The Society For News Design is thrilled to announce the unofficial winners list from the “Best of Digital Design” competition held the weekend of February 19 at American University in Washington, D.C.
The 2015 contest year brought in nearly 1,000 entries, marking three consecutive years of growth and the largest body of work since the contest was established in 2002. Approximately 257 entries were given an Award of Excellence, 22 were given a Silver Medal, and 2 were given a Gold Medal.
Award of Excellence: Signifies work that is truly excellent and goes beyond technical or aesthetic competency. While entries receiving these awards may have minor flaws, judges should be able to envision the slight changes that would make them close to “perfect.” It is appropriate to honor entries for such things as being daring and innovative if the entry is outstanding but less than perfect in every respect. Be tough, but fair.
Silver Medal: Work that goes beyond excellence. The aesthic and technical proficiency of the these entries should stretch the limits of the medium. These entries should shine — they must be almost perfect.
Gold Medal: Work that defines state of the art. These entries must stretch the limits of creativity both visually and technically. It should be impossible to find deficiencies in a gold-winning entry. It should be perfect or as near as one can reasonably come. Any entry receiving this award should be held up as a paragon for the design community.
“From wearables to VR, we’re seeing designers think about how these stories work and function across a multitude of platforms. But it’s just an extension of the role news designers have always played. And that is as an advocate for audiences and the desire to have their news and information prioritized and explained in a compelling and appropriate manner,” said competition co-director Ryan Sparrow.
The finalists for World’s Best designed news website will be announced Wednesday, February 24, and awarded at the SND annual workshop in San Francisco this April.