Vote for best of web
Whereas awards for graphic design, art direction, and advertising routinely honor the finest work in their respective fields each year, awards for web work disappoint.
Your typical web awards are a commercial enterprise first, last, and always. Companies pay to enter work, pay to attend, and pay for their awards. The same thing happens in graphic design, art direction, and advertising shows, of course, but those shows mean something because they are juried by the top practitioners, and everyone in those fields who does great work submits it.
By contrast, people writing and designing the most important websites and applications tend to ignore web competitions. They neither judge nor submit. This has a distorting effect in two directions. And that is why, if you view the results of a typical juried web awards show, you may see work you’ve never heard of, and that doesn’t strike you as particularly good, carrying the day.
The .net magazine awards 2009 are a rare exception, put together by people who actually live and breathe the web. I’m honored to be one of this year’s judges. I’m even more delighted to see who I rub shoulders with in that capacity. Most of all, I applaud the list of worthy nominees. Voting for the .net “best of the web” closes 12 October 2009, but why wait? Vote today.
ShortURL: zeldman.com/x/53
Filed under: Acclaim, Design, work
I’m honored to be asked as a judge this year. The nominees are almost all people or organizations I respect.
It’s really nice to see an honest to goodness web awards competition surfacing, especially with the backing that it has right out of the gate. The problem I have with other competitions is that it’s always who you know. I have a friend that would talk about how they won an ADDY and then they’d proceed to tell me the people they knew. It was more of a popularity contest and a pay-for-recognition thing.
I’ve also seen some absolutely horrid web work come out of such competitions. Stuff that probably would’ve been great circa 1995.
I do like the judges panel very much :)
But they seemed to have copied the nominees list from last year. :-/
It’s going to be great seeing Amazon fight it out with Iran for the infamy award.
Don’t know where to report this, but I don’t think that “http://www.docs.google.com/” is an actual URL even though it’s on the list.
‘Awards are like haemorrhoids. Sooner or later every asshole gets one’ — Sarah Morton (Swimming Pool, 2003).
I’ve never been one to beat the Gender Inequality in Tech drum, but only 4 women judges out of a panel of 50? Wow.
Gender Inequality? I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t done any research on the subject, but based on what I’ve seen I’d imagine that 4 in 50 is actually a reasonable percentage (if not high), when compared to the percentage spread within the industry.
Hmm, the Facebook redesign features in the Best Redesign category and in the Infamy category. Seems a little oxymoronic to me.
Two categories also feature your sites, JZ. How will you deal with that as a judge? Will it be like a presenter at the Oscars saying, “And the winner is… Ooh, it’s ME!”
This is the case for several judges, and there are standard ways of handling it.
I’m not sure how you can boast the nominees like that. True, there are some good ones and overall, I would say the list is better than most web awards, but it falls into the same trend when it comes to the interactive category. When are people going to get it through their heads that interactive/interaction design != Flash. I counted two nominees in this category that were not Flash sites and neither of them were particularly interesting or even good in the interaction department.
Instead, most of the nominees, in a category that is supposed to be about user experience, offer pointless, directionless meanderings through a Flash sequence that offers no pay off for the user, other than being marketed too. Shame.
I would argue that these site are even a demonstration of web design, so much as they an example of really well executed online video games, that have no point or gaming aspect to them.
There is a time and place for these sites, but I’m not sure they fit this kind of award and at the very least, they should not dominate. I use the web every day, all day and 9 times out of 10, when I open a site like one of these, I close the tab.
Sorry to harp on the negative.
@Jennifer Robbins:
I agree. Web design is not a boy’s club. Considering how many brilliant women there are in web design, web content, and UX, I would expect to see more women among the judges, whether or not the competition’s framers were actively seeking to create a representative panel.
@Jeremy Anderson:
I’m not a fan of that category, either. (Not to attack the work; I’m simply stating my bias in favor of more user-focused, content-driven, standards-based stuff.) On the other hand, surveying the show as a whole, look how many industry-leading sites and services are nominated across most categories. Compare this to what goes on at other web competitions. The other competitions that I’m aware of tend to focus almost exclusively on heavily produced, ad-agency-created Flash-o-tainment. A web service like Basecamp, used by millions, wouldn’t even be nominated. On the whole, then, this show comes closest to my ideal.
