Special Program Publications Packages

General Observations

This interesting category covers pieces that were created for many different kinds of events and purposes, and yet they all strived to exceed in similar ways. This year's submissions combined a mix of publication styles and formats that demonstrated interesting plays with innovative concepts. There were lots of good concepts and original ideas such as design borrowed from scrapbooking, die-cuts, cut-outs, and packaging including boxes, with bold colors, ribbons, interesting folds, and high-end text and paper treatments. Historical pieces creatively used a black and white effect, or old-style layouts and text to support the sepia and old photographs. Some were clever, some cleverly economized, and some were very elegant, but when considered for all criteria, they did not quite reach the level of the winners, who did achieve according to all criteria. The challenge was to achieve a balance of outstanding design and functionality and effectiveness. The best ones provided a balance of solid concept and design with an understanding of audience and audience use that led to measurable results.

Many were nicely executed, but without a strong concept. The judges were not impressed by those which simply met standards as opposed to hitting one out of the ball park. That is, schools don't win just by doing what they are supposed to do in terms of expectations for the function of the piece. Lists of donors with photos for a bit of added interest may be a nice design gesture, but it is not an above-average treatment. Some series were nicely coordinated, but we expected that from a series. Tributes were fine; pieces to donors were elegant; a series for the public and their families was easy to understand, fun and engaging. Many were clean, clear, and functional, but at the same time, they were pedestrian and not outstanding. In general many were nice but didn't really go the extra mile to stand out as "excellent design." Some pieces were outstanding in the series but not all pieces in the series were outstanding, making the series inconsistent. Consistency needs vigorous attention.

However, the big disappointments this year were those that had an interesting, attention-grabbing, or strong concept to start with, but whose execution left something to be desired. What started as "Wow!" ended as "How?" We could remind schools to get back to basics--or at least, remember the basics. Why sacrifice functionality for beauty and first impression? Why grab my attention and then let me down when I read more closely? Why be over-the-top spectacular and then confuse me with too many options and too much to go through to find the necessities? Remember the purpose of the piece; remember what you want the audience to do to advance your goal. If you need to reach the hearts of your audience, a dedication brochure needs to be commemorative, with more photos than average. If the piece is easy to read, it makes its point quickly, which gets across the necessary emotional message.

Design details need attention. Some submissions were beautiful but had basic design flaws, which is inexcusable. Typography was weak. Text had typeface or font problems, captions were miniscule and too small for the photos (Why put them there in the first place? Let the photo speak for itself or allow me to read the caption), and pages were cluttered, overdone, gaudy, or too busy. One big issue this year was too much text. Pages were "stuffed" full so that layout suffered or the reader suffered. Information-intensive pieces need to find more effective ways to present large volumes of copy. Believe it or not, some publications had no institutional branding. Some publications seemed to forget where they came from, and did not include any information about the university.

Although there were calls to action on the part of these submissions, we still did not see a lot of measurement. These days, with the power of an integrated program where the Web has been used as part of the measuring process, this should be easier than ever. Schools did not seem to take advantage of this ability to measure.

Comments on Winning Entries

Gold Medal

University of Maryland, College Park: Fear the Turtle Sculpture Project

• This submission was, first of all, outstanding in terms of measuring and achieving the desired results, which in itself was most impressive. In fact, we have not often seen such success in higher education campaigns of this type. Consistently well branded and solidly designed, the Turtle series was informative yet truly engaging and attractive, which measurably worked well for the audience. The paper used was appropriate for the style and the messaging; it invited the tactile. A bonus was a cut-out that one could use both as a reminder and as a fun wall hanging or a desk novelty.

Silver Medals

University of Washington: Meeting the Global Challenge

• This submission was effective in getting its message across, in great part through an innovative way to handle text--using multiple layers like textual scaffolding to impart its messaging. This way, if the audience read only certain parts of the text, it would still get the message. Associated pieces also put the audience first, with very readable short and snappy cards (Problem/Solution) that provided rationale and made their case compelling in a few seconds. Also, breaking the educational content up into sections, they made it digestible without dumbing it down. They seemed to have built the design around the content. The judges agreed that if you were to lay this piece on a legislator's busy desk, it would likely get read.

University of Washington: UW Fifth Annual Recognition Gala

• Very well done for its purpose, this submission avoided the usual style pitfalls of this genre. This coffee table piece went above the standard with effects like blind embossing, yet did not go overboard. Classic typography (especially well done on the cover and good use of type throughout), interesting photography (nice range of photos contributed to consistency), impressive colors, overall consistency, and a vellum treatment that made the piece tactile all set the tone. The design choices were handled tastefully and elegantly, appropriate to the messaging. At the same time, good stewardship in production costs showed donors they were responsible. A two-color job, the pieces' moderate spend in one area allowed for the elegance of the embossing, and the use of preprinted letters and table tents allowed for targeting and last-minute printing. They thought ahead, so that these options did not cause overspending.

Bronze Medal

College for Creative Studies: Student Exhibition Campaign

• This submission from College for Creative Studies communicated the name of the school from start to finish: Creative. What better way to communicate your brand? It started with eye-catching, bright colors--a good choice for the brand and for the audience--and carried through with just the right amount of text with appropriate messaging. Simple out of the box--or should we say "out of the bubble"--changes to the usual format, such as a reply card with big rounded bubbles instead of plain lines to fill out, is a welcoming but inexpensive device. Blending the utilitarian with fun and excitement, this consistent series hit all the right buttons. Cost-conscious, this in-house piece showed how a school can make excellent use of resources while setting the tone for being hip and bold. Their clear, excellent outcomes also proved they had a winner.