Best of News Design – Digital Medals

  • March 13, 2022
1024 522 Society for News Design

SND43 judges award more than 700 digital entries, including 115 bronze, 24 silver and 10 gold medals

Unanimously voted upon entries were eligible for bronze, silver, and gold medals. These entries push the boundaries of design and technology and represent the cutting edge of the news design industry. Below are gold, silver and bronze medalists from the 2021 competition.

Jump to a section: Gold medals | Silver medals | Bronze medals | Awards of Excellence | Awards by organization

Gold Medals: 10

1c. News — Environment/Science

The New York Times | Cities Swallowed By Dust

Judges said: This is not something I’ve seen before in the structure of storytelling. They did a great job incorporating the data analysis with the interaction of videos. This was really ambitious.

1e. Design: Social Issues

NYT | WHAT THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE DESTROYED

Judges said: This is how you tell a story. The structure of the narrative is notable and keeps readers invested from the beginning into the end of the story— the project brings a place to life while making this place the main character. The photo overlay worked really well and felt unique to other stories told in a similar format. It can be difficult to immerse audiences into historical narratives, but we felt invested throughout.

1f. Design: Sports

NYT | Suni Lee Gymnastics

Judges said: You see these moments where the video pauses and draws into a graphic. It’s really powerful storytelling and great collaboration across all these teams. Its state of the art, consistent, easy to follow, seamless. It’s really beautifully executed, all the transitions are perfect. We also got to learn a little bit about her personality. We get this really technical look at the sport. I think it’s really extraordinary work. It’s hard to identify anything in this piece that is wrong. It feels so slick (on the phone) like a native app. Its restrained use of 3D. 

2f. Infographics: Sports

The New York Times | How Speed and Distance Dictate How Olympians Run

Judges said: Gold all the way. The design is flawless. It is an outstanding piece of work because it is informative and explains facts that are hard to find. This exceeds what the New York Times as done previously. With 3D models you can lose the sheer beauty of human power but through video we can see it.

2j. Infographics: Investigative

The New York Times | The Surfside Condo Was Flawed and Failing. Here’s a Look Inside.

Judges said: There was a lot of reporting that went into this. The designers found a way to present it in a way that is digestible for lay people who are not familiar with this process. It seems like the photos and videos used here were dug up through really skilled investigative reporting.

3a – Use of animation

Sixth Tone | Love From Chaos: How I Learned to Accept My Son’s Autism  

Judges said: I thought this was spectacular; beautiful. I love the more dramatic animation elements, but also the little textural shifts, the use of minimalism. I think the variety of aesthetic techniques, and using animation to show a range of emotions is highly effective. Every second it was drawing me in and making me want to watch it. 

3d. Use of Maps

NYT | Rising from the Antarctic, a climate alarm 

Judges said: This is just a level above in terms of artistic mastery, storytelling, and using technology in the service of visual journalism. Their attention to detail on every single aspect of this really just elevates it to excellence. I learned a lot from this story about something that is very important, something that is scary. This is what maps are made for, showing us things in the world that we cannot always see with our eyes. The interaction was really well paced and excellent. It’s got a sense of motion, the motion of the gifs of the rising seas heights. The lines between section breaks, it’s got cohesion. The sense of scale is impressive to me. 

3j. Use of Video

NYT | How Speed and Distance Dictate How Olympians Run

Judges said: I was pretty blown away by it. You got the sense that they knew exactly what story they were going to tell with the access to these athletes. It’s all about the integration of graphics and video and audio. I can’t find a flaw with it.

4n. Regional

WaPo | Cicadas

Judges said: I hate bugs. But I love this! This was a very local story. And they demonstrate such a breadth of visual storytelling. You’ve got these graphics, then you’ve got the humor, then you’ve got this sound. Every single one of these types of stories is hard to come across. Every aspect of visual storytelling on this defines the state of the art.

5d. New site, page, app or other product

Upstatement | Grist website

Judges said: The branding is great, the flexibility of the different ways they can arrange their home page and tech pages … and also their article pages that feel a lot less monotonous than other news sites. There’s this really nice balance of space and density and hierarchy, I think the branding is fantastic and really well articulated throughout. There’s a lot of nice pacing, a lot of breaks, a lot of variety. The polish of the typography and the branding, I’m very drawn to it.

Silver Medals: 24

1a. Design: Features

NYT | The Hidden Melodies of Subways Around the World

Judges said: This project is well executed with elements of animation. We loved the synchronized notes along with the tones of each city’s sounds— it’s subtle, but still so impressive. We often work on heavy topics as journalists and this was a great opportunity for something fun. The transitions are notable and clever, and it’s a truly delightful piece. The mobile version of it doesn’t take anything away, and it still feels distinguished alongside the desktop execution.

1d. Page Design: Health

DR | The RNA-vaccine is a revolution: Here is how it works

Judges said: there was a lot of thought about how to make the images engaging. i thought the illustration work was really good, design was engaging. transitions were great. data use seemed really tight for me. 

