SND is proud to announce the three winners of World’s Best Designed in its Digital and Print News Design Competitions: DIE ZEIT, Weekendavisen and The New York Times.
DIE ZEIT and Weekendavisen named World’s Best Designed Newspapers
After three days of discussion, judges in the Society for News Design’s 45th Best of Print News Design competition have selected DIE ZEIT and Weekendavisen as World’s Best Designed. Four newspapers were named finalists for the Society’s top honor. Judges with a conflict of interest in publication were not involved in the conversations regarding that publication’s elevation to a finalist or winner for World’s Best Designed.
The judges said:
DIE ZEIT
This is print storytelling at its very best. Every move made by the team at DIE ZEIT is rooted in intentional decision-making, restraint and surprise. DIE ZEIT continues to captivate by balancing long-form journalism with exceptionally smart illustrations, impeccable photo editing and beautifully placed typographic touches. Each page reveals subtle, layered details, as DIE ZEITt’s talented team surfaces delightfully subtle design nuances that engage a busy reader. The real superstar of the newspaper is what isn’t immediately apparent — the strategic use of white space to amplify the content. DIE ZEIT quickly rose to the top partly due to its unwavering commitment to print. It was difficult to find even the smallest of faults in the packaging of this oversized and beautifully crafted newspaper. The paper asks readers to commit valuable time to long-form stories and, in return, its designers deliver an excellent experience across the whole offering. Winning World’s Best three times in a row is no easy achievement yet DIE ZEIT continues to raise the bar and redefines our expectations — the team knows the rules and exactly when to break them.
Weekendavisen
Weekendavisen is a joy to read, with visual impact in all of the right places. The offspring of one of the oldest newspapers in the world, Berlinske Tidende, Weekendavisen offers its readers a contemporary feel, while adhering to its traditional roots. From front to back, Weekendavisen is a cohesive experience that is serious, evocative, innovative and playful. Its designers are not afraid to take risks. Restraint is the key to its success — nothing seems forced, always executed with purpose. Its many strengths include elegant typography, a carefully curated and restrained color palette, on-point illustrations and a sense of whimsy. The icing on the cake: Solve the puzzles on a smartly packaged spread. Weekendavisen provides a delicious menu that will keep readers coming back. It is deserving of the judges’ designation as World’s Best.
The New York Times named World’s Best Designed in Digital Creative Competition
A panel of 17 judges from the Society for News Design’s 45th edition creative competition, the Best of Digital News Design, has selected The New York Times as the World’s Best-Designed Digital News Organization for their information graphics portfolio
The judges commended their innovation: “The New York Times is again the leading edge of visual storytelling. They consistently invent new ways to experience stories, while at the same time making sure to only use the type of media that tells the story best. Their portfolio shows remarkable breadth, advanced tech, visual flair that borders on art and punchy storytelling.”
All of the stories resonated with judges in how they pushed the boundaries. One judge noted, “Once again, The New York Times’ portfolio pushed out visualization’s boundaries to the edge of the unknown. The New York Times contributes undoubtedly to informational visualization innovating and developing new languages. Their purpose in our industry, that is communication, goes beyond the expected. The New York Times maintains the highest expectations without room for error or weakness.”
Their portfolio included stories about restoring the sound in the Notre Dame Cathedral, how Covid causes lasting damage in the lungs, Elon Musks’ power in satellite internet technology, how Singapore is trying to cool down and a look inside the deadly Maui inferno.
The work also spanned a variety of techniques. A judge said the “pieces that received gold show technical and aesthetic expertise across different types of graphics, from 3D to scrollytelling to maps, with very original ways of showing the data. Together they demonstrate that the organization has a very well-rounded team that is able to use different techniques to tell stories across the board.”
Ultimately, judges found, “The New York Times consistently takes the standard and pushes beyond it. They aren’t afraid to bend, break, and transform the digital design norm to create new and exciting visual storytelling.”