Judging took place over a coffee-fueled day that included some confirmations of long-held preferences (nice work from Switzerland and the Netherlands), surprises (the impressive strength of Slovenia), an unexpectedly erotic theme (“What’s going on with Poland? Everything’s sexual,” said a bemused Trollbäck), and frustration when crucial context was absent from an entry (or that it was an inadequate reproduction)—not to mention the occasional appearance of Hasting’s fetching baby daughter.

Aside from different languages, there was little indication of where the pieces had originated, with a few exceptions—perhaps due to the influence of the evolving EU, or a continuation of the trends in global economics. Still, as Southgate noted, “I don’t agree with the idea that ‘European design’ is all strong; there are massive distinctions.” In any case, good design speaks for itself, and the judges reached consensus quickly in almost every case. “Work that was selected tended to appeal across the board, which you would expect,” Southgate said. “Removing the subjective element, principles of design and layout will always apply and will always appeal.”

Some firms were especial standouts. “Norway surprised me with [Oslo firm] Yokoland,” said Hasting, adding, “but that’s not the country, that’s the studio.” Sweden’s Gabor Palotai Design was another group favorite: “Best of show,” Trollbäck said happily. All the judges expressed disappointment that firms from traditionally strong players like Germany, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, and France hadn’t elected to submit work up to their usual standards. As for the work that wasn’t selected, as Southgate observed, “There were some pieces that were almost too well produced; they were very corporate.” One entry was embarrassingly Escher-derivative; another just had too much type; in one case, the judges elected not to reward the designer, as Trollbäck put it, “just because he learned how to use the blur in Photoshop.” Southgate summed up the remainders: “We wanted to be challenged, and nothing really stopped us in our tracks and made us say ‘Wow.’” For the ones that did, check out the May/June issue of PRINT. EMILY GORDON

ABOUT THE JUDGES
JULIA HASTING is the design director at Phaidon Press in New York; her book designs have received international recognition and numerous awards. Hasting has been a lecturer at international design conferences and at The Cooper Union School of Art, and she has served as a juror for many design competitions. She is a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale(AGI).

TOBY SOUTHGATE is managing partner at Third Eye Design, an independent brand consultancy with design studios in London, Glasgow, and New York. Previously a director at the U.K.’s Navyblue Design Group, where he worked with clients including the successful London 2012 Olympic bid and Hilton Group, Southgate is now leading Third Eye Design’s charge in the U.S.

JAKOB TROLLBÄCK is the president and creative director of Trollbäck + Company, an innovative and award-winning industry leader in branding and motion graphic design. Trollbäck, now in its seventh year, has successfully expanded its creative output to film titles, including the Oscar-winning film Capote, TV commercials, publication design, environmental design, music videos, and short films.