1e. Page Design: Social Issues

Undefeated / Andscape | The Black Gaze

Judges said: The photos in this project were stunning. It’s a really bold, ambitious, well-done, technically proficient photo gallery. There’s a risk-taking element through this execution and it’s so aesthetically pleasing. This project will be on my mind for a while.

1g. Page Design: International

Reuters | T-Day: The Battle for Taiwan 

Judges said: Design wise this was near perfect. The way those things move and turn into ships, the motion design on this one is *chefs kiss gesture* I think this had the risk of turning into a really boring project, but the way they designed it made it really engaging. 

1i. Design: Regional/local

The Straits Times | How have Singaporean homes changed over the decades

Judges said: The project had a good narrative and was well-designed. It brings in all the different pieces of the story, and you get to see the people that live here. I learned so much through the project and I wanted to keep learning— and that’s exactly the problem we want to solve as journalists. The use of photos is nice, and the attention to small details like color highlights repeating in other elements is really thoughtful.

2a. Infographics

The Straits Times | About 80 per cent of residents in Singapore call public housing or HDB flats home

Judges said: I think it’s really hard when you have different elements, photos, charts and 3D. All of those things feel like they are adding to the story, they don’t feel gimmicky at all. Well rounded and well finished.

2c. Environment/Science

The New York Times | How the dixie fire created its own weather

Judges said: A wonderful weather phenomenon they were able to explain clearly and simply. The 3D is nicely produced but also data accurate, which adds a level of precision you don’t often see. This project is near perfect.

NPR | COMIC: For my job, I check death tolls from COVID. Why am I numb to the numbers?

Judges said: This is a creative approach to the problem that we know that people can’t understand large numbers. It’s a creative and timeless approach to visualizing that problem and telling the story in a lovely way. It’s really hard to look at these big number graphics every day, and this one doesn’t lose its timeliness. And we’re all so tired, so the emotional impact of this piece has not diminished, it’s only increased.

3a. Use of animation

DR | Sadan Fungerer RNA-vaccine

Judges said: I found the scrollytelling refreshing. The approach is less gimmicky and more thoughtful. The aesthetic metaphor and types of movement it used was different. A unique use of scrollytelling and it looks great on mobile on the small screen, which can be a challenge with animation. I don’t think I’ve seen much quite like this before.

3e. Use of Commissioned illustration (single)

The Washington Post | Creative coping

Judges said: I love that you’re walked through exploring all the little pieces. It’s something you get to discover which is really fun. It brings out a child-like sense of joy and it definitely pushed the medium. If this had been done in print, you would’ve wanted to look like “Where’s Waldo,” so the fact that they were able to bring that to digital was great.

3j. Use of video

The New York Times | Sunisa Lee Is Unmatched on Uneven Bars and Wants All-Around Glory

Judges said: This was a great use of video. The animation video was the shining star. You watch the camera moves and the storyboarding that must have gone into each angle. That was done extremely well.

3i. Use of photography

The Undefeated | The black gaze

Judges said: [Photo editing is] really balanced the way they have those details and portraits and outdoor scenes feels within the same visual language. It is really hard to use that many photos and they all feel good. The transitions are really clever that makes you want to continue throughout the essay.

New York Times | The art in the Oval Office tells a story. Here’s how to see it.

Judges said: I thought it was like a little archaeological dig through the oval office that helped me understand what might motivate people. It also helps you understand more who these different presidents revered. I appreciated how the presentation differed on mobile, there is real attention being paid there. I really appreciate taking a chronological order and that they structured it into a story and had individual points to make. Incredibly clever and well executed. 

3l. Social media design

DR | Suicide Wave

Judges said: This comes from a big place of empathy and understanding and the presentation does a good job of reflecting it. It does a good job of centering the voices of young women without talking at them.

5e. Redesigned site, page or app

Upstatement | The Trace, His Only Living Boy, Bang for the Buck, Newsletters – The Trace, Inside NYC Mayor Eric Adams’s Gun Violence Prevention Plan

Judges said:  Even scrolling through the automated view, the pages look so consistent and clean across the board. The speed of this site is very snappy. You can immediately tell these things go all together. I saw things that were original and interesting. They were all unique user experiences that required a lot of thought.

5h. Internal storytelling tools for journalists

Süddeutsche Zeitung | Storytelling CMS at Süddeutsche Zeitung

Judges said: I feel like we’ve all worked with some rudimentary version of this but never dreamed of this scale. It’s kind of amazing how many options you get, yet it’s the right amount of guardrails. They’re taking the bar and raising that, but for the people who want to go beyond that, you still can. Beyond my wildest dreams

6. Experimental

The Washington Post | Tenement Museum Virtual Tour using Photogrammetry

Judges said: The detail on this is incredible. The scrolly here allows you to linger a little bit in the rooms where something catches your eye. Giving the reader the space and time to do that made it more powerful. It’s pretty remarkable, and the work that they put in pushes the limit of what I’ve seen.

7a. Portfolio: Story Page Design, Individual

Alyssa Karla Mariano Mungcal | The Strait Times 

Judges said: It was surprising to see the range of the designer — technically very able and very imaginative. It’s very impressive. The designer took risks, and I respect that. 

