Mark, I remember when I was a full-time print designer and just out of college, how important these kinds of awards were to ad agencies (mostly) and some design firms. It was all about validation and attention and becoming part of the club.

I still recall some controversy in the local awards industry because a large ad agency produced a completely blown out and unnecessary ad campaign for the corner greasy spoon, complete with TV spot, ad spot, print ads. Pretty crazy stuff, which I suspect may still go on today.

I believe it’s far more important to solve real client challenges (as if we had to make any up!) and let the work we do as designers and art directors speak for itself.

I tend to find that outside of specific web awards its generally the over the top flash stuff that picks up awards.  While they can be visually interesting for the first minute or so most of them tend to be completely unusable in the real world.

That being said we recently managed to pick up 2 Roses awards for an in-house email campaign we created at Christmas.  Which I was quite chuffed with :)

I liked Richard Feynman’s attitude to his Nobel Prize.

The award was nice for the people giving it, but irrelevant to the receiver.

@The Article: I guess some people are still wow’d by unusable flash websites. Like most things real craftsman ship goes un-noticed.

@James Constable: Stop gloating! lol. I might be late on friday.

There has been such a huge outcry rightly so from the graphics and design world over the lack of pencils this year.
Having talked to all the jurys and toured the judging making sure that lack of politics and levels of ambition were correct. I can say that the judges can only mark whats infront of them. Knowing great work is out there and its not sitting on the table means either, its too expensive, no one gives a shit or that “they” just dont enter awards and simply put it in EYE or CR.

What ever the opinion the D&AD do not have any control over the numbers awarded, its the hardest to win for a reason, and that is because 304 judges say what they think and not other awards that can fill quotas and back slap big business.

A question i put to the judges was how many of them put work in..

Yours

Simon Waterfall
Prez D&AD

@Kev .. Feynman was a smart man.

@Simon

ugly aliasing, poor tweening, a silent guy with a microphone followed by a poorly looped-loop (that doesn’t sound like a boat engine), double-clicks for interaction, looping questions, incoherent trees (on some clicking does nothing, on others it cycles through the seasons, reverse mouse interaction (think aircraft sim, not normal trackpad).

Some loops don’t stop looping when they’re meant to (birds on the wire, click fast), there is viewport hijacking (close button), scroll behaviour hijacking and

While it may be pretty, in my opinion it’s embarrassing that this was given an award. It’s style over substance when I’ve always loved that D&AD seemed to only reward substantial style, or the styling of substance.

D&AD has always been to me about how things look not how they work. The UNIQLO site looks really nice but I’m not sure what I should be doing - what’s it’s point? Same with the Orange one - although I am not sure this actually looks very nice.

I am sure the D in D&AD stands for design and design encompasses function as well as lovely pictures and typography.

It would interesting to see how much traffic these sites get - I think this is the ultimate test for a website. Does it get traffic - does it convert leads - does it make money.

I liked Richard Feynman’s attitude to his Nobel Prize. so cool!

You have carried out nice issue

Gr8 work keep it up

I think it’s great that the mentality when it comes awards is not the 1# agenda on there list anymore. Winning awards should be way down way down the list, and as you said in the artice solving problems for your clients is most important.

Looking at the D&AD awards it really is an interesting development. Having two nominees and no winner - wow. But i think they have some problems in general to find someone for an award. Categorie “Websites” also didn´t had a award-winner and only one(!) nomination.
Just imagine the Oscars without any winner...lol.

You have carried out a brilliant issue

Gr8 work keep it up

I think awards are just a fine recognition of your work, though they might be political at times.

Thanks for your working blog again!

Hi Mark, sure you don’t need the D&AD, to tell you you’re doing a great job - but having an award is in most fields something special and makes you feel good ;). Having this (or another) kind of recognition of your work can be a nice, motivating thing.But as our world becomes more and more digital and faster it seems that there are a few things missing here and there.

waao! the entire graphic design category ndid ot produce any winners this year? how is it possible? if the award was to be given, i’m sure there would be some site that would qualify

Thank You!