@Jeffrey Zeldman
Oh, I completely agree with that. Across the board it doesn’t look bad at all. Like I said, I don’t mean to harp on the negative. My concern with this particular category has more to do with a gross misunderstanding of something that is really at the core of what web design is and what sets it apart from other modes of design. The industry has really been dragging the horse behind the cart on this one, but I’m not going to beat it anymore.
I AM extremely pleased to see such talent and credibility amongst the judges.
Agreed, it’s eye candy, and it’s not made to provide a piece of information but just to “show off” the visual aspect. Similar to a 1980’s LADA with a Ferrari bodykit. There are indeed specific awards for these kind of websites, and they shouldn’t dominate “Best of the Web”.
The other categories are interesting, the judge’s are talented people or guru’s. It’s all good, but I’m just not that into “awards” and competitions when it comes to the web. I find it unhealthy or at least unnecessary. (ex: There is no best between Twitter or Facebook, they’re different products.) But maybe it’s just me.
Is it not taboo to be a judge and yet have your work in the area for potential judging? In the literary world, that’s grounds to get a snide label for the rest of your life.
I’ve always been an admirer of your work, hell, like most people I learned about standards because of your work… but it strikes me as ruining the credibility of this panel. Should you step away from a category because your entry is in there, you’ve already tainted the alternate judges opinion by being an active member of the panel.
As a creative writer, I’m more familiar with literary contests than web design awards.
That being said, lit contests are judged “blind” – while it’s easier to make someone’s written word anonymous for a juried panel, it certainly doesn’t happen 100% of the time. There is no perfect system and contests will always be inherently flawed to some degree.
But for web design competitions, it seems as if anonymity isn’t possible because of the nature of the industry. In such subjective fields as art and design, the only way to objectively judge a work is to remove the name of the author / painter / designer. It may be that there will never be a “perfect” way to jury any design award.
Some great names on this list – just thought to drop in and share my take on this from another perspective. I’m sure the panel is honest and won’t play favorites – you guys are industry leaders after all and this is a great thing to do for the community – but someone, somewhere is bound to complain.
@Brady J. Frey:
It’s not a challenge for me alone. For instance, practically everyone listed in category 12 (“Standards Champion”) is a judge.
As I mentioned in response to an earlier comment, such conflicts come up all the time in design, art direction, and advertising shows.
Do you think George Lois, Milton Glaser, Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Art Spiegelman and Ray Eames never judged an award show where their own work was under consideration?
Does anyone think George Lois voted for his own work? Or only won awards because he was on the jury?
As I said, it happens all the time, and it’s always handled the same way: judges don’t vote on their own work.
There’s no taint, no stain, no back-alley skullduggery. There are rules, and professional gentlemen and ladies abide by them.
Also, in this particular show, the audience does most of the voting. So there’s that, too. :)
Oh, and I mention George Lois, Milton Glaser, Saul Bass, Paul Rand, Art Spiegelman and Ray Eames not to compare any of us poor .net Awards judges to those immortals, but merely to point out more forcefully (since the previous comment didn’t suffice) that this kind of conflict is as old as design, and if legends like Paul Rand can judge without taint, so can schmoes like the rest of us.
Also, I said taint twice.
I just voted and, as mentioned above, was very surprised to see so much overlap between judges and (their) nominated websites. This much overlap casts a shadow and makes the .net awards look like an exclusive club. These awards look more like “Your typical web awards are a commercial enterprise first, last, and always.” It’s a business and award winners benefit so call it what it is.
The options for web personality of the year were weak. Why is this category so silly. I expected to see a legit personality like Dan Cederholm who has a large blog and twitter following.
Standards champion is a much deserved layup for Zeldman.
@Andrew M:
It could be worse. A List Apart could be up for “Web Personality of the Year,” and Susan Boyle could be a judge. ;)
I won that last year so it’s probably someone else’s turn. I’m just glad they have the category.
I’m glad there is a web competition that includes “web standards” in its categories and has a significant number of web standards and web accessibility people in the ranks of its judges. You don’t see that in most shows. I can’t think of any show where you see that. Certainly not the Webbys, for example (not to pick on them).
A healthy mix of serious categories (Web Application of the Year, Web Standards Champion) and light-hearted ones (Web Personality of the Year) may diminish some of the seriousness of the show, but it’s probably a reasonable compromise with audience expectations—a little fun for the folks.