7c. Infogfx, Individual

Marco Hernandez | Reuters

Judges said: I was so impressed by the versatility in this portfolio. Each one is unique. There’s mapping, illustration, annotating, and charts that show scale in really effective ways. As a visual journalist, you want to show scale and scope – and this portfolio really does that. This person’s work anticipates your questions in the way that really good storytelling does. It is an incredibly high level of execution. It shows a mastery of their craft. 

7d. Infogfx, Staff

The New York Times | How Fast the Jamaican Sprinters Ran to Sweep the Women’s 100 Meters, Tokyo Olympics: Who Leads the Medal Count?, Running Fast vs. Running Far, What Happened in Simone Biles’s Vault, Sunisa Lee is Unmatched on Uneven Bars and Wants All-Around Glory

Judges said: This is another example of NYT setting the standard again for how to visualize Olympics through various formats like data, photos, composite photos, videos and beyond. There are some points that are really amazing in terms of art direction and exploring different ways to explore and visualize things.

The New York Times | Bad Future, Better Future, This Glacier in Alaska Is Moving 100 Times Faster Than Normal, Rising From the Antarctic, a Climate Alarm, In the Atlantic Ocean, Subtle Shifts Hint at Dramatic Dangers

Judges said: We all really liked the piece for kids and how different and creative it was. Really making these visuals very rich and compelling to help people become more invested in the subject matter. It’s a very good group of decisions for how to include the visuals in those pieces. 

7j. Combination, Staff

The Pudding

Judges said: This is what I would love for all the visual desks in the world to aspire to do– this kind of visual storytelling and interactive storytelling. The use of AI, the use of humor, they do so much that I think this is among the best things I’ve seen in the competition. They make the user try hard, you have to work hard to navigate through but there are rewards all the way through. Really interesting narrative techniques and motifs. I thought this was a really engaging portfolio. 

Reuters

Judges said: There is such a breadth, really good traditional illustrations, really smart use of maps, really smart use of animation, really good data visualization. The illustration on the hot dog piece is really fun and the detail is delightful. The devoured piece has a bunch of good data viz good mapping. All five pieces show a variety of visual storytelling techniques.  

7l. Combination, Individual

Georgina Piper | ABC AU

Judges said: There is indeed a uniqueness to this. It has combined those elements really nicely. There’s animated illustration. Interactives. Scrolly used in a really sensible, effective, narrative way. She’s done this work in such a controlled manner, that it doesn’t feel that it’s trying to be too epic in scale. I love the human feel. It feels approachable. This is stuff that’s meant for the reader. 

Bronze Medals: 115

1A. Design: Features

El Confidencial |  All the castles of Spain

Judges said: The illustrations were really well done and used intentionally, they felt really integrated. The typography was excellent and the grid was a good reference to the architectural drawing.

The Straits Times | How have Singaporean homes changed over the decades?

Judges said: The 3D is not gratuitous, it is leveraged really well. It helps us understand how these HDBs were built up over the years, with great consistency of designs. The floor plans help you imagine what it’s like to live in these homes. There are surprising moments, like contrary to popular belief, these are not trending smaller. We get to see the people who actually live here and how people actually live in these homes.

DR.DK | Slangemenneske

Judges said: This project is so creatively done— it’s light, beautiful, and maintains clean lines. The scrolling video is seamless, and is a clearly thoughtfully-designed piece. The use of color and typography is notable.

National Geographic | 2021: The year in pictures

Judges said: I think it was really well done, the lock ups are really tight. The typography is really strong. The other thing that was cool is to hear from some of the photographs on some of these shots. The photographer was saying how emotional it was to be part of that scene. These photographers were put in places we don’t normally have access to.

The Paper | Popular Chinese New Year Songs Mixing Guide

Judges said: There were some really cool moments, at the end you can mix your own song. It was just really delightful and interesting to see the evolution of these songs, something that started off as not that festive but got amped up over time. It started slow, you got to see those building blocks. Nice balance of story and interaction.

1b. Design: Business

Reuters | What will it be like when we go back into the office?

Judges said: I spent a good amount of time on this project because it was pretty fun and captured what we all were thinking or went through when thinking about returning to the office. The aesthetic was great and the story was told in an original way.

The Straits Times | Supply chains, interrupted

Judges said: We thought the graphical information flowed nicely, particularly in the side-by-side comparison. The project was bold and took risks, and as a result it was a very engaging presentation visually.

1c. News — Environment/Science

Yle | What’s left

Judges said: They’ve made graphics as minimal as possible to help photos stand out even more. It stands out because it’s clean and the photo layout is interesting.

The Straits Times | How Singapore built one of the world’s largest solar farms

Judges said: It’s an interesting experience to have a side scroll integrated. It is super complicated, and it does its job in helping me, a not science person, understand.

ProPublica | The smoke comes every year. The sugar companies say the air is safe.

Judges said: There was a lot there, but it didn’t feel like it was a lot. Which is a good sign.

The New York Times | See How the Dixie Fire Created Its Own Weather

Judges said: The reporting that went into creating this visual and the tech behind that make this a medal contender for me.

