Visual Design in Print

Single-page Publications, Covers, Posters, Editorial Design, Illustrations, and Invitations

Judges expressed disappointment with many entries that showed a lack of follow-through or execution of a concept. Some entries could have been award winners if they showed some additional consideration of basic elements and attention to details.

• Typography – There were headlines or blocks of copy that had no relationship with the illustration, photo, or other typographic elements.
• Illustration Placement – There were many entries that did not consider the folds gutters in the design of the piece. For example, folding a piece so that only half of the map shows could cause confusion by the reader if they ultimately don’t open the piece all the way.
• Print quality – Despite low budgets on some entries, the print quality should have been better. Either poor quality digital photos were used, or the photos were not color corrected before or during printing.

Specifics:

• Single-page Publications: a very disappointing sub-category. Judges were expecting many more entries (there were 44) in this sub-category. There were few, if any, well-done because of the general comments above.
• Covers: a stronger sub-category even though there were only 27 entries. Strong photography and illustrations were used to carry several of the entries. However most fell down in the execution of the concept as described above.
• Posters: Some very interesting concepts – and follow through in this category. The judges particularly commented on the fun that must have taken place when creating the Arizona State gold medal winning entry. The attention to detail was terrific, even to labeling the blood bag with the “SAA blood type.”
• Editorial Design: The strongest of the sub-categories. There were many very good entries and the judges toyed with the idea of giving almost no awards in other sub-categories and making all of the awards here. The concepts were strong as was execution. We wish some of the illustrations had been entered in the illustration sub-category as well. Strong attention to typography is generally what carried some entries to the top of the category. Note, for example in the Brigham Young gold award entry, how the woman’s hand holding the egg lines up with the beginning of the headline, and the careful placement of the ‘principles of’ partially over the ”I” enables the readers to see the entire headline.
• Illustration: Some good illustrations but none as good as some of the illustrations shown on entries in the Editorial Design sub-category.
• Invitations: Does anyone not use pearlesent paper? There were so many entries using pearl paper and translucent envelopes as a gimmick to stand out in the mail that none stood out. Again, except for the winning entries, most invitations seemed to rely on the paper or a photo to carry the concept (if there was a concept). The Texas gold award entry used a strong photo with a strong concept and coy that was well executed to stand out from the pack.

Gold Medals

Arizona State University Alumni Association – Type SAA Poster
Brigham Young University – Editorial Design: Marriott Alumni Magazine, “Principles of Investing”
Johns Hopkins Medicine – Covers: Hopkins Medicine (Spring/Summer 2006)
Stanford Alumni Association – Editorial Design: Stanford Magazine, “A Crude Awakening”
University of Texas at Austin – Invitations: Office of the President Football Invitation

Silver Medals

Brigham Young University – Editorial Design: Marriott Alumni Magazine, “Saving for Retirement”
Brigham Young University – Editorial Design: Clark Memorandum, “Lifting Others”
Northwestern University – Posters: Imaging the Brain Outreach Event Promotion
Seattle University – Invitations: Discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls
University of Alabama at Birmingham – Covers: UAB Magazine (Spring/Summer 2006)
University of Alabama at Birmingham – Illustrations: UAB Public Health (Fall 2006)
University of Missouri-Columbia – Editorial Design: Illumination, “Worlds Unseen”
University of San Diego – Editorial Design: USD Magazine, “Someone After All”

Bronze Medals

Brandeis University – Illustrations: Brandeis University Magazine, “Slavery’s Shadow”
Brigham Young University – Editorial Design: BYU Magazine, “Sketchy Characters”
Brigham Young University – Editorial Design: Clark Memorandum, “Grief and Hope”
George Washington University – Single-Page Publications: Law Alumni Baseball Outing piece
Northeastern University – Illustration: Northeastern University Magazine, “Root, Root, Root, for the Home Team”
The Ohio State University Alumni Association – Editorial Design: Ohio State Alumni Magazine, “Out of Our Heads”
Pratt Institute – Invitations: Pratt Show Invitation
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville – Specialty Pieces: “The Gardens at SIUE” Notecard Set
Stanford University School of Medicine – Illustration: Stanford Medicine, “The Oasis”
University of Calgary – Posters: Campus Fair 2006 Poster Series
University of California, Davis – Invitations: Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarship Achievement Dinner
University of Maryland, College Park – Posters: “The World is Flat”
University of Pennsylvania – Illustration: The Pennsylvania Gazette, “Lowering the Temperature”
University of Virginia – Invitations: National Campaign Kick-Off Invitation

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Multi-page Publications, Periodicals, Calendars, Books, and Specialty Pieces

129 entries

This was a strong group overall, with few low-quality entries. Most entries had good production values, but the winning entries took more chances – even within traditional styles. The winners displayed a consistent quality throughout, paid careful attention to typography, and varied the layouts to make the pieces fresh from page to page. All of the winners had excellent photography and strong imagery.

