SND’s two main events are joining forces again!
The 46th Creative Competition judging will take place in person from April 15-17, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at The Minnesota Star Tribune Headquarters: 225 South Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN 55402.
Join us for a one-day training workshop in Minneapolis on Friday, April 18, immediately following SND’s annual creative competition. From 9 AM to 5 PM, this single-track event will delve into diverse topics spanning all design platforms, providing valuable insights and practical skills to enhance your work. This is a fantastic opportunity for attendees to deepen their knowledge, network with fellow designers, and learn from industry experts. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to elevate your design skills in a collaborative and inspiring environment. Lunch will be provided with a happy hour following the event.
SND46 Workshop – April 18, 2025
Rates:
Member
$100.00
Non-member
$150.00
Student
$50.00
The 46th Creative Competition
The 46TH Creative Competition
Judges from across the globe will spend three days selecting the best digital and print design in the journalism industry.
Keynote: Dr. Mario Garcia!
Dr. Mario R. García is Senior Adviser on News Design and Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s School of Journalism. He is also CEO/Founder of García Media, a global consulting firm. He has been involved with the redesign and rethinking of more than 750 publications in 120 countries, including The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.
Learn more about Dr. Garcia and his incredible body of work!
Schedule
9:00am Registration
9:30am Welcome Remarks-Jon Wile SND President
9:45 am Keynote : The Scent of the Artist
11:00am Inside the Competition: Trends and insights from the Best of News Design
12:00 pm Lunch (provided)
1:00pm Designing the Pulitzer-Winning AR-15 Project
2:00pm Rebranding and redesigning The Star Tribune
3:00pm Break
3:15pm Awards and Honors
4:00pm Networking
Meet the Speakers
Keynote: Dr. Mario Garcia
The Scent of the Artist
As AI continues to reshape content creation, how do human artists/designers, writers, and photographers maintain their distinct creative identity? In this keynote, Dr. Mario Garcia, international media consultant and author of AI: The Next Revolution in Content Creation, explores the irreplaceable essence of human creativity.
Joined by a panel of world-class illustrators and visual storytellers—Nuri Ducasi (Minneapolis Star Tribune), Jeff Goertzen (Southern California News Group) and Patrick Zeh—Dr. Garcia delves into real-world case studies that reveal how artists are navigating and harnessing AI without losing their personal imprint.
More than just a metaphor, The Scent of the Artist underscores the necessity of a creator’s unique fingerprint in a world of machine-assisted visuals. This session will provide actionable insights, techniques, and best practices to help artists infuse their work with authenticity while leveraging AI as a tool, not a replacement.
Greg Mees | Minnesota Star Tribune
Rebranding and redesigning The Star Tribune
Last August, the Star Tribune debuted a new name, new logo and new design. Senior Assistant Managing Editor Greg Mees will walk us through the process of working with an agency on the rebranding effort, how the news organization modernized its look and feel through typography and color, and share best practices and lessons learned from working on a cross-platform redesign.
Brian Gross and Stephanie Hays | The Washington Post
Designing the Pulitzer-Winning AR-15 Project
Go behind the scenes of The Washington Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning project, “American Icon,” which critically examines the AR-15’s impact on American society. Learn about the careful presentation of sensitive imagery, including content warnings that empowered readers to engage thoughtfully. This session aims to inspire creativity and collaboration within newsrooms by showcasing the powerful intersection of design, journalism, and visual storytelling.
Tyler Remmel | SND Competition Team
Inside the Competition: Trends and insights from the Best of News Design
Moderator Tyler Remmel of The Washington Post and four judges from the Best of News Design Creative Competition will dive into the outstanding work observed in this year’s competition, highlighting emerging trends, innovative practices, and the evolving landscape of news design. The panelists will share insights on what sets exceptional design apart, the challenges faced by designers today, and how to elevate their own creative efforts.
Awards and Honors
2025 Lifetime Achievement: Denise Reagan
From energized coach and teacher to tireless volunteer to karaoke fundraiser extraordinaire, the University of Florida grad has been a relentless champion of the Society for decades.