Stoltze Design Group for Groton School

Groton, MA USA
Grades 8-12, Coed Boarding and Day

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
First off, it's lovely to look at. Next, there's a lot of material here, but it's not boring. There's always something new to see and think about. The separate booklets work, especially the one called "20 Questions, 19 Answers." Of course, I wanted to see which question they didn't answer. A whole book about teachers could be dry, but it isn't. You know that Groton is a big name with a big budget for this, but it never feels stuffy. Engaging and often witty, the booklets talk straight—not down—to the reader.

At first, I was skeptical about the information being divided up into 4 separate pieces, but once I dove into the content I think it was a really clever decision. Each piece is well presented and presents a specific element of the school. The layout, colors, photos, and graphics are beautiful. The information is well organized and easy to navigate. For me, the star is the mentors booklet. I love the deep dive into the teachers that make the school special. Also, the photography is stunning. Great work!

This is a great suite of materials! I love how the pieces alternate in size and length depending on the depth of information Groton wants to communicate. The Mentors piece, in particular, is amazing — fantastic faculty portraits, the inclusion of all of the faculty roles outside of the classroom, the combination of degrees and academic accomplishments/accolades earned by their faculty is so impressive! The “20 Questions” piece is also beautiful, and a great reinvention of an FAQs concept. I love the explanation of affordability and the showcasing of some financial aid ingenuity through their GRAIN program. I absolutely love the main student piece…what's inside is brilliant— from photography to design to the student testimonials. I particularly like the descriptors of the students beyond their name and grade level— very multifaceted!

TEAM
Clif Stoltze, Stoltze Design Group, Creative Director
Brian Azer, Stoltze Design Group, Senior Art Director
Gail Friedman, Groton School, Director of Communications
Ian Gracey, Groton School, Dean of Admission & Financial Aid
Tom Kates, Photographer
Thurston-Lighty, Content

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George School

Newtown, PA USA
Grades 9-12, Coed Boarding and Day 

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
This concept is outstanding! I love the build/choose-your-own-adventure model of creating your own viewbook. The mix of a variety of fonts, typography, illustration, and graphics are really great. The language is so bold and present day, and the tone is both direct and includes a playful wink — kudos to whoever the writer was for this project! I love how they have very original language and terms to refer to what their differentiators are and how every piece has an institutional philosophy, a student benefit directly derived from that philosophy, and a proof point tucked in to show how success plays out. I love how each card asks a question on the front and answers it on the back. I love that each academic subject card emphasizes the practical, real-world applications of that discipline. Bravo!

TEAM
Susan Quinn, George School
Andrea Lehman
Adrienne DiGiovine, DiGiovine Design

Choate Rosemary Hall

Wallingford, CT USA
Grades 9-12, Coed Boarding and Day 

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
The copy. My goodness, the copy. So great…"Everything you never expected," "Learn how to think, not what to think," etc. Just very compelling — particularly when mixed with your inspiring photography and cool graphics. I wanted to learn more about you the second I opened the viewbook. Well done!

Choate always does such design-rich work. I love how they use a variety of bold statements, accentuating colors, and layout in their piece. The focus on the future rather than the past is very inspiring and emphasizes their effort to be progressive. There are so many powerful series of taglines within the piece for prospective families and students to understand the true meaning and value of a Choate education. The student profiles are wonderfully diverse and I love the variety of testimonial/biography/expressed institutional benefit. Great job!!

TEAM
160 Over 90
Alison Cady, Choate Rosemary Hall, Chief Communications Officer
Tom Kates, Photographer