Gold Medals

Biola University, (Undergraduate Viewbook)

• A unanimous winner that’s on top of the outside World design trends. The target audience will love this terrific mix of photography, hand-drawn illustration, and clever spot varnish techniques. With an offbeat feel and unconventional grid, this viewbook positions the institution as anything but run of the mill. And for a unit cost of 65 cents!

New York University, (Junior Viewbook)

• This piece has a great spirited feel. A strong grid anchors the bold type, the treatment of headlines is clever, and there’s a nice mix of photos and colors. Some judges thought the piece could incorporate charts or diagrams to make the grid more interesting.

Pennsylvania State University, (Think Again)

• A terrific concept pushed by great design. This recruitment piece uses bold colors, interesting cropping, and witty design to highlight the modern side of agriculture. It challenges you to think of agriculture in new ways, yet its not confrontational (or insulting) about this academic discipline. After looking at this piece, prospective students will never think of agriculture as old-fashioned.

Silver Medals

Harvard Divinity School, (2006 Year in Review)

• A classy take on traditional design. Judges loved the cover and the way this annual report focused on a few key topics and then developed them into features. The timeline at the back is handled well from a typographic standpoint and it gives readers a change of pace from the piece’s magaziney feel. Some judges felt the type treatment once it got past each story’s starting page, lacks flair. Others questioned why the cool cover ornamentation doesn’t make more impact inside the book.

Landon School, (Landon Knows Boys viewbook)

• Beautifully handled and well-targeted for parents considering a prestigious school. The typography is handled with care, and it follows all the classic rules. The design elements are subtle but elegant. The first few pages of well-cropped photos make a vivid, personal impression.

New York University, (Head On junior fulfillment brochure)

• A second winner from a great package! The strong design helps propel the concept, and the photography is super. Judges loved the “image” side of the postcards, but split on whether the back side was worthwhile. Several questioned whether actually answering the questions – rather than just posing them – might be a smarter marketing move.

Bronze Medals

Furman University, (Sustainability and Furman University)

• How did they get away with that! The type-free cover on this president’s report caught everyone’s eye. The softer color palette fits the message of sustainability well. The layouts are varied, and the type elements are imaginative. For such a gutsy cover strategy, the cover photo isn’t that intriguing.

Point Loma Nazarene University, (Annual Report)

• The unusual color palette – aquas, browns, and blacks – looked great. The creators of this piece carry the design elements throughout the report, even on the charts and graphs. Some judges thought the layout seemed a little stiff; more variety in the spreads would give the piece more life. And as in many annual reports, judges were disappointed to see the president’s letter – rather than something with more impact or splash – get the opening spread.

Simon’s Rock College of Bard, (Student Profiles)

• A distinctive package for an unusual institution: an early-start college where students begin after 10th or 11th grade. The lo-fi photos, deep colors, matte paper, and unusual foldout format make this piece stand out. Some judges thought the typography was too bland for the vivid writing, and some questions were raised about the purpose of the foldout. But everyone agree that this piece says, “We’re different.”

University of Indiana, (Places of the Imagination/Imaginary and Constructed Languages catalog)

• This terrific exhibition catalog, printed on a mix of special papers, provides a tactile reading experience. The books in the exhibition were photographed like true works of art. Criticisms of the piece were its high unit cost and a layout that got less interesting by the end of the book.

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Periodicals

71 entries

The judges felt this was a strong category overall with very few weak entries. Strengths included periodicals with a good balance of illustrations and photographs throughout. A lot of entries used matte cover and text stock to great effect. Weaknesses cited included some periodicals with a lack of continuity and flow throughout the issue and from section to section, sometimes feeling as if the sections were from completely different magazines; some overdone splashy color, and an extremely and unnecessarily high unit cost.

Gold Medals

Temple University Tyler School of Art, (Tyler Gestures)

• Tyler Gestures combined a nice nameplate, excellent typography, and a great layout. Its balanced presentation, controlled looseness, and a good use of color, white space, illustration, and sketches complemented the fact that every page was a little bit different but within an established grid and structure. The honor roll section had a nice treatment that separated it from the rest of the magazine. The attractive alumni notes section incorporated alumni artwork and the years in larger type, making it visually strong and setting it apart from the typical notes section.