1e. Design: Social Issues 

DR.DK | Diary of a sugar dater

Judges said: This piece did a great job of blending the text and the background together in an impressive way. The use of handwriting felt intentional, and the introduction was different and innovative, and did not disappoint in mobile either. The details that the piece carried through through blurring transitions was helpful to direct attention and keep the reader invested in the story.

1f. Design: Sports 

The Globe and Mail | Route Runners

Judges said: It’s well integrated. The video, then graphic, then video again. The storytelling is very consistent, too. It’s easy to understand. 

1g. Page Design: International

Judges said: It’s well integrated. The video, then graphic, then video again. The storytelling is very consistent, too. It’s easy to understand. 

WaPo | Africa’s Rising Cities

Judges said: All the elements are well thought out and well-executed. The maps are actually useful, rather than just a motif. It has everything. And for the size and lens of this piece, it was really well edited. Nothing felt like it was forced, it all made sense together.

VOA  | The Mechanism

Judges said: It feels compelling, it feels like you want to drive through the narrative. You have subtle bits of animation. They took the same font from the comic into the start of the paragraphs. Mixed the use of comic and narrative together. This is a very effective way of trying to represent people who can’t picture because of the sensitivity. 

WaPo | Anatomy of a crackdown

Judges said: There’s something about the visual reporting they were able to do that pushes the medium. The narrative they are creating makes it almost first person. 

de Volkskrant | Beyond the Green Wall

Judges said: There were lots of things here that were nicely thought out. Look at the gradient between the photos and the map. That detail. They really tried to gather so much information: digital content that would only work in this kind of format.

The Atlantic | The Uyghur Chronicles

Judges said: There are so many nice elements to this. The design element that was interesting was the animation on the portrait. It definitely seemed unique. I like that this was different from other pieces. Even these photos are quite cool. The artistic way they’ve talked about scanning the eyes. This was a really solid reading experience.

1h. Politics

The New York Times | THE ART IN THE OVAL OFFICE TELLS A STORY. HERE’S HOW TO SEE IT.

Judges said: This project shows an impressive amount of photo research that sheds some light on the Oval Office and really takes the readers into that space. Without the design element, the project definitely would have fallen flat, as the design gives us the opportunity to see different elements compared across years. The mobile experience of this project was well thought-out along its desktop counterpart, especially at the section that focuses on the actual paintings. The overlay effect was very innovative and easy to follow.

1k. Breaking/Unplanned

The New York Times | ‘We Are Very Free’

Judges said: The videos are so integrated into the story. It can be difficult to use multiple video clips in a single presentation, and this worked really well. The color usage was a nice touch and well-integrated, along with the transitions. Mobile translated well, and it felt like there was restraint and reasoning behind the design.

ProPublica | What Parler Saw During the Attack on the Capitol

Judges said: It feels like they organized it in a way that it’s a reader service we didn’t necessarily see. They give us a way to navigate it.

1l. Other

The New York Times | Opinion | Why Grammy Winners Might Never Sound the Same Again

Judges said: With the audio, I felt super engaged. Super compelling use of color in data viz. Zero unnecessary elements here. I thought it was new and something I hadn’t seen before.

2a. Infographics

Reuters Graphics | What will it be like when we go back to work?

Judges said: It captures some of the anxiety and frustration of figuring out going back to work. I liked the added touches of as you run into things, there is a note sign or caution tape. The gamification is a motivator for the audience. 

Kontinentalist | What can we tell from the evolution of Han Chinese names?

Judges said: I think that some of the aspects really engage the reader in a fun way. It’s got my attention. I was rapt in it, and interested in exploring the graphics. The use of audio and consistency are the strong points of it.

New York Times | Best places to live in

Judges said: Worked really well on the phone. As you click into them you can see a robust amount of data. Interface is excellent. I really like the mini heat maps in the sections.

O’Globo | 90 años do Cristo Redentor

Judges say: Doesn’t feel gimmicky, nicely executed, the smoothness of the 3D is so impressive I had to check the source code to see if it was a video or not. Nice thing about this is they don’t try to cram too much in the animation as you scroll. I thought the writing was pretty tight.  

2b. Business

The Straits Times | Global supply chain problems

Judges said: The color choice and aesthetics really help the storytelling. We were really impressed on how they handled the experience on mobile.

Washington Post | How one restaurant’s experiment may help diners breathe safely

Judges said: There were parts of this story that we felt like it was something we haven’t seen before. The illustrations and motion help walk you through the story in a very sequential way. They showed some restraint that helped maintain a solution focused story. 

Bloomberg News | The Chinese Companies Polluting the World More Than Entire Nations

Judges said: I like how they visualized pollution. It felt cohesive, it has texture, and it still has the signature Bloomberg bold design. The colors are really striking and they definitely had some fun with the visualizations. 

Bloomberg News | Myanmar’s Generals Run a Nearly Sanction-Proof Business Empire

Judges said: The colors, the illustration, the narrative is all such a good beginning to the piece. I feel like I learned so much about a situation that is incredibly complicated and fraught. Very well edited and tight.

