Award Categories
The categories for the Australian Web Awards 2012 are as follows:
Sites can be only entered into one category, however we will be providing an option to be judged on both 'Desktop' and/or 'Mobile' targeted productions.
The AWA committee reserve the right to reallocate an entry to an approprioate category or remove it entirely without refund.
The National finalists will be the winners from each state grouping for each category, and then a National Most Outstanding will be selected from this final group of Australia-wide winners.
Awards in the following ares will be selected from the state grouping finalists:
- Best Overall HTML/CSS
- Best Overall User Experience
- Best Overall Visual Design
- Best Overall Accessibility
Personal (no commercial content)
This is mainly for non-commercial personal sites usually for bloggers, amateur photographers and musicians or the like.
The site can provide community or personal musings, commentary on social issues, the Internet or anything that takes their interest and intended for general public consumption.
The entry must be of a non-commercial nature. If the blog for instance is attached to a commercial site it will be deemed not applicable to this category.
Sites using stock template designs and off the shelf CMS implementations are welcome in this section if the only contribution to the site you have made is the content of a non-commercial nature.
The site is judged mainly on its content, not necessarily the technology the site is using.
Examples:
- Adamtrickett.com: Adam Trickett (WA)
- Darwin Foodies: Tuan Nguyen - Captovate (NT)
- Mining Man: Get Started (VIC)
Ecommerce
This category is specifically for the websites whose primary purpose is to sell products online or conduct an interactive transaction online.
Not only are the criteria user experience and development important, but credibility plays an key role as well in the criteria just for this category.
The issues of trust and the level of fitness of purpose are influenced by the type of security certificates, customisation and shopping cart flow. This in turn will influence the overall user experience
The key component of this category is the presence of an online transaction system and it’s user experience.
Examples:
- HIF - Health Insurance Fund of Australia: HIF - Health Insurance Fund of Australia(WA)
- Ambrosia Luxury Scented Candles: Adam Zerner, Rachel Zerner (NSW)
- The Coffee Company: Gee Multimedia
- Sophie Kyron Jewellery: Clever Starfish
Commercial
This category is for sites where the primarily goal is looking at providing a service or information of a commercial nature for an audience that may include individuals to the enterprise level clients.
The core aspect of the site will not be focused around a interactive transaction or ecommerce facility but on selling the service or product, hence the visual design, content and user experience are important.
Examples:
- ClassMarker: Trent Williams, Andres Rojas, Heidi Spets (QLD)
- Claremont Quarter: Sumo Group (WA)
- Australian Ethical Investment: Oxide Interactive
- Airnorth: Captovate
Government (Local, State and Federal)
This category is for government websites or wholly government funded programs.
In general user experience and content is an important criterion for evaluation of this category. Any accessibility is expected to be of a high standard in this category.
Examples:
- Pseudoscorpions of the world: Western Australian Museum (WA)
- MoneySmart: MoneySmart team - Australian Securities and Investments Commission (NSW)
- Perth Solar City: Bam Creative
- Victorian Government Contacts & Services Directory: Information Victoria, Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development
Education
This category is specifically for educational institutions such as schools (private, public, primary and secondary), registered training ogranisations, and universities.
The sites in this category need to support the ongoing business of education at their core provision for gathering of prospective students, as well as supporting their major target audience (the students).
The user experience, accessibility, credibility and content are important criteria for this category.
Examples:
- Highgate Primary School: Bam Creative (WA)
- Innovative Research Universities: Zeroseven (QLD)
- The Broadhurst Family: Western Australian Museum (WA)
- HMAS Sydney (II): Western Australian Museum
- Green Lane Diary : Zeroseven
Culture & Events
The Culture and Events category is for websites that are focused on events, the cultural arts or a site supporting the commercial business of an artist, author, actor, sportsman.
Regardless of the artists medium, be that music, dance, fine arts or the fashion industry. Content, visual design, user experience are the criteria that important for judging.
Examples could be conference, festivals, plays, musicians sites, athletes sites, authors site all fit into this category.
Examples:
- AC/DC Australia’s Family Jewels: Western Australian Museum (WA)
- GGArmy.com: Get Started (Vic)
- Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre: 3Easy & scopemedia
- James Seear: Zeroseven
Not for Profit
These websites are from either Not-for-profit organsiational structures or non-government sites (NGOs) for who their web presence is a marketing and communications tool.
Not-for-profit/non-government sites can be as varied as the Red Cross to a Theatre company to Arts Festival event organiser.
User experience, visual design and content is an important criteria for evaluation of this category. Matching the site to the purpose and main vision of the not-for-profit/non-commercial organisation involved is also important.
Examples:
- Young Carers WA: Bam Creative (WA)
- Raising Children Website: Raising Children Network (VIC)
- Now What: CanTeen, Francesca Pinzone
- Queensland Seafood Industry Association: Alyte Creative
Innovation
This category is for those who like to innovate and creatively but ingeniously push the boundaries of what the web can do.
This is must be something different, new or not, as long as it is not just run of the mill. This category includes online applications.
Entrants to this category will be judged on their innovative idea, technical expertise and design and development . There is a relaxed view on validation and accessibility in this category, especially for the extremely innovate entries.
Examples:
- Satterley Our New Home: Sumo Group (WA)
- VendorPanel: Magnetized Markets (VIC)
- Swap Kids Clothes: Itomic
- Loop 11: Loop 11
Mobile
Mobile is the new playground, be the platform be from Android, iOS or Windows Mobile on smartphone or tablet.
If you've provider a mobile experience for your audience, whether it be responsive, or customised to the platform, we are allowing this year for Award entries to be judged under this category along with your websites' Desktop counterpart.
