The Best of Digital News Design is one of SND’s Best of News Design Competitions.
This juried competition recognizes journalistic excellence in storytelling, graphics, social media and product design. The goal of the contest is to identify the best of journalism that pushes the boundaries of design and technology. By submitting, you help define the state of the art for our industry and all storytellers.
1. Story Page Design (single URL)
Entries will be judged for excellence in design and presentation (typography, styling, pacing, organization, photo editing, user experience, information architecture, usability, use of color etc.) as well as development (responsiveness, performance, browser compatibility, interactivity, accessibility etc.) and innovation (new tools or experimentation). An entry does not need to check off all items to receive an award. For multiple URL entries, use line of coverage or portfolio. Do not enter the same story in more than two subcategories.
- Features: Arts, Entertainment, Food, Travel & Lifestyle
- Business: Including Finance, Technology & Transportation
- Environment & Science: Including climate change
- Health: Including Coronavirus
- Social Issues: Including Gender/Identity
- Sports : Including Olympics
- International: Stories from abroad, about a country or a global subject, wars/conflicts and issues that cross borders
- Politics: Elections, government and policy coverage
- Regional/local: Community events and issues, politics, weather, crime and justice, education, traffic
- Investigative: Deep “watchdog” or “accountability” reporting on a single topic, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing
- Breaking (unplanned): This category is for work done on a breaking news cycle. Examples include mass casualties, natural disaster, severe weather, mass conflicts and catastrophes, scientific breakthroughs. Planned coverage around news such as elections and sports events should be submitted in topic categories.
- Other: Human interest or entries that do not fit one of the existing categories
2. Information Graphics Page (single URL)
Entries will be judged for excellence in reporting and content creation (data visualization, information graphics, photography, video, audio, animation, illustration and art direction, etc.) as well as design and presentation, development (programming, coding, applications, database analysis, responsiveness, performance, browser compatibility, interactivity, accessibility etc.) and innovation (new tools or experimentation). An entry does not need to check off all items to receive an award. For multiple URL entries, use line of coverage or portfolio. Do not enter the same story in more than two subcategories.
- Features: Arts, Entertainment, Food, Travel & Lifestyle
- Business: Including Finance, Technology & Transportation
- Environment & Science: Including climate change
- Health: Including Coronavirus
- Social Issues: Including Gender/Identity
- Sports : Including Olympics
- International: Stories from abroad, about a country or a global subject, wars/conflicts and issues that cross borders
- Politics: Elections, government and policy coverage
- Regional/local: Community events and issues, politics, weather, crime and justice, education, traffic
- Investigative: Deep “watchdog” or “accountability” reporting on a single topic, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing
- Breaking (unplanned): This category is for work done on a breaking news cycle. Examples include mass casualties, natural disasters, severe weather, mass conflicts and catastrophes, scientific breakthroughs, accidents. Planned coverage around news such as elections and sports events should be submitted in topic categories.
- Other: Human interest or entries that do not fit one of the existing categories
3. Page Design Elements (single URL)
This category is for highlighting a specific element within a page. Judges will consider both the design and content of the element itself and how the element interacts with the rest of the page design. For multiple URLs entries, use line of coverage or portfolio. Do not enter the same story in more than two subcategories.
Important: Please note which element(s) on the page should be judged, along with any applicable details.
- Animation design
- Audio design
- Photography design
- Video design
- Data visualization (including infographics, charts and maps)
4 Illustration
For illustration submissions, judges will consider the art direction of the illustration, the relevance of concept to the story, and how the art is displayed as part of the page.
- Commissioned Illustration (single)
- In-House Illustration (single)
- Commissioned Illustration (multiple illustrations on the same page, subject or series)
- In-House Illustration (multiple illustrations on the same page, subject or series)
5 Platform Design
For social media and other off-platform or downstream applications, judges will consider the visuals and how they are displayed or advance storytelling within the context of the platform. Submit the URLs or upload a file and please note which element(s) should be judged.
- Instagram grid design
- Stories design (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat)
- Twitter card/thread design
- Video Design (on- or off-platform, ex. Youtube, Tiktok, Instagram)
- Reader interaction; (storytelling based on input from readers via social media or other call-outs)
- Newsletter design
- Other
6. Special Topics
Please submit 1-5 URLs from page design, infographics or social media. Entries will be judged for excellence in design and presentation (typography, styling, pacing, organization, photo editing, user experience, information architecture, accessibility, use of color etc.) or reporting and content creation (data visualization, information graphics, photography, video, audio, animation, illustration and art direction, etc.) as well as development (responsiveness, performance, browser compatibility, interactivity, etc.) and innovation (new tools or experimentation). An entry does not need to check off all items to receive an award.
