THE AWARDS ALMANAC / EDITORIAL NOTES

Preparing an entry

An entry does not need to exaggerate. It needs to make the work understandable to someone who has not met its creator.

Start with the work

Make it clear what you are submitting. A book needs readable content and images that show the object as a whole. An artwork needs a complete view and any useful details. An invention needs a demonstration of what it actually does. Do not place a long biography between the reviewer and the work.

Explain a few important choices

What were you trying to do? Why did you choose this approach? Select two or three decisions that help someone understand the result. A designer might explain the reading sequence and materials; an inventor might describe an unsuccessful trial and the change that followed. Specific choices say more than a claim that something is highly innovative.

Describe your contribution accurately

Independent, collaborative and guided work can all be valuable. Explain which parts you completed, what assistance you received and any tools the programme asks you to disclose. An accurate account helps the entry be considered in an appropriate context.

Check that the evidence is usable

Open every file. Check the size of text, the clarity of images and the visibility of essential actions in a video. Remove unnecessary repetition and compare the package with the programme requirements. A useful entry is not the largest one; it is one that does not leave the reviewer guessing.

Make room for your next work, and your next opportunity.Receive first-season updates