Awards, Nominations and Professional Recognition

Most of the credit for these awards needs to go to the designers – I have often been the goalhanger for other people’s great thinking.

If I’m honest I'm a bit uncomfortable with our awards culture generally. Why have they become so important in nearly every field? It's hard to buy a cauliflower these days without a gold label shoving its title-winning credentials under your nose. Whatever happened to judging for yourself?

If you’ve time for a short delicately-phrased rant along these lines, do click the read more button!

I'm in favour of the pursuit and recognition of excellence. But I'm unsure about awards. At the time of writing (December 2011) I hadn't entered any since 2004 or so, largely because it costs £300 to put just one piece in one category for something like D&AD. I'm a company of one. If I had the money I could invest five-figure sums every year on what is also, unfortunately, something of a lottery. And for what, exactly? The thing is judges don't judge things by the same criteria as people in the real world, or even as each other, and are perfectly capable of judging very badly, or being swayed or overrun by barrel chested types. (Having judged D&AD twice, I’ve seen this first hand.) All in all it looks at times to me to be suspiciously like a rat-race that’s capable of distracting you from what really matters if you’re not careful.

And what matters are your clients. For this reason alone I value the responses and comments from the people the work is for far more highly than any prize. It means the it has done its job in the real world. An award will not change my life. But just occasionally my writing might just help change someone else's. That's reward enough isn't it?

Read more...

 

2010

Benchmark Awards – nominated, Brands - Alquity Investment

 

2009

D&AD Annual – in book, new branding schemes – New Street Square

 

2008

Design Week Awards – commendation – Farmer Foiled Christmas card

 

2007

D&AD Annual – shortlisted, invitations – Farmer Foiled Christmas card

Design Week Awards – shortlisted – Piccadilly Lights brochure

 

2006

Design Week Awards – Winner, Editorial Books: Salvation Army ‘101’ book

Design Week Awards – Winner, Promotional Brochures: Boss brochure

D&AD Annual – Writing For Design: Boss brochure

D&AD Annual – Self-Promotional Material: 'How Do You Do?' book

McNaughton Awards – ‘Best in Show’: Boss brochure

McNaughton Awards – Winner, Brochures: Boss brochure

McNaughton Awards Winner Self Promotional: Boss brochure

McNaughton Awards – Highly Commended, Self Promotional: ‘How Do You Do?’ book.

‘Print’ European Annual: ‘How Do You Do?’ book.

 

2005

Design Week Awards – Finalist, Promotional Brochures: ‘Now here’s a funny thing…’

McNaughton Awards – ‘Best in Show’: Salvation Army ‘101’ book

McNaughton Awards – Winner, Books: Salvation Army ‘101’ book

PAMADA – Winner, ‘Plain English Award’: Land Securities 'Spirit' book

D&AD Silver nomination for the most outstanding Writing for Design: ‘Now here’s a funny thing…’

D&AD Annual – Direct Mail: ‘Now here’s a funny thing…’

Design Week Awards – Finalist, Posters: Urban Remedy

Communication Arts: ‘Now here’s a funny thing…’

ISTD Awards, Promotional Literature, commendation: ‘Now here’s a funny thing…’

McNaughton Awards – Shortlisted, Brochures: Land Securities 'Spirit' book

McNaughton Awards – Shortlisted, Books: ‘The View’

Fresh Awards (In Association with Campaign) – Winner, Gold Award: ABN AMRO Wholesale Clients brochure

Fresh Awards (In Association with Campaign) – Winner, Corporate Literature: ABN AMRO Wholesale Clients brochure

Marketing Design Awards – Finalist: Bournemouth Hotel School Project

Design Effectiveness Awards – Finalist [Highly Commended]: Bournemouth Hotel School Project

Benchmark Awards – ‘Best in Show’: Natural History Museum identity

 

2004

D&AD Annual: NESTA ‘Subject to Change’ brochure

ADC NY – Merit: NESTA Subject to Change brochure

Design Week Awards – Finalist: Verbatim plane

PAMADA – Winner, websites: The Hamptons

 

2003

McNaughton Awards – Winner, Self Promotional Items: Verbatim direct mail

D&AD Annual: ‘Touching Base With A Game Plan’ – Trickett and Webb calendar

 

2002

D&AD judge, Writing For Design

DBA Design Effectiveness Awards – Finalist: Wedgwood brochure

 

2001

D&AD Annual – Writing For Design: FJ Cleveland Trademarks brochure

 

1998

Stomach' published (Short film, 1998, 'Catapult', anthology of new writing, CCPA)

 

1997

Bookends' published (One act play, 1997, Samuel French Ltd) Translated into Dutch, 1997: 'Deafspraak van vijf uur'

 

1994

'Sketches in the Dark' – Winner National Student Playwriting Competition