Judges

EPPY™ judges are leaders in all facets of media, including website design, marketing/advertising, editorial, technology, education, and management. We select professionals to serve as judges who have distinguished themselves in their field and who demonstrate exceptional vision and understanding of today's technology.

EPPY™ judging utilizes a proprietary system developed Editor & Publisher Magazine. The computer program tabulates scoring, ensuring accurate calculations. Judges adhere to specific guidelines and criteria when evaluating entries, emphasizing that the highest degree of fairness and integrity is used to reach definitive results. Judges look for the best combination of creativity and functionality.

 
Each entry will be judged on the following:

Content
Well-written, thought-provoking and thoroughly researched content is the core of an outstanding media website. In addition to text, content includes photos, charts, graphics, audio, video, related links, and a wide variety of other resources that enhance the user’s engagement with and understanding of the subject or purpose of the website.

Browser Compatibility

EPPY™ Award-nominated websites should load and function properly on all the major Web browsers. Sites should be designed in compliance with Web standards to ensure usability and professionalism.

Design
A great design is the foundation of a great website. Even the most stellar content cannot be fully appreciated by the user unless the design supports it. This category encompasses the site’s use of layout, graphics, space, typography, color, consistency, and reinforcement of the media brand. Exceptional website design is not overly elaborate and does not distract the reader from the content. 

Functionality
This category encompasses the “unseen” layer of programming on a site. On a great media website, the user doesn’t actively think about the functionality of the site, because it is working flawlessly. Functionality features include discussion and comment threads, the ability to share content through social networking, e-commerce applications, games, quizzes, and other add-ons.

Overall Impression
Does your website entice the user to come back consistently to see what’s new and find new content? This category allows the EPPY™ Award judges to express their general impression of a site. Would they visit it again? Would they recommend that others visit the site?

Usability
Ease of use is vital to an EPPY™ Award-nominated website. Navigating throughout the site should be intuitive and easy to comprehend for all Web users. All aspects of the design should assist the user in finding sought-after information and navigating smoothly and easily to and from the home page, all while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing layout.

Judges

Each year the EPPY Awards are judged by a panel of notable figures in the media industry, chosen by the staff of Editor & Publisher.

2011 EPPY Judges