And you can’t have your complaints both ways. That is to say, if you object to a popularity contest between iJustine and Ashton Kutcher as “Web Personality of the Year,” then you shouldn’t object to seeing two founders of Clearleft among the judges and Clearleft nominated for agency of the year. Clearleft deserves that nomination, and Andy Budd and Jeremy Keith have contributed hugely to the web. If you object to having judges who have contributed hugely to the web—or if you object to their work being nominated for awards—then you should be happy with a battle between iJustine and Ashton Kutcher for top “personality.”
@Jeffrey Zeldman
Much appreciated for the follow-up;)
I hate to say it, but yes- I’d feel any design competition where the panel of judges are up for awards holds a bias in the vote, regardless of professional stature. I’ve suffered through Art History just as much, and while I agree yours isn’t the only design competition founded on that sentiment, it doesn’t excuse the perception (yes, even if Erté was on a fashion design panel with his own product, or Steve Frankfurt or Bill McCaffery choosing the best of advertising while holding his own campaigns in the pool, we could go on for hours with the comparison).
Especially in the web world where, out of a handful of chosen judges, we pick a 10-12 per category and bank on just about everyone? I’m not crying foul, I honestly don’t assume anyone chose those out of spite or stain, but this is a fairly hot percentage in the web world. I’m a young Art (& IT) Director, but I still see the see a vast difference of Print Design competitions wading in a smaller pool of submissions and having overlap, vs those of us on the internet tied to each other on a handful of platforms & mediums. Print doesn’t earn more respect, but it certainly doesn’t hit so close to home.
…and it could have been avoided. I’m with @Andrew, I was surprised Simple Bits was no where to be found- the author of one of the Web Standards books arguably secondary only to you?
Honestly, this is the same feeling I see with the corporate judging you’re looking to avoid. Immediately when I started seeing judges and entries overlap, it felt no different than a corporation sponsoring an event they have stake.
I’m probably taking this too seriously; .Net’s Magazine Award is a cosmetic litmus for the web world, not necessarily a professional trophy?
…and, as you said, that’s not to say they don’t deserve it. Clearleft was founded by Designers I looked up to for inspiration, and still do (I’m sure Andy Budd’s been in my feeds as long as zeldman.com); but a judge of talent by the same talent, and admitted friends of talent, doesn’t inspire much faith in my vote.
@Brady J. Frey:
Fair enough. It’s not my competition. I’m just a judge, and one of many at that. From my point of view, this is a far better competition than most, in that it highlights leading industry-leading websites and services, and asks industry leaders to serve as judges. But the ultimate judge is always you.
I have no problem with the .net awards, judges and nominees. I voted. I use many of the sites and follow many of the people nominated. I have a .net subscription. I’m a .net fan.
I don’t agree that it’s less a commercial enterprise than other awards nor is it much different from other awards. If understood your article correctly you claim that the .net awards are better than similar awards. From the outside looking in the .net awards are good but not great. No awards are perfect. You set the expectation that .net was much better than the rest and I don’t see it.
You are the Lance Armstrong of Web Standards. Until someone else consistently does as much work as you do to promote Web Standards and the Web Design profession year after year, you are the Standards Champion. Or until it’s discovered that you use performance enhancing drugs (for better eyesight). :)
We agree.
I could make my case more persuasively if I shared the names and URLs of the awards shows I’m thinking of, but I don’t wish to shower those competitions with disrespect. As I choose not to name them, I can’t do a side-by-side comparison.
Of course, feel free to share the names and URLs of web awards that you feel are on a par with the .net Awards.
I don’t mean to argue, I’m just curious. If there are other good shows out there, I’d like to know about them. Thanks.
That is very kind of you to say. Thanks again for sharing.
Mr. Zeldman, what are the chances the “A List Apart” editorial board would host or develop a web awards competition? (An Award Apart?)
I think it would be interesting to see what sites are doing similar things, well beyond the scope of the usual awards, including .net. It would be nice to see some fresh faces and ideas emerge in the design world beyond the inner circle that has developed over the years.
@Erin:
We hosted a web design awards show in 1998, in partnership with the late lamented HighFive, and have long talked of doing so again. It’s something several Apartniks and I are quite keen on doing. The chief problem is finding time to do it right.
Meanwhile, I’m quite pleased with the .Net awards and am thrilled to be a judge.
Quite a scary thought if true.
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[...] Vote for best of web Whereas awards for graphic design, art direction, and advertising routinely honor the finest work in their respective fields each year, awards for web work disappoint. The .net magazine awards 2009 are that rare exception, put together by people who actually live and breathe the web. [...]
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