The Ellis School

Pittsburgh, PA USA
PK-12, Girls Day

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
The imagery fits the story perfectly. The designer weaves the artwork in a seamless way that adds to the narrative that the school is navigating forward, guided by the strategic plan. Well done.

This must be the most whimsical strategic plan I have ever seen. The illustrations are beautiful! This would entice me to send my children to or seek employment at this school!

A unique way of presenting a strategic plan. Excellent use of illustrations that clearly form part of an overall campaign. Colourful and well presented which brings the overall content to life. It is very easy for a school to make such a document appear boring or too corporate, however, I love how they want to be different.

TEAM
Diana Toole, The Ellis School, Director of Strategic Marketing, Communications, and Outreach
Erin Foster, Erin Foster Designer, Graphic Designer
Kyla Kemmerer, Kyla Kemmerer Illustration, Illustrator

Kent Place School

Summit, NJ USA
Grades PreSchool-12, Girls Day

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
This one really stands out because of the breadth of people and experiences involved in the piece. So many different lenses into the effects of COVID - students, faculty, parents, alumni, etc. I kept getting drawn back to this piece because the photos made it very personable. The layout makes it flow from story to story.

The photography humanizes the personal stories about the effects of COVID for each demographic group — parents, alumni, faculty and and students. The combination of a large image and text complemented by smaller curios sprinkled throughout the text draw the reader in, eager to experience the story of the page hero.

An outstanding feature article design that captures the priorities and values of a difficult topic which are cleverly, however, simply presented in order to stand out. Fantastic use of full-page imagery which is also of high quality in terms of sharpness. Key comments are highlighted throughout the article and quotes are effectively extracted and sit in bold above the sections. This topic would not have been easy to cover, but the school has executed it exceptionally well.

TEAM
Rachel Naggar, Director of Communications

Tie for Bronze

Germantown Friends School

Philadelphia, PA USA
Grades K-12, Coed Day

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
Really unique concept with the inclusion of trading cards to showcase athletes from the past. I really enjoyed the clever use of typography on your opening pages and icons on the trading cards. The design coupled with historic photos really works well to blend the past and present.

What an innovative way to display the school's sports history! The vivid colors of school pride shine through. There is no question for the viewer as to what the purpose is. Details are easy to and enticing to find and read.

On a personal note, I absolutely LOVE the sports trading card design in this piece. SO CREATIVE. It immediately brought me back to my childhood baseball card memories.

TEAM
Barb Barnett, Barb Barnett Graphic Design LLC, Principal
Meg Ragas, Germantown Friends School, Director of Publications & Marketing Projects

Tie for Bronze

The Peddie School

Hightstown, NJ USA
Grades 9-12, Coed Boarding and Day 

SAMPLE JUDGES' COMMENTS
Love the use of color and the photography of teachers. Great fusion of photography and design to create a unique piece.

I love this piece on so many levels. First of all, it's gorgeous. The colorful pages with lots of "white" space, the cut-out images of faculty in interesting poses, the graphical layout of the text — gorgeous. What I love more is that it sends a message of optimism and that faculty are not just teachers, they're learners, too, and they are taking in the lessons of a challenging time. This is a great example for students and virtually anyone! And finally, whether intended or not, it is an excellent marketing piece because it humanizes faculty, making them interesting people that you can't wait to get to know better.

TEAM
Brandon Detherage, Art Director, The Peddie School
Carrie Harrington, Editor of the Peddie Chronicle, The Peddie School
Wendi Patella, Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, The Peddie School