2c. Environment/Science

National Geographic | Solar System in Action

Judges said: Very interesting approach mixing the different techniques of 2D and 3D to explain something complex. The 3D visuals are amazing and the way the balls join together in an organic way. It’s beautiful. 

The New York Times | In the Atlantic Ocean 

Judges said: There is something really great about how this performs. The way they use the particle system to explain the currents is very clever.

Reuters | Devoured

Judges said: The use of photos combined with maps and annotations was strong and the text placement on mobile was done exceptionally well. I was able to connect with the issue of sand being taken away.

2d. Infographics Local Issues 

Helsingin Sanoma | Who benefits from housing price control system?

Judges said: I love how they started with this very organic grid and turned it into a cleaner grid. The transition is original and terrifically elegant. The work is hand-coded and crafted. This is not a standard visualization, there is a lot of effort in it. Everything is so polished and packaged together. 

2d. Health

NJ.com | How the COVID vaccine can save your life

Judges said: In our role as visual journalists, at this moment in the pandemic, the job was to make sure that people had accurate info as to why the vaccine was safe, and addressing concerns that might come up, and reaching as many people as possible, and they did that. 

Texas Tribune | One year ago, the first Texan was killed by COVID-19. 47,000 deaths followed — and it’s not over.

Judges said: Just after looking at so many COVID pieces, this is the one that I remembered. 

La Naćion | Deaths from coronavirus in Argentina

Judges said: You get a sense of where you are in the waves, but it’s not just a timeline…you get to the human stories more quickly. I really appreciated that. It is extremely challenging to depict this topic, but this was very well done. 

Politico |  How to stop a pandemic before it starts, illustrated 

Judges said: “The details of the illustration, and the sharpness of the editing, and narrative flow tips it over for me.” 

Reuters | Mass cremations, day and night

Judges said: They’re not pushing the story form that much, but they’re doing them well, and it’s serving a story that is so difficult and important. 

LA Times | CoVID-19 vaccine safety: Side effects risks reactions

Judges said: It’s simple, it’s clear, it gets at the concept really well, and it’s just a box chart. It does what infographics are supposed to do, really really well. To show the scale of something and the complexity of something like risk, and they did it in a great way. This is what you need to know.

Reuters | COVID-19 Global tracker

Judges said: I think this is one of the better COVID trackers. Reuters to me felt the most narrative, and those little moments of “what you need to know” and “here’s what we don’t know” were really helpful. THere’s a hierarchy to this one that a lot of trackers lack. When I think of the big picture of how we grappled with this story, this is one the best that I’ve seen. 

2e. Infographics: Social Issues

The New York Times | What the Tulsa race massacre destroyed

Judges said: We need more of this, uncovering old stories. The choice of putting it in the perspective of people who lost their businesses is a fantastic way of telling the story. 

The New York Times | They stormed the capital their apps tracked them

Judges said: The underlying data is the most interesting part. They could have done it in may ways but they chose to show their movements. On mobile it gives you the feeling that we know what you did before you were there.

2f. Infographics: Sports

ABC News Australia | Can you score a dive like an Olympic judge? Let’s see how you stack up

Judges said: This is different from other sports graphics from the Olympics, it gives information about what the judges look at and you get to participate. There is a tongue-in-cheek element to it.

The New York Times | There’s Nothing Adam Ondra Can’t Climb, but Is an Olympic Medal Out of Reach?

Judges said: There’s a part in which he fails to do the climb and the setup is kind of incredible. There’s a combination of videos, 3D, annotations and image and the flow of the text. The way those elements are integrated — perfect.

2g. International

Reuters | The messy business of sand mining explained

Judges said: The subject is super-interesting. I like that they used realistic sand in the chart and the use of satellite images. It is really well executed and it works well on mobile

2h. Infographics: Politics

NYT | Trump, Biden geography quiz

Judges said: The project was surprising and thought-provoking, as well as a new way into storytelling. The design is simple and works perfectly for this case. The images speak for themselves and the interactivity pairs well with the subject matter.

NYT | Day of Rage: How Trump supporters took the U.S. Capitol 

Judges said: This is one of the most powerful pieces we’ve seen. I found myself getting emotional for the guards. It gave us incredible access. It’s the front row seat to battle that misinformation happening out there. The graphics were in the right moment and they show exactly what you need to see. Graphics are really slick and really well integrated. It’s really consistent. There are some great moments inside, with annotations happening. Its really powerful visual storytelling. 

2j. Infographics: Investigative

The Markup | Crime prediction software promised to be free of biases. New data shows it perpetuates them

Judges said: The data behind this is very impressive and the design choices are clean. The story is supported by good sources and resources. The story is understandable and straightforward.

The New York Times | What the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Destroyed

Judges said: The infographics reflect an incredible and intense amount of research. Every scroll that you make when we’re on the infographics you get useful and valuable information.

2k. Infographics: Breaking News

The Washington Post | How the Ever Given was freed from the Suez Canal: A visual analysis

Judges said: I remember when we were all looking at this problem in the canal. At the time it was not easy to find reliable information about how to solve this problem. The 3D performance is smooth.

Reuters | Chaos in Kabul

Judges said: It is very original for a breaking news story. To come up with an idea like this is very inspired. This idea to connect the photos in this way could be a trend later.