University of Maryland, College Park, (Illumination, Vol. 1 #1)

• Illumination from the University of Maryland, the first issue of this library periodical, sets a strong precedent to follow. With a strong cover, great layout and typography and a subtle use of color, this piece was not at all overdone and was excellent for its purpose. The placement of the flag on the cover, which was near the center of the page was also subtle and appeared flexible enough to shift location if the cover design changes with each succeeding issue.

Silver Medals

Ohio University, (Perspectives Magazine)

• Perspectives Magazine exhibited fantastic spreads, a good cover, strong layout, and very nice photo illustrations, but several of its pages felt crammed.

Stanford University School of Medicine, (Stanford Medicine)

• Stanford Medicine not only had a nice illustration on the cover, but an eye-catching index page, good use of type in the headlines and spreads, and an excellent use of photos with pullouts. What kept it from being a gold winners was a little bit of a disconnect between the use of justified and ragged type.

Bronze Medals

Kenyon College, (Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin)

• The Kenyon College Alumni Bulletin had a good table of contents with nice subtle touches of artwork. The news and notes sections that wrapped around a colorful features section had continuity throughout. Yet the judges felt that some sections received more attention than others; for instance, the classnotes section needed to be broken up more. There were too many pages of only type without some kind of visual break.

Tufts University, (Tufts Medicine, Summer 2006)

• Tufts Medicine’s great use of cover type and subtle color bars and strong use of duotones and two-color spreads all contributed to an airy feel. The grid was used very well, even when column widths changed on the same page. The designers were not afraid to use minimal text on certain spreads, and there was a good integration of photos and pull outs in the stories.

University of Toronto Faulty of Arts and Sciences, (Idea&s)

• Idea&s was a great example of using matte over glossy stock. The use of space was pushed to the limit, and the magazine was bold enough to push the envelope. When the grid was broken, it was done so in a way that was intentional and refreshing.

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Calendars 

21 entries

The winners in this category are easy to spot: they bring something new or institution-specific to the generic world of calendars.

Gold Medal

Utah Valley State College

• This smartly designed desk calendar fits in an ordinary CD case. The photography is moody and stylized, the design of the date grid was cool, and the taglines for each month are clever. While many calendars are generic, this one says something extra about the school.

Silver Medal

University of Maryland, College Park, (Fear the Turtle Sculptures Calendar)

• Alumni will adore this calendar! For images, the piece uses artist-designed turtle sculptures that had been displayed throughout the region. Although not a big departure from typical calendars, the clean design keeps the attention where it should be: on the colorful sculptures.

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Books

15 entries

All entries had good printing and production values, but few showed much imagination. And although some books represented tons of work, the lack of individuality kept them from being winners. Next year’s entrant should spend a few hours at Barnes and Noble to pick up inspiration from the smartly designed books available outside higher ed.

Silver Medal

College for Creative Studies, (Viewbook)

• This super-creative viewbook and catalog is a deserving winner. Using high-quality images, culled from outstanding student projects, this book packs a strong visual punch. There’s a suitable amount of art school trendiness, but it doesn’t cross the line into an annoying reader experience. Bonus points for the clever handling of the “boring stuff” section at the back of the book.

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Specialty Pieces

30 entries

The winners in this category had a tie to the institution. Nice gift items with no link to the school (or with a logo just slapped on) did not win. Unit costs in this category were all over the may, so the value questions were part of the discussion.

Gold Medal

University at Buffalo/SUNY, (Alai Lama book set)

• This commemorative set, an oversized box with two books and a peace flag, celebrates the Dalai Lama’s visit to campus. The photography is first-rate, and the bold oranges, reds, and yellows make this a vibrant collectible. The two books, one detailing the “extraordinary visit” and the other focused on “ordinary people” who attended, use little type – and are stronger because of it. This entry has a high unit cost, but it makes a strong impression.

Silver Medal

Eastern Illinois University, (I am EIU Banners)

• A distinctive look and a super-low unit cost make these displays winners. In contrast to the many college displays that feature pretty pictures and little more, theses entries actually communicate useful facts about students, majors, and alumni. Judges liked the mix of typefaces, the use of patterns, and the low-tech touches ranging from taped-down photos to paper clips.

Bronze Medal

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, (The Gardens at SIUE Notecards Set)

• These pretty notecards wrapped in a linen bag feel like a special keepsake. The photography is beautiful, the earthy colors are appropriate for a gardens fundraiser, and the unit cost is surprisingly good. Sure to be a hit with donors!