What makes a D&AD award-winning project? The judges spill the beans…

Many a creative covets a D&AD Pencil, many fewer receive them. The deadline for entries of the organisation’s student awards, New Blood, is rapidly approaching; so if you’re a young creative thinking of entering, you’ll want some tips on how best to do it. Thankfully, the judges responsible for scrutinising the work and deciding who answered the brief with the best creative solution have given us their insights.

Graphic design briefs for this year were set by Adobe, Design Bridge, Monotype and John Lewis; while Dr. Martens and Newsworks set briefs for the Copywriting entrants. Read on for some invaluable advice on how to answer a D&AD Brief, and what makes a project an award-winning one. The deadline to enter is 16 March, so time is of the essence, but you can find everything you need to know here.

Dr Martens Jury Foreman Vikki Ross, copywriter, on Copywriting:

“As an industry, we mustn’t forget the importance of copywriting, and radio is the perfect place to showcase it. With carefully crafted words come the opportunity to feed the listener’s imagination – and that’s an honour. As always, I’m looking for simply brilliant copy. But I’d love to be surprised by the unexpected. Remember, stay true to the brand and avoid spelling mistakes and clichés.”

Adobe Foreman Craig Oldham, founder of Office of Craig Oldham, on Graphic Design/Branding:

“Try not to get bogged down in endless reinterpretation. The re-definition should always come from a place of meaning to the brand. Whether that’s in the exploration of it’s software, or more conceptual, it has to have a degree of relevance. Without that, you could fall into the trap of just playing with something for the sake of it. Find what you think is the best thing about the brand, and start there. In other words, start by finding your opinion.”

Amnesty International Jury Foreman Lisa Blythman-Wood, associate creative director at VML London, on Open Advertising:

“I want to see something smart. Really careful consideration for the channels and their relevance to the audience plus pushing technology to enable long term solutions and/or behavioural change. Plus a simple idea beautifully realised.”

Ford Jury Foreman Nils Leonard, Grey chairman and chief creative officer, on Product/Service:

“Make something that contributes or interrupts. Create a conversation. Get shared. Get a crowd behind it, a dream will happen if enough people want it to. The causes we get behind, ice bucket challenges and films that encourage you to name hurricanes after politicians you hate don’t need millions of client dollars to be famous now. They just need fans. People who care enough to pass it on… Take D&AD’s New Blood and smash it like your life depended on it. Win it. Throttle it to make you famous.”

Shutterstock Jury Foreman, Tim Higgs, photographer Making Pictures, on Craft:

“I am looking forward to viewing a range of work and styles. We’re looking for strong identity, good presentation, a fine tuned set of styles with a view to possible commercial opportunity. Read the brief, read the brief and then read the brief again.”

Asa Cook, Design Bridge creative director, on Graphic Design/Branding:

“The brief not only offers great scope for creativity, but also the chance to make the marginalised feel included, thereby having a positive influence on the world. Who doesn’t want to start a revolution! The danger is that because the issues around beauty can be complex, this could cause designers to over complicate their solution by trying to answer everything at once. Sometimes by trying to say everything you end up saying nothing. The key is to be clear on which issue or issues you which to address, helping your idea to be simple, meaningful and easily understood. The other watch out is not to create a solution that could patronise the end user.”