Judges overall thoughts:

They were impressed with the magazine apps, the quality of videos and some of the overall news site designs. It seems like designs and information in digital projects don’t have a complete marriage and need to work together from the start. In some interactives, there’s the data, but not so much storytelling. The projects need more narrative structure instead of just focus in on data and web development.

And with that, our 2013 contest has come to a close! Thanks to everyone who entered. You all did some fantastic work and we look forward to next year’s competition!

Second place: Catherine Sum, Rachelle Branca, Kevin Uhrmacher, Molly Sutherland, Kaitlyn Cook, Cece Pascual, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill “Homefront Magazine”

Third place: The Twenty What team, Syracuse University, Magazine, Newspaper & Online Program, “Twenty What”

Honorable mention: Alyssa Bailey, Alex McClelland, Meredith Cook, Kelsey Erdossy, Susie Mann, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “Zeitgeist”

Judges based their decision on the navigation of apps. Some had confusing navigation and a lack of cues to tell the reader what to do. They appreciated clean designs that were interactive throughout and integrated multimedia.

Second place: Lily Bowers, Katherine Brown, Stephanie Bullins, Bryce Butner, Mika Chance, Ryan Cocca, Katherin Drye, Erin Hull, Christopher Lane, Andrew Mackenzie, Carter McCall, Patrick Mustain, Eric Pait, Vanessa Patchett, Lauren Russell, Ashton Songer, Julyssa Sosa, Michelle Tessier, Carolyn Can Houten, Julia Wall, Blair Warren, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, www.carolinaphotojournalism.org/cpjw/2012

Third place: Jon Kasbe, Josh Davis, Spencer Bakalar, University of North Carolina, Powering a Nation, www.100gallons.org

Honorable mention:

Nick DeSantis, Syracuse University, TheNewshouse.com, www.thenewshouse.com/story/roller-derby-lifestyle-cny-players

Sara Milledge, University of Alabama, Dateline Alabama, piperplace.ua.edu

Leah Cayson, University of Alabama, Dateline Alabama, whatisbeauty.ua.edu

Second place: Kelly McHugh, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill/Powering a Nation, www.poweringanation.org/water/#whatdoes100gallonscost

Third place: Sara Coe, Stephen Suen, Joanna S. Kao, MIT/The MIT Tech, http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N48/foodinspections/index.htm?vol=132&iss=48&art=foodinspections

Honorable mention: The Newhouse Military Visual Journalism Program, Syracuse University/Working in 2012, http://2012.newhousemilitary.org/

Second place: SCAD Atlanta/The Connector, www.scadconnector.com

On homages:

David: Saw a few things and knew it was mimicking. There’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration, but you have to then understand that and break it down. It’s almost better to break it down and really carve your own path rather than do your own version of someone else’s stuff. There were a few that were purposeful, and it was fun.

In general I think the newspapers are almost too timid. If you’re a student – that’s the time. Eventually, you’re going to work in publication, there’s going to be editors that want to tamp it down. Take your shots now, don’t wait for somebody to push you there. Do it yourself. 

On photography in designs:

Ashford: There was nothing striking about the photos.

David: Disappointed in quality of photography.

Nathan: Didn’t see stuff that treated photography as well as it could have. Didn’t see respect for power of photography. 

Overall:

David: Strongest thing was team structure behind strong individual voices. It’s hard to do in a college because there’s a constant turnover – there’s a continuum and people are at various degrees of expertise. But if you have a really strong design that helps people walk through that learning stage and explain while they learn, that puts your paper on the path to greater success. I get the sense that in the ones that are more traditional there’s someone saying “hey we can’t do that we’re a newspaper… but that’s what got us in this mess.”

Ashford: there seems to be a lack of direction in a lot of these submissions, there wasn’t really a voice. 

Advice for portfolios:

David: In student designer of the year, edit your stuff. If you have 10 – put them in, but don’t do it artificially.

Nathan: There were some where they had seven great pages, but the 8^th one was bad and they kept them out.  We looked at a lot like that today. I guarantee you any professional looking at that one portfolio would have said “take that out”  – you can submit portfolios for opinions

David: SND has a Tumblr and maybe we could use it to help students develop. It would be a good medium for dialogue, work and figure that out. In Kentucky, get academics, students, professionals together and find a way to set up a mechanism for this. 

“This portfolio was a cut above the others. The execution is nice, the color is nice and the sophistication and confidence is above the other submissions. There’s a very clear voice and it stands way out.”

2nd: Patrick M. Jenkins F News Magazine – SAIC

“This portfolio really puts emphasis on the publication’s elements. The designer doesn’t feel that he has to reinvent his tools, but instead puts his effort into making sure his art, elements, structure and so on, is consistent. There’s also good restraint. The designer isn’t doing crazy stuff with grids or 50 different shades of color. It’s pulled back so the intelligence comes through on each page.”

3rd: Kevin Maurice Golden Inside Magazine – Indiana University, The Boston Globe

“This portfolio shows you the range of a designer. When I see portfolios coming in, I like to see somebody that can go both ways. This portfolio lets us see the designer’s versatility because it includes college work and professional work. This not only speaks to the designer’s confidence and level of vision, but his ability to work under direction. In the world of design, there’s a fine line – you have to have your own point of view, but you also have to be able to take direction and you can see both of these skills in this portfolio.”

Honorable mentions: Carlos Mella The Miami Hurricane – University of Miami, Michele Snow The Quinnipiac Chronicle – Quinnipiac University, Chris Montgomery Mars’ Hill Newspaper – Trinity Western University

Congratulations Alli Berry!