Good Friday: Judging

It’s not really fair to call the process of evaluating work “judging.” Yes, we are discerning, but it’s not a contest and we’re not weighing the merits of one submission against another. Rather, we are seeking a diverse collection of projects that help describe a greater narrative. This is how we went about it:


1. Look at the work
Some submissions simply did not meet the standard of excellence required for publication and were recycled, or returned immediately. Overall, very few fell into this category. About an equal number were so brilliant that upon first glance we knew they would be included.

2. Read about the work
Most submitters thoughtfully completed our three-question survey (thank you!). Reading about each piece — its genesis, intent, effect, etc. — really helped us understand the meaning and context of work. Some submissions were beautiful artifacts that had very little to do with any greater cause, but most were earnest and imaginative proposals for change (and yes, some embedded smart-ass remarks intended — we think — to suss out whether we really do read all your questionnaires. We do and, no, I do not watch True Blood).

3. Discuss the work
While reviewing each submission, we asked ourselves and each other: Would a reader be interested to know more about this solution or this problem? What story could we tell about this? How is this not just a t-shirt? Should we do a whole section on T-shirts? Etc. Those with a compelling (or at least convincing) narrative were placed in the “yes” bin. Those whose narrative opportunity appeared more diffuse were placed in the “maybe” bin.

Next we will sort through the late entries, using the same process. When that is done we will combine all the open-submissions with the work we directly sought out and requested, and begin categorizing it into our six sections. It’s entirely possible that some excellent work will be omitted at that stage for redundancy, diversity or balance. We’ll have to see.

Meanwhile a hearty and heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted work. We’re looking forward to reviewing it in even more depth, writing about it, and in many cases, talking to you about it also.