Six Apart, Adobe and Style Master sponsors The Style Contest. So what is it exactly about? Well, plain and simple—because “Design matters.”

Designers are the unsung heroes of the blogosphere. Their work allows users to express a character, theme and personality with their blogs.

The Style Contest was created to enable the design community to indulge and explore the contribution their expertise makes to the quality of blogging tools and the user experience.

The contest sponsors share this sentiment, and have reflected their commitment in the prize pool valued at over $17,000.

Designers—-this contest is for you. To thank you. To recognize you. To reward you.

But alas, it is mostly for MT, TypePad and LiveJournal users (or those with experience with the three I’m guessing). To get more info about the what-when-where-who-how, you can check out the contest rules over here. So get those chicken-scratch going and pencils sharpened up, the deadline has been set for 15 May, 2006, 10:00 pm PST.

For those participating in CSS Reboot on May 1st, you might as well jump in as the contest is said to have a total sum of $17,000. Not to mention, every contestant wins!

Update: 5/10/06
Submission Deadline Extended to June 5th