Reuters | Dormant Le Soufriere Awakens

Judges said: This is another example of impeccable execution from Reuters. It has a visual clarity that usually comes with weeks of editing.

2l. Other 

NatGeo | The songs that defined Aretha Franklin’s record breaking career

Judges said: It’s super aesthetically pleasing, and really refreshing in a really difficult year. It’s really well executed. It compliments and elevates the storytelling. It’s all really seamlessly integrated in a way that seems intentional and creative. I love the color choices. It takes the concept and runs with it. I’ve never seen anything like this before, it really stands out.

3a. Use of animation

ABC Aus | HOOKED

Judges said: I liked the explainers spread throughout the story and was really effective at explaining the concept. The typography is done nicely. It gets the retro point across without becoming overwhelming. 

South China Morning Post | China Tianwen-1 Mars mission: the rover has landed 

Judges said: It was just delightful. There’s something about scrolling down and having rocket moving up. It really breaks the expectations of a scrollytelling experience. Even the paywall interaction here works. 

NYT | Sunisa Lee is Unmatched on Uneven Bars and wants All-Around glory

Judges said: I really appreciate that it wasn’t just a break down of the routines. I like the use of freeze frame, it feels much more elegant. The elements felt very much in service of the piece.

WaPo | The last conversation

Judges said: I wanted to watch all of them. Aesthetically it’s really nice and top notch. Really compelling interviews that are enhanced by the illustrations and animations

3b. Use of Audio

The New York Times | The hidden melodies of subways around the world

Judges said: This was surprising and delightful in a sea of heavy topics. What elevates this is that these tones are like a universal story for so much of the world. Seeing all the different cities that were highlighted and thinking about the different people who are familiar with these sounds. It did it in a way that is really simple. There is nothing extraneous about it, which I appreciate.

3c. Use of Data

Reuters | Flights over Kabul

Judges said: The lines convey a sense of chaos. It’s unusual to see a data-driven piece able to convey such emotion.

Reuters | Covid-19 vaccination tracker

Judges said: This is an intense piece of work and very good use of vaccine data. Good visual hierarchy, links to other pages and the interactivity and color is well solved. Every aspect of the tracker is working perfectly. The design of the dashboard is easy to use and what I would expect of a dashboard design.

The New York Times | Tulsa race massacre

Judges said: It is good idea to combine the movement with the data. The visual storytelling is strong. The most interesting part is that it drags you into the old photo and it makes you feel you are in a 3D scene. The use of historical data to create an immersive experience that puts you in the context immediately

3d. Use of Maps

Star Tribune | How Twin Cities housing rules keep the metro segregated

Judges said: I thought it was such a smart and clear way to walk through this issue in Minneapolis. I was really impressed with the design, the use of the maps, and the way they illustrated a complex issue really clearly. There was a clear narrative. It felt like they really got a lot of people involved who were affected by the issue. There was intention behind making the story useful to those who were effective. it was smart and the kind of data story. I liked that it was maps and deep reporting around the issue. 

ABC Aus | ‘Lawless’ Loggers

Judges said: This shows a really powerful integration of mapping at the service of investigative journalism, what’s possible when we push the boundaries of visualization and technology together. They were able to illuminate and dig into an issue that would be really hard to track down and report on in any other way. This is one of the best examples of how GIS can be used for reporting.

WaPo | Cold, heat, fires, hurricanes and tornadoes: The year in weather disasters

Judges said:  They clearly edited this very deliberately to be focused around the maps. I like that it visualizes something that people remember experiencing. It’s a record of history. There is something about the cumulative nature of the peace, seeing an entire year, when you heard about the cold front of the drought or the fires, hurricanes, tornadoes they were in isolation from each other, so to see this and move through year of all the cumulative things happening, that has a level of impact that i found compelling. We’re seeing all of these changes in so many different ways, and it’s affecting people everywhere, not just people on the coasts, not just people in California. It helps you see the big picture and remember how wild this year was, it contextualizes it. It gives you this step back. 

WSJ | Americans up and moved during the pandemic. Here’s where they went

Judges said: The movement in the map made want to spend more time with it and made me want to linger with it more than I would normally. I think the visualization and zooming in on different areas was really compelling. Technically and aesthetically it’s a really good map. 

NYT | Tulsa Race Massacre

Judges said: It’s such a massive project and undertaking. The attention to detail in the research and the way you walk through it. No one else has done this story in this way. What I really appreciated was the level of detail and research. I don’t think I have ever seen such a compressive look at how many people were affected, at this level of specificity. It made it that much more impactful. It helps drive the point of how horrific this was.

3e. Use of Commissioned illustration (single)

POLITICO | The Antipope of Mar-a-Lago

Judges said: This one definitely stands out, I haven’t seen any illustrations like this. It’s very clear what it’s trying to do and I think it does it very wellThe detail, the depth, the colors, the mood, it does a lot of things right.

