain:

  • A full analysis of the theme and the brief
  • A reading of the marking criteria, showing where the points are
  • A set of design directions drawn from that analysis
  • Three fully worked designs, each assessed as a judge would assess it, with its strengths and its risks set out plainly

The link to the companion video is in the back of the eBook

The Schedule

Between the Gaps

Create an arrangement for display in the entry of an Art Gallery at the opening of an exhibition of contemporary paintings titled ‘Between the Gaps’.

The gallery entry is a modern, raw concrete environment, with textured block walls and matching floor in cool grey tones.

The design will be displayed on a concrete plinth, against a wall.

How will you interpret the theme?

Two Live Forums

Join two live online forums, where we go through all the submitted designs, one at a time.

We examine how each one meets the schedule, the overall effect it creates, the principles and elements at work within it, its construction, and the particular risks its interpretation carries.

Nothing is glossed over and nothing is rushed.

Each forum offers a great evening of design thinking.

After the first forum, the designers take the feedback and rework their designs.

The opportunity to apply the feedback to the same schedule is where the learnings are cemented.

The second forum then sets each revised design against its original, so you can see exactly what changed, the reasoning behind the change, and what the change produced.

Seeing the first and second attempts compared highlights the learnings: you watch the feedback go back into the work and come out the other side.

  • As an Observer

    As an observer, you study the whole field without submitting anything of your own.

    You're in the same sessions, hearing the same analysis of the same designs, with access to all the same materials afterwards.

  • Or as a Designer

    As a designer, your own work is among the designs reviewed, and you carry one piece through both forums: submitted, discussed, reworked, and discussed again.

    Designer places are limited, because giving each design this kind of attention takes real time.

1 2

The only difference between the two is whether one of the designs on the table is yours.

The value is in the analysis, which is the same for everyone in the room. Whether you submit or watch, you see every design taken apart and put back together, not just one.

There is a real advantage to that: you watch a whole field of designers approach the same brief, and see why some choices work and others do not, across far more designs than you would ever make yourself.

As either an Observer or a Designer, you receive:

  • Floral Competition Essentials
  • Applied Interpretation
  • An invitation to both Design Forums, with links to watch them at your convenience
  • All the analyses and learnings gathered together in the eBook Competition Learnings: Between the Gaps

Each forum closes with an open question and answer session, and everyone, designers and observers, can take part.

The part I value most is the same thing that is open to everyone here: seeing how other designers think. Watching how someone else reads a brief, what they reach for, where they succeed and where they come unstuck, has taught me as much as anything I have made myself.

That is what these two evenings offer, whichever way you choose to take part.

Competition Learnings

The Competition Learnings eBook (with the forum recordings) captures the transitions from initial attempt, through the analysis and feedback, to the final design.

It's a durable record of all of the designers’ items submitted for the first and second Design Forums, with the detailed notes from Mark’s critical appraisals, highlighting, for each designer, the learnings realised from the first design to the second.

It contains a wealth of analytical observations on design which can be of use to anyone who creates with flowers, especially in competition.

Includes the Design Forum videos

The forum recordings and Competition Learnings eBook are more than just a record of the event.

The feedback shows the Applied Interpretation method at work, across many designs at once, which makes it easier to take that method into your own designing. You see what changed and why, with the two submissions held side by side.

And you see one brief read many ways, the same theme interpreted right across the group, so you can watch how broadly a single schedule can be answered, and how the method holds across them all.

Designing to Win Timetable

Designing to Win - Between the Gaps

21 September 2026

  • Free Seminar - Intro to Competing

19 October 2026 

  • First Design Forum

2 November 2026

  • Second Design Forum

Mark Pampling has been designing, competing, teaching and judging for thirty years now and is as well known for his clear, linear design style as for his patient and inclusive way of sharing his knowledge.

