February 9, 2009

What judges want

Posted by Kathleen Turaski

Part of my time with the Appleton Design Council was spent judging the 2008 UB the Judge print entries. As the exhibition travels around the U.S., there is a special “Design Council Winners” section.

It was a treat to have over 400 print entries spread out for evaluation. It’s not often a designer has so many examples of current design trends available for comparison. In discussions with the other judges (who included Bill Thorburn, Jonathan Gouthier, Justin Ahrens and David Kohler), I realized there is a hierarchy to the elements that go into creating a winning print entry: 1) creativity; 2) original visual solutions (custom photography or illustration that helps define the personality); and 3) attention to message and audience.

All are critical elements, yet the order seems strangely reversed.

What's most important is that the message be promoted first. Creative layout and imagery choice certainly help augment the message and capture attention. But just because a piece grabs your attention doesn’t mean it actually succeeds in communicating effectively.

Judging the contest was a reminder that our work is two-sided: communication and creativity. I took away a renewed sense of the importance of both, and how when they work well together, award-winning design is created.