2009 Design of the Year
co-sponsored by Adobe Systems
Illustration
First Place
Lauren Cox
Redwood Bark, Redwood HS, Larkspur, Calif.
Second Place
Noah Sneider
The Viking, Palo Alto HS, Palo Alto, Calif.
Third Place
Jolene Xie
The Nexus, Westview HS, San Diego, Calif.
Honorable Mention
Mattie Nobles
The Rock, Rock Canyon HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Honorable Mention
Dillon Kogle
Chieftain, Montrose HS, Montrose, Colo.
Honorable Mention
Lindsay Shores, Laura Seach, Alia Huffman, John Husak
Marquee, Dreyfoos School of the Arts, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Infographic
First Place
Kevin Li, Rohan Kusre
Spark, Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, Ohio
Second Place
Christopher Hsing
Silver Chips, Montgomery Blair HS, Silver Spring, Md.
Third Place
Erin Schrode
The Voice, Marin Academy, San Rafael, Calif.
Honorable Mention
Alice Lee
El Estoque, Monta Vista HS, Cupertino, Calif.
Honorable Mention
Tara Gracer, Jeff Lerman, Victor Rudo
Deerprints, Deerfield HS, Deerfield, Ill.
Magazine Page/Spread
First Place
Emily Bagdasarian, Katie Smith
Opus, Oakton HS, Vienna, Va.
Second Place
Michael Falero, Laura Maddox
Roars and Whispers, Providence Sr. HS, Charlotte, N.C.
Third Place
Stephanie Zimmerman
Mirador, Homestead HS, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Newspaper Page One
First Place
Rohan Kusre
Spark, Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, Ohio
Second Place
Kirsten Robinson
The Express, Blue Valley Northwest HS, Overland Park, Kan.
Third Place
Jamie Hausman
Statesman, Stevenson HS, Lincolnshire, Ill.
Honorable Mention
Cami Wade
North Star, Francis Howell North HS, St. Charles, Mo.
Honorable Mention
Mike Barnes, Katie Arquiette
The Growl, Massaponax HS, Fredericksburg, Va.
Newspaper Page/Spread
First Place
Dean Kelly
The Wolf’s Howl, Timberland HS, Wentzville, Mo.
Second Place
Clariza Pauline Abrena
Timberlines, Timberline HS, Boise, Idaho
Third Place
Jennifer Bailey
The Prowler, O’Fallon Township HS, O’Fallon, Ill.
Honorable Mention
Neil Marchese
The Pilot’s Log, Hasbrouck Heights HS, Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.
Honorable Mention
Lauren Jung, Sara Kloepfer
The Broadview, Convent of the Sacred Heart HS, San Francisco, Calif.
Honorable Mention
Kayla Mitchell
Paladin, Kapaun Mount Carmel HS, Wichita, Kan.
Yearbook Page/Spread
First Place
Lara Brill
Freeflight, Torrey Pines HS, San Diego, Calif.
Second Place
Austin Esry
Hornet, Bryant HS, Bryant, Ark.
Third Place
Michael Bryce, Robert Ranes
Pinnacle, Red Mountain HS, Mesa, Ariz.
Honorable Mention
Kaylin Garcia, Robin Rivera
Shield, Thomas Downey HS, Modesto, Calif.
Honorable Mention
Christine Smith
Wings, Arrowhead Christian Academy, Redlands, Calif.
Honorable Mention
Andrew Dickinson
Indian, Shawnee Mission North HS, Overland Park, Kan.
Judge’s comments on NSPA Design of the Year entries:
The Adobe-sponsored National Scholastic Press Association 2009 Design of the Year contest recognizes work that exhibits contemporary appeal and trends as well as technical skills. Additionally, the best entries are well-suited to their respective audiences, and demonstrate effective use of type, photos, art, graphics, and color.
There were many excellent designs in this year’s contest, representing technical skill and creative talent. The best page designs showed attention to detail in the design of all page elements. The graphic elements were carefully designed and the type was attractive. Additionally, credits and sources of information were attributed, and effort was made to localize national stories.
Overall, we were impressed with the creativity and overall excellent quality of this year’s NSPA designs.
Recommendations for publications wishing to improve their designs include:
- Focus on creating stronger visual-verbal connections
- Strive for a sense of unity; all elements should contribute to the whole
- Concentrate on the details to achieve a polished effect
- Make every effort to pay close attention to image resolution