Los Angeles Times | J.P. Morgan’s million-dollar pocket watch vanished. The hunt for it became an obsession

Judges said: The aesthetic feels like it really matches. It’s one of those illustrations where the more you look at it the more you see so you’re drawn in to keep searching for those small details which i think is the perfect way to pull you into the story

3h. In-house Illustration, Multiple

NYT | Climate Guide for Kids

Judges said: They took this form of children’s book and translated it really well in a digital space. It’s a narrative, it’s a story. It’s a powerful way to talk about such a big issue, an overwhelming issue. It didn’t shy away from how bad things can get, but it’s also hopeful – and the illustration really contributes to that. The moments of playing with text, color and movement of the page were special. The watercolors, the textures – it’s just beautiful. 

Reuters | Bats and the Origin of Outbreaks

Judges said: This is an elevated level of execution. It’s applying an old device to a new story.  The illustrations are incredible. It’s taking a genre of scientific illustration, and then integrating it into a compelling story, a compelling digital design. And they’re just beautiful. 

3i. Use of photography

Washington Post | From cradle to grave

Judges said: The project’s design and photo editing gives us a really good sense of place, and it feels very personal. There’s a sad uncertainty to the story; It’s really beautifully done. The photo pairings are moving and you’re compelled to go through and see these photos. The pacing from the large to smaller images feels just right.

The New York Times | The moves that gave Sunisa Lee Olympic gold

Judges said: I love the use of photos and I love the infographic which is always delightful for me. So well executed, so full of details. This is the perfect use of photos in storytelling. I think the choice of having it all in one static image gives you a chance to understand just how technical these are. Seeing the whole freeze frame helps you understand these technical moves in a way video couldn’t because it’s all printed out in front of you. 

New York Times | What happened in Simone Biles’s vault 

Judges said: With these projects, it’s a great decision to go with a photo instead of a video due to the tracking of the movements. It’s executed well, and really gives readers a sense how these athletes’ bodies have to move. It’s a great execution and I like it each time I see it.

Politiken | South Korean Beauty

Judges said: The access you need to get into a surgery room is really difficult, it shows the trust they needed to cultivate. The breadth of the photo edit is really powerful, you get a sense of the environment that these women are living in. 

3j. Use of Video

ESPN | The secrets behind Vandy’s 1-2 pitching punch

Judges said: Really engaging and smart. It didn’t feel like too much; it felt integrated. It all seemed intentional and purposeful. A lot of it was cinematically filmed.

The New York Times | Before the Final Frame: When Police Missteps Create Danger

Judges said: I thought the video to walk the reader through the events that led up to the shooting was really smart. That, plus the subtle touches of dimming in the background and the numbering, is what made it a Bronze.

3l. Social media design

NATGEO | Innocent on death row here are their stories

Judges said: They did a good job of just getting out of the way of the story. There’s this synergy between what you’re hearing and their expressions that was really well done It’s consistent in a way that makes you stop and put on your headphones and engage in the audio. The video and the audio were really incredible.

NYT | Subway Sounds

Judes Said: I wish I had this idea. It’s brilliant. The combination of the sound and animation works so well and it feels like seamless storytelling. The concept is great, it’s so much fun to play with and it gives you a sense of place.

WAPO | Capitol Riots Snap Chat story

Judges said: I thought it was a good distillation of how the riots took place and how the process worked. This story really took advantage of snapchat’s platform. It was good at not throwing too much information at you at each step of the story.

4a. Climate change

SF Chronicle  | Rising Reality: A look at the difficulties facing communities bracing for climate change all along San Francisco Bay

Judges said: I really liked the illustration style — very similar color scheme throughout. Would love to see more of this kind of coverage in local news media and to see it done this way.

WaPo | Climate change graphics line of coverage

Judges said: You’re mapping three variables and successfully separating them; it takes guts, and they managed to do it.

The Straits Times | Climate change

Judges said: Really unique way of showing the data. In terms of graphic impact, [the rising sea levels piece] was really stunning. Just an impressive amount of skill and visual storytelling.

4b. Line of Coverage: Coronavirus

Reuters  | India’s Covid-19 Crisis

Judges said: They have strong footage, graphics, data from twitter which is quite special. I think the three of them compliment each other very well. I want them to do more of this that brings together diverse opinions from around the world.

4e. LOC: Long-form series

Reuters | T-DAY: The Battle for Taiwan

Judges said: The visual identity is clear through the page, and the transitions were delightful. A very impressive project. The map is perfect— bold and super addictive.

4h. LOC: Features & Social Issues

Bloomberg | The Economic Recovery in Minority Communities Across the U.S.

Judges said: It was able to carry the visual language throughout. All the data reporting that went into it, this wasn’t data that was readily available. It was surprising to see.

4j. Line of Coverage: Environment, Health & Science

Reuters  | The messy business of sand mining

Judges said: For a line of coverage they are distinctly different but there is something that ties them all together. They came up with three visuals and they are all well executed. The package is really strong. Even the colour palette is harmonious.

4o. Breaking

Reuters | Kabul coverage

Judges said: This had that 3D, that really put me in the location. I was immersed in Kabul, with the birds eye view of the city. I also love the mix of illustrations and photo. They’re completing the picture for you. It was such a terrific use of data, within the timeframe of breaking news. This was tremendous work, and this was all done the day after, as this was happening.

