June 2, 2023
SINGAPORE – With environmental concerns – and the world – heating up, going green is the fashionable thing to do. But how much do you really know about fashion going green?
Speaking of the world, how about reliving the best goals from World Cup 2022, or even attempting to score them yourself?
From sustainability to sports, The Straits Times has taken its readers through new realms of storytelling in digital and print – bagging 51 awards in an annual contest that seeks out the best in visual storytelling globally.
The United States-based Society for News Design announced this week the results of its annual Best of News Design Creative Competition.
The competition honours excellence in visual storytelling, design and journalism produced throughout the previous year, with 47 visual journalists across 35 organisations worldwide represented in the judging panel.
On the digital front, ST clinched one gold, two silvers, eight bronzes and 27 awards of excellence, while up against other heavy hitters such as The New York Times, South China Morning Post and Reuters, among more than 80 companies.
For its work in print, ST also received 13 awards of excellence, including five in the combination print and digital category.
“These awards are a unique recognition of The Straits Times newsroom’s ability to deliver the best journalism, not just through compelling online and interactive experiences, but also via what print can offer as an unparalleled reader experience,” said ST editor Jaime Ho. “We are honoured, and will continue with the hard work of exploring new content, and new ways of storytelling.”
The coveted gold award – a first for ST Digital – went to the visual storytelling project, Going beyond the label: Is your eco-friendly shirt really green? It gives a close look into the fashion and textile sector and whether “eco-friendly” clothing is truly sustainable.
Journalists Stephanie Adeline, Amanda Chai, Bryandt Lyn, Bhavya Rawat and Sylvia Quek worked closely with digital designers Joseph Ricafort, Charlotte Tan and Ng Shin Yi, as well as executive artist Billy Ker and data visualisation editor Rebecca Pazos, on the project.
“Every single idea within various portions of the story is executed with precision, allowing for a seamless and engaging experience,” said the judging panel on the elements of its animation design.
“The clever use of stop motion not only adds a touch of brilliance but also effectively breaks up the page, creating visual interest.”
The project also bagged a silver for its smooth, fluid visuals, with the judges lauding the “exceptional skill” in the execution of its stop-motion elements.
“It fearlessly pushes boundaries while maintaining a seamless execution,” said the judges, adding that the visuals were “a joy to go through”.
“At no point does one question any of the design choices; they all come together harmoniously.”
The other silver award won by ST was for the interactive Qatar World Cup portfolio 2022. Readers can relive the best goals in the tournament, before attempting to score the goals themselves through an animated recreation of the events.
The number of awards won was a significant jump from the 28 digital awards last year, which was ST’s biggest haul at the time, with three silver medals, six bronze medals and 19 awards of excellence.
Mr Rodolfo Pazos, who oversees ST’s digital graphics team, noted that the results highlighted the team’s dedication towards providing high-quality visual journalism.
“The remarkable success in the digital category demonstrates our consistent ability to deliver. It is a significant achievement, placing us among the world’s best for the second consecutive year,” he said.
Four out of the eight bronze awards went to multimedia articles exploring the lives of those living with dementia, both inside and outside their homes, as well as to Mrs Pazos for her works.
The rest of the bronzes went to projects on what students envision climate change will be like in the future, the world’s most iconic football spectator chants, and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war on food prices in Singapore, as well as to Ms Adeline for her work on information graphics.
“It’s inspiring to see our hard work in making information more accessible and engaging to the digital audience recognised by the best in the industry,” said Ms Adeline.
The collaborative effort that culminated in the deep dive into the fashion industry and sustainability was a “masterclass in pushing boundaries”, while educating readers on a topic that can be difficult to explain, she added.
Ms Ong Hwee Hwee, associate editor for product and audience growth, said: “The winning projects span a diverse range of topics – from climate change and culture, to sport and social issues.”
The awards reflect ST’s efforts in expanding the depth and breadth of its coverage, she said.
“We are honoured to be recognised among other outstanding works from the best in the industry.”
ST’s winning works
1. Going beyond the label: Is your eco-friendly shirt really green?
.Gold, Elements: Animation design
.Silver, Infographics: Environment & Science
.Award of Excellence: Environment & Science
2. Qatar World Cup portfolio 2022
.Silver, Line of Coverage: Sports
3. We asked primary school kids to imagine their future with climate change
.Bronze, Environment & Science
4. Living With Dementia
.Bronze, Design: Health
.Bronze, Infographics: Health
.Award of Excellence, Infographics: Regional/local
.Bronze, Infographics: Regional/local
.Award of Excellence, Infographics: Health
5. How the Russia-Ukraine war is making your plate of orh luak more expensive
.Bronze, Elements: Video design
.Award of Excellence, Infographics: International
6. Sounds of the stadium: The anatomy of a World Cup chant
.Bronze, Design: Sports
.Award of Excellence, Infographics: Sports
.Award of Excellence, Elements: Audio design
7. Lord of the wings
.Award of Excellence, Combination Print & Digital
8. 55 years of NS
.Award of Excellence, Combination Print & Digital
9. Building blocks for a fairer, greener Singapore
.Award of Excellence, Opinion Pages