Awwwards Awards and Rankings for Top Websites

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Minimalist design of HTML letter tiles on a salmon pink surface.
Credit: pexels.com, Minimalist design of HTML letter tiles on a salmon pink surface.

The Awwwards awards recognize and celebrate the best websites, mobile apps, and digital products. Awwwards is an international platform that showcases and rewards the best digital experiences.

Awwwards has a rigorous judging process that evaluates websites based on their design, functionality, and overall user experience. The platform has a global community of experts and professionals who participate in the judging process.

Awwwards awards are categorized into different types, including Site of the Day, Site of the Month, and Site of the Year. These awards recognize the best websites in various categories, such as best design, best mobile app, and best use of technology.

Winning an Awwwards award can have a significant impact on a website's visibility and credibility, as it is recognized by a global audience of web professionals and enthusiasts.

What Makes a Great Website

Creating a great website is no easy task, it requires a lot of hard work, dedication, and creativity. Such traits mandate years of expertise across several fields.

Credit: youtube.com, The ONLY resources you need to design award winning websites

Ever wondered what lies behind incredible animations and interactions? Let's see the "hows" I've learned after building and publishing my own personal website on Awwwards. I may not have decades of experience under my belt, but I've learned that it's the little things that add up and make a website stand out.

Here are some essential elements that can make a website stand out:

  1. Follow design principles: hierarchy, spacing, and etc. with freedom to break rules responsibly (weird layouts, exaggerated dimensions)
  2. Huge font sizes
  3. Page transitions, loaders, and staggered animations
  4. Creative animations
  5. Unique imagery or illustration style
  6. Cursor follow or cursor hover interactions
  7. Parallax and smooth scroll
  8. 3D, Shaders, AR, and VR
  9. Randomness — reloads/interactions lead to slightly different animations

There's no true recipe for a perfect website, and not all of these items are mandatory or correct for every experience.

Awards and Recognition

Awwwards is one of the most popular websites that certifies the design and creativity of websites, a great way to get your name out there and recognized by your peers.

It's a platform where creative/design agencies browse to find new talent, making it a great way to get noticed by such agencies or even let the world know about your own company.

Awwwards isn't exactly for everyone, as there's a "paywall" to list a website, with a PRO subscription that includes one free submission.

For more insights, see: Examples of Static Websites

Why Publish Here?

Credit: youtube.com, Fun & funny workplace employee recognition awards

Publishing your website on Awwwards can get your name out there and recognized by your peers, as it's a popular platform for designers and creative developers.

It's also a great way to get noticed by creative agencies, who often browse through Awwwards to find new talent.

Awwwards has a user base of mainly designers, creative developers, and agencies building professional-grade experiences.

The platform offers a PRO subscription with 1 free submission, allowing you to list your website and increase your audience reach.

My personal website saw a tremendous increase in audience reach after being listed on Awwwards, with close to 400 unique users during launch week.

The real number of visitors may be much greater, as my website has relaxed tracking settings.

Here's an interesting read: Web Audience Measurement

How Websites Are Ranked

Websites are ranked based on a 4-criteria system with different weights for each aspect. This system evaluates the website's overall quality and performance.

The evaluation process involves a manual approval process, which can make it difficult to gauge when a website will be listed. This process can take anywhere from 5 to 7 days.

Credit: youtube.com, Why these websites won awards

Votes from premium users, known as PRO or CHIEF, are the only ones that contribute to the score considered for actual awards. These users have a significant impact on the ranking process.

There's a certain level of renown associated with having a website listed, and depending on the final score, you can receive some of the awards offered.

Site of the Month and Developer Award

The Site of the Month award is given to the top 8 sites of the month, reviewed by a jury and also taking into account the user vote count.

To earn the Developer Award, websites must meet performance guidelines, SEO requirements, and ensure accessibility.

Awwwards also evaluates individual pages such as not found, loading, and contact pages, so be sure to add images to the extra information section to showcase those as well.

Pattern

The pattern on the Awwwards website is a masterclass in simplicity. The designers at Tubik initially explored various illustration styles, but they didn't quite hit the mark.

Credit: youtube.com, How to make an Award Winning Portfolio Website - Process Breakdown

These styles were visually appealing, but they failed to create a strong connection with the Awwwards community. The community is diverse, and a single illustration style couldn't capture their essence.

A clever U-turn in the design process led to a brilliant solution. The designers extracted fragments from actual projects featured on Awwwards to create a unique pattern.

This artistic collage work not only added an aesthetic touch but also gave the website a deeper meaning. Awwwards residents could recognize their own projects, making the website feel more personal and emotionally appealing.

Site of the Month

The Site of the Month award is a big deal, and it's not just about winning a prize. The top 8 sites of the month are reviewed by a jury again, together with the user vote count.

To be considered, websites are evaluated based on performance guidelines, SEO, accessibility, and more. Websites that earn the SOTD award are evaluated according to these same performance guidelines.

The jury reviews the top 8 sites of the month, but that's not all - user vote counts also play a role in determining the Site of the Month.

Case Studies and Editions

Credit: youtube.com, 365 Best Websites Around The World 2015 & Awwwards Case Studies

Awwwards is a prestigious award that recognizes the best websites of the year. Each year, an international jury composed of designers and developers selects the most remarkable projects from the past 12 months.

The jury's selections are based on the projects' quality and impact, and they are celebrated as the best websites of the year.

Check this out: Best Web Dev Agencies

Case Study: CSConnect Website Design

CSConnect's website design was created to provide an immersive visual experience for marketing. The design is described as bright, user-friendly, and informative.

Their service is focused on offering immersive visual experiences for marketing, which is showcased through their website's creative story.

The website design was tailored to meet the specific needs of CSConnect's service, resulting in a unique and engaging online presence.

CSConnect's website is a great example of how a well-designed website can effectively communicate a company's message and values.

For your interest: Marketing Web Page Design

Editions

Each year, the international jury of Awwwards, consisting of designers and developers, selects the most remarkable projects from the past 12 months to celebrate as the best websites of the year.

Credit: youtube.com, An-Nahar - The Blank Edition (Case Study) | Campaign

The awards are given out by the jury and users alike.

The Awwwards international jury reviews projects from the past year and chooses the top ones to recognize.

Awwwards celebrates the best websites of the year, recognizing outstanding design and development work.

The jury is made up of designers and developers who have a deep understanding of what makes a website great.

Client and Project Information

The Awwwards team recognizes the best websites and projects every year, and to do so, they create a special voting website called Awwwards of the Year.

This website is designed by a different team of Awwwards residents each year, showcasing their work.

The Awwwards of the Year website is a unique opportunity for designers, studios, agencies, developers, e-commerce, and mobile projects to be recognized.

In 2020, Awwwards collaborated with Tubik to create this special website, highlighting the best projects of the year.

Willie Walsh

Junior Assigning Editor

Willie Walsh is an accomplished Assigning Editor with a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering high-quality content. With a strong background in research and editing, Willie has honed their skills in identifying and assigning relevant topics to writers. Willie's expertise spans a wide range of categories, including technology, productivity, and education.

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