  • 2019 Beijing World Flower Art Contest – Champion
  • 2015 Interflora World Cup, Berlin – Judge
  • 2014 Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year – 1st Place
  • 9th China International Orchid Show (Sanya) – Best Creative Award
  • 2014 International Flower Contest Japan – Best in Show, Gold Award and Design Innovation Award
  • Asia Cup 2014 (Japan) – 1st Place – Surprise Table Display
  • 2013 Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year – 2 Silver Awards & 1 Bronze Award
  • 2012 Fusion Flowers International Designer of the Year – 4th Place
  • 2012 Interflora Australia Cup – Winner
  • 2011 Interflora Australia Cup – Winner
  • Australian Competitor 10th Interflora World Cup 2004 – 3rd Place

More about Mark here.

1 1

Flower Thinking

Floral Competition Essentials

Floral Competition Essentials

Learn to read a brief carefully, understand where to find the most marks, and learn to evaluate your work through an objective framework.

Approximately one hour, with live Q&A at the close.

Places are available in Sydney, New York and London time zones.

 

$0.00 AUD
$0.00 AUD
Sale Sold out
Taxes included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
View full details

Let customers speak for us

from 80 reviews
"Designing to win" is a winner

The intriguing theme,"Uncommon threads", captured my attention and thinking. I initially thought this short course,"Designing to win", would be too challenging. I found that it was actually comprehensive, well organized and structured, and rewarding eventually. This course was about understanding the rules and schedule of a competition. It was about learning how to evaluate one's design for a competition against an essential list of marking criteria for judging. Mark conducted two virtual discussion forums fluently, meticulously and constructively by giving clear analysis with concise explanations. He posed questions and made suggestions on each participant's design in #1 submission. The task of improving/adjusting/changing in order to achieve a better outcome became the necessary challenge for #2 submission.
The learnings from all the other submissions was just as important as those of mine. After having completed this course, I gained a better understanding of the entire process of designing to win and the crucial decision making that hinged on the points/marks for judging. The "wow factor" which can contribute to winning can be achieved by more critical evaluation of a design. Learning to be a better designer is always my aim in participating in Mark's courses. I truly felt that I achieved it and it was a likely "win" for me. The instructional eBooks and video tutorials on competitions were valuable bonuses given after completion of the course.

Thank you, Mark, for this great opportunity to learn from you.

Lawrence Kwong
Designing to Win (Designer)

One Container, Five Elements expanded my design processes and choices. Analysing the container and looking for a link to each of the five elements. Focusing on one element was a disciplined journey, one that became more complex the further I travelled along the path, albeit a rewarding journey. On reflection it allowed me to consider my choices and to give each element of design a voice in my arrangements. I likened it to a choir where one voice may lead but if the supporting harmonies are not in pitch the whole auditory experience is not quite right. I found myself falling to my favourite elements and constantly self-evaluating to see what was often needed, often editing rather than adding. During the group feedback sessions, I gained new eyes not only on my own work but that of my peers. Such a rewarding experience.

David B
One Container Five Elements Online Course

Each task or assignment for this course pushes you to think more about placement of components in order to ensure that the elements and principles of design are used to create a harmonious result. Mark encourages creativity by providing examples before leaving you to work in your own way, this is incredibly stimulating. All feedback provided is done in a positive way which encourages you to assess your own work better each time - however I still manage to repeat some of the same faults over and again ;) so plenty more to learn.

Kath S
Design Directions Online Course

I really enjoyed the course and particularly found the critique process really helpful, as Mark carefully explained what worked well with the designs we had each produced and how they could potentially be improved further. At each stage, Mark explained how the design principles applied and helped me to develop my understanding of contemporary work.

Bhabetler1563
Design Directions Online Course

Yet another amazing floral learning opportunity by our incredible Mark Pampling and Flower Thinking. The experience of learning is outstanding with endless learning opportunities. This is not simply an online course, it is an interactive extremely detailed, deep learning opportunity. Thank you Flower Thinking - My designs from the course are pictured below. So much learning and adaptation creates a new awareness and thought process in design which I truly enjoyed.

Linda
Advanced Directions Online Course

Festive Thinking allowed me to expand my creativity. Mark’s ebooks and video explanations were clear and provided examples of the task. I throughly enjoyed creating with the sickles and the online forum. Mark expert advice and suggestions gives insights into the designer’s arrangements. This allows for self improvement and reflection on my own creation. A wonderful experience I look forward to the next Flower Thinking offering.

David B
Festive Thinking (Designer)