5b. – Landing Pages

LA Times  Bronze | https://www.latimes.com/projects/deserted/

Judges said: The logo, typography and subtle art direction really work well together. It’s effective at making you feel a certain way, which is not something landing pages typically do.

O’Globo | 90 años do Cristo Redentor

Judges say: Doesn’t feel gimmicky, nicely executed, the smoothness of the 3D is so impressive I had to check the source code to see if it was a video or not. Nice thing about this is they don’t try to cram too much in the animation as you scroll. I thought the writing was pretty tight. 

5d. – New site, page, app or other product

San Francisco Chronicle | The best day ever in the Mission District

Judges said: It feels very usable if you show up in San Francisco and are like “I need something to do now.” It doesn’t feel overly simplified, there’s a lot of really nice details and elements to it considering its something their replicating.

7a. Portfolio: Story Page Design, Individual

Emil Thorbjörnsson | DR 

Judges said: This portfolio pushes the design to new forms that we haven’t seen. He shows master use of typography, a lot of small decisions that we take for granted but this portfolio stands out.

7b. Portfolio: Story Page Design, Staff or Team

ESPN

Judges said: Some of the pieces were really unique and creative that made it rise to the next level. Great use of color in a few standout pieces. We’d love to see more people in journalism push boundaries on photo display like “The Black Gaze.”

7c. Infogfx, Individual

Jeremy White | NYT 

Judges said: It’s just very impressive overall. The maps make the invisible, visible and reveal things that you can’t see with your eyes, and do so in such an elegant and seamless and integrated storytelling way. It shows a range of being able to jump in and add context in breaking news and also doing some of the most innovative storytelling in our industry right now. He really pushed the boundaries of visual journalism. 

Connie Hanzhang Jin | NPR 

Judges said: They show a fine-tuned sense of pacing and storytelling in this format that is exciting to me. There’s attention to detail in gesture, emotion and color. Finding opportunities in the LifeKit pieces, creative explainers and personal essays – applying comics to these formats shows a creativity that will keep getting better. I’m really excited by this work and the work that they are consistently making.

7d. Portfolio: Infographics (Staff/team)

The Pudding | The Pudding team infographics portfolio

Judges said: They have done something really great, the colours, the layout, the accessibility. Each one is experimental in technology in a way we are not used to seeing. The experience on mobile is even better than on desktop. I wanted to explore more.

National Geographic | Staff Portfolio

Judges said: They’re bringing what National Geographic has always been famous for but into this decade in a way that I really appreciate. Taking advantage of the technology of today but with the standard they’ve had in the past.

7e: Portfolio, Art Direction, Individual

Simon Scarr | Reuters

Judges said: Simon has some consistently good work. All 5 of these pieces are strong. What stood out to me in the description is he reported one of these stories – and took the lead on that. There’s a lot of work that goes into researching and conceptualizing the story because there are so many different ways to tell it. Art direction takes a lot of that. And that really stood out to me.

Lizzie Hart | WaPo 

Judges said: This one impressed me. The visuals were really in service of the content. There was cleverness, the extra mile they went, and the lost art of food shots. The designer clearly has some direction in the photography. I like that this person went a little bigger, with smaller stories. They really did evoke some kind of emotional response in me. 

7f. Portfolio: Art Direction, Staff or team

ESPN 

Judges said: It’s a broad range of styles that shows mastery of art direction. Love the combination of illustrations and photography in the second piece. Really well executed. 

7h. Breaking

Reuters

Judges said: You can’t stop scrolling, you want to see where else we go. Their graphics are clear and detailed. The right amount of description. They are great at laying out what they’re trying to say in graphic form. 

7j. Combination, Staff

La Nacion

Judges said: The detail on this is ‘oh my god’. It showed a wide variety of what they can produce on their team. Every way they have done [these stories] fit the story they were trying to tell. The transcript was really compelling. The other graphics were really nice. The use of 3D in the Plaza de Mayor was up there with some of the best uses of that combination that I’ve seen in the past few years. Overall, really strong visual storytelling, when you need it. 

ABC News Story Lab

Judges said: To me, this is a really really wonderful set of work that they are showing. They’re really good at giving you what you need. And in a couple of these examples they’ve given us a human element, which is really really nice. They have some illustrations alongside the data graphics and small animations that were really great in showing how some of this is really fuzzy. It was a great way to show that. It’s all just really well-thought through. They haven’t thrown everything at it in a shouty way – they’ve done it in an accessible way.

Star Tribune

Judges said: All the entries are really polished, they all open really strongly. It shows a range of visual techniques, all of them really well done. You get the sense that they thought about who was reading it. They have boxes on the text that explain technical words, they dont assume that you would just know it. 

7l. Combination, Individual

Alex Palmer | ABC AU

Judges said: All of it is excellent use of the skills that are shown here. And it holds the design together well. They have a cold open style, I think it’s really really great.

Live Database

Below is our database of 43rd winners, with entry links, through AirTable. Use the filter and sort functions to view awards by year, publication or category. We will update the AirTable twice a day during the judging.