Free-to-enter scheme celebrates the outstanding designers and team members at your studio who work behind the scenes.
Computer Arts is launching the Unsung Heroes Awards, a new scheme that celebrates the exceptional behind-the-scenes designers and team members at your studio.
You won't see these people at the glittering industry awards ceremonies, but they're the backbone of your studio – and in the last 18 months they've done something amazing that deserves recognition.
We're talking about the middleweight designer whose brilliant stroke of creative genius led to the studio winning *that* client; the junior designer who learned After Effects out of hours to prove just how perfectly a logo might move; the studio or project manager who got that pivotal project out the door against the odds, or demonstrated extraordinary skill in building that tricky client relationship…
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The winners will be profiled in a special extended feature inside Computer Arts issue 242, which hits the newsstand on 26 June 2015, and here on Creative Bloq.
Who's eligible?
Computer Arts' Unsung Heroes awards are aimed at the designers and studio members who have made a substantial – but unrecognised – contribution to a design agency, studio, team or project in the last 18 months, at any level.
The scheme champions the brilliant designers and the tireless individuals who work behind the scenes to keep a studio running, and ensure your projects are the very best they can be. These are the rules:
You can't nominate yourself.
Nominees must be individuals who would not, normally, receive personal recognition for their efforts. If this person has already been awarded for said effort, they're not eligible.
The nominated contribution must have taken place between 1 Jan 2014 and 5 May 2015.
All nominations must be received by 5:00pm Thursday 7 May 2015.
Studio heads and senior management (in particular) are encouraged to nominate members of their teams, but anyone can nominate a colleague or peer. If you know somebody who has made an outstanding contribution to a project, studio life or the wider creative industries – or consistently goes the extra mile – we want to hear about them
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The scheme is free – there is no cost attached – and there is no limit on the number of entries you make.
What we're looking for
You might nominate somebody for a brilliant piece of design or design thinking, some outstanding studio promotion, new business, managing a tricky creative project or client relationship, and so on. The specific reason(s) you nominate somebody are entirely up to you, but here are some guidelines:
Do you know someone who has…
Made an outstanding contribution to a project or studio life? (This could be in the context of design, production, studio/project management or other.)
Consistently goes the extra mile, whether on the design-side or behind the scenes?
Has played an active role in furthering the studio?
Has helped support or develop the creative industries through an extra-curricular activity? (For example: they might organise/volunteer for a creative charity; teach for free; run a meet-up event; have curated an important exhibition/festival; dedicated their time/skills to a social project; helped campaign for design education etc.)
Made an outstanding effort/contribution in a creative/design context, at any level, that hasn't been given the recognition it deserves?
Any combination of any of the above...
How to nominate a studio member
To nominate somebody for a Computer Arts' Unsung Heroes award, please email hello@computerarts.co.uk with the subject line: Computer Arts Unsung Heroes nomination.
And then please tell us, in 200 words or less:
The name and job title of the nominee
Why you're nominating them – what did they do and why was it so brilliant? How did they go above and beyond?
The tangible/intangible results of their effort/contribution/attitude (etc). How has/did it affect the project/studio life?
Please also tell us: how long the nominee has been at the studio
Your name, job title and relationship to the nominee
Name, location (town/city and country) and URL of the studio
Where relevant, please attach any supporting material: low-res JPEGs, photography, URLs and so on.
Entries close at 5:00pm Thursday 7 May 2015. Best of luck!
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Julia is editor-in-chief, retail at Future Ltd, where she works in e-commerce across a number of consumer lifestyle brands. A former editor of design website Creative Bloq, she’s also worked on a variety of print titles, and was part of the team that launched consumer tech website TechRadar. She's been writing about art, design and technology for over 15 years.