- Beijing Olympics
- Qatar World Cup
- U.S. Midterm Elections
- Queen Elizabeth’s Death
- Russia-Ukraine War
7. Line of Coverage (multiple URLs)
For ongoing events or series, please submit 3-5 URLs from page design, infographics or social media. Entries will be judged for excellence in design and presentation (typography, styling, pacing, organization, photo editing, user experience, information architecture, accessibility, use of color etc.) or reporting and content creation (data visualization, information graphics, photography, video, audio, animation, illustration and art direction, etc.) as well as development (responsiveness, performance, browser compatibility, interactivity, etc.) and innovation (new tools or experimentation). An entry does not need to check off all items to receive an award.
Important: Entries should cover a specific story or story theme. For general categories such as features, business, sports etc., entries must be on related topics. For unrelated stories, please use the portfolio category.
- Long-form series: For text-driven narratives of more than 2,500 words each.
- Investigative or public service: Deep “watchdog” or “accountability” reporting on a single topic, such as serious crimes, political corruption or corporate wrongdoing
- Features and Social Issues: Arts, Entertainment, Food, Travel, Lifestyle and Gender/Identity
- Business: Including Finance, Technology & Transportation
- Environment, Health & Science: Including Coronavirus and climate change
- Sports
- Politics: Elections (excluding midterm coverage), government and policy coverage
- Regional/local: Community events and issues, politics, weather, crime and justice, education, traffic
- Breaking (unplanned): This category is for work done on a breaking news cycle, including follow-ups in the recent aftermath within a month of the event. Examples include mass casualties, natural disaster, severe weather, mass conflicts and catastrophes, scientific breakthroughs. Planned coverage around news such as elections, obituaries and sports events should be submitted in topic categories.
- Other: Human interest, international (stories from abroad, about a country or a global subject, wars/conflicts and issues that cross borders) or entries that do not fit one of the existing categories
8. Product design (single or multiple URLs)
Submit work that demonstrates the use of thoughtful or innovative design experiences concentrating on user experience or user interface design. Entries will be judged on design (typography, styling, organization, information architecture, accessibility, use of color etc.), development (responsiveness, performance, browser compatibility, interactivity, etc.). Entries can be submitted as screenshots, a URL or a URL to a download page. Please supply us with the materials you think are needed to explain this entry in the best way possible.
- Landing page(s)
- New site, page, app or other product
- Redesigned site, page or app – please upload image of previous design
- Multimedia or interactive modules: For elements within a page that allow for custom code, user interface, video, audio or other visuals
- Internal storytelling tools for journalists: Databases, templates or other applications to enhance news gathering, storytelling, editorial workflows, audience engagement and business models, resulting in sustainable, trustworthy journalism that serves the public interest. Examples
9. Experimental design
Submit work that does not fit other categories, including augmented and virtual reality. Do you have a product that doesn’t necessarily fit with these categories? Did you create something for virtual reality or a wearable product this year? Please submit anything you can to show us your work. This could include a URL to a download page or a video showing it in use. Please include as much pertinent information as possible to give judges the best opportunity to see your work how a reader/viewer would see it.
10. Portfolio (3-5 URLs)
Submit a portfolio of work for three to five URLs. An “Individual” portfolio should be designed completely or primarily by a single submitter; for stories with multiple bylines, please note the specific role and contributions for the individual credited on the portfolio. An “Organizational” portfolio should be designed by different people as a staff effort; organizations may enter more than one portfolio per subcategory but individual URLs should NOT be repeated among entries with the same subcategory. For entries around a related topic, see line of coverage above.
- Story Page Design (individual)
- Story Page Design (organization, staff or team)
- Information Graphics (individual)
- Information Graphics (organization, staff or team)
- Art direction (individual)
- Art direction (organization, staff or team)
- Social media (Individual or organization)
- Combination (individual): Including any of the above or product
- Combination, including any of the above or product (Staff or team)
- Student (individual or organization)
World’s Best-Designed™ Digital News Experience, World’s Best-Designed™ Digital Designer and Best of Show
SND also will recognize a site or publication as World’s Best-Designed™ Digital News Experience, awarded annually since 2010 and selected from among top medal winners. To be eligible, submit entries in any of the line of coverage, product or organizational portfolio categories. The World’s Best-Designed™ Digital Designer will be selected from top medal winners in the individual portfolio categories.
The judging panel also will select three individual medal winners from small, medium and large newsrooms for Best in Show honors. Please be sure to note the size that best describes your organization when entering.