How to Present UX Work to an Awards Jury

If you are a UX or product designer looking for an award to enter, the hardest part is rarely the design work itself. It is presenting that work to a jury that will read your entry without you in the room. A strong award entry is not a portfolio page. It is a structured argument: what problem existed, what you decided and why, what changed as a result, and why that change will last. This guide shows how to reshape a UX case study into that argument, using the five judging criteria of the Technology and Design category at Glonary® Awards.

Who the Technology and Design category covers

The Technology and Design category recognises product, UX, engineering and design work. That makes it a natural fit for UX designers, product designers, design leads and teams whose work shaped how a product is used.

Before you start writing, check that you meet the general participation rules:

• Who can enter: participation is open internationally to individual professionals at Senior / C-level or above, and to founders, innovators, creators and industry leaders with an implemented project.
• Teams and companies: companies, startups and teams take part through an authorised representative. If your work was a team effort, decide early who will submit on the team's behalf.
• The five-year window: the achievement must have taken place within the last five years. A redesign you shipped long before that window will not qualify, however good it was.
• Implemented work: the rules refer to an implemented project. Concepts and speculative work are harder to support than something real people have used.

If you are 35 or under, you may also consider the Young Innovators category. Note that the same project may not be entered in both Young Innovators and another category within the same cycle, so choose the category that best fits the work. The full conditions are set out in the Competition Rules and Eligibility.

How the jury will read your entry

Understanding the scoring tells you what to write. Every entry is scored independently by at least three appointed jury members, and there is no public voting. Your entry has to persuade experts, not attract clicks.

Each juror scores five equally weighted criteria from 0 to 10, and the final score is the average of all valid evaluations. Recognition levels are Gold (9.00–10.00), Silver (8.00–8.99) and Bronze (7.00–7.99); entries below 7.00 receive no recognition. Because the criteria carry equal weight, a stunning interface with no evidence of results will struggle, and so will strong metrics with no explanation of the design thinking behind them. The Judging Process page explains this in full.

Turning a UX case study into an award entry

Most designers already have a case study. The task is to reorganise it so that each part answers a criterion directly. Here is how the four parts of a good UX story map to the five criteria.

1. The problem: set up Category Alignment and Clarity

Open with the problem in plain language. Who were the users, what were they struggling with, and what did that cost the business or the users themselves? Then state your role and the scope of the project.

This does two jobs. It shows Category Alignment by making clear that this is genuine product, UX or design work, and it begins to demonstrate Clarity & Strategic Logic by giving the jury a frame for everything that follows. Avoid long backstory. A juror should understand the challenge within the first paragraph.

2. Design decisions: show Originality and Strategic Logic

This is where many entries fall flat. Listing deliverables (wireframes, prototypes, a design system) tells the jury what you produced, not how you thought. Instead, describe two or three key decisions:

• What options did you consider?
• What research, testing or constraint led you to choose one?
• What did you deliberately not do, and why?

Decisions that departed from the obvious approach speak to Originality & Innovation. A clear line from evidence to decision speaks to Clarity & Strategic Logic. Originality does not have to mean a novel interaction pattern; a fresh way of framing the problem or running research counts too.

3. Outcomes: prove Measurable Results & Impact

Measurable Results & Impact is one fifth of the score, so treat it seriously. Use the metrics you genuinely have and can stand behind: task completion, error rates, support requests, conversion, retention, accessibility improvements, time saved for internal teams. Give a before and after where possible, and say how the figures were measured.

If some data is confidential, describe the direction and scale of change in the terms you are permitted to share, and be honest about it. Qualitative evidence, such as findings from usability testing, can support your numbers but should not replace them entirely. Never inflate a figure; experienced jurors notice when results do not fit the story.

4. Long-term value: demonstrate Strategic Depth & Sustainability

Finish by explaining why the work matters beyond launch. Did it create a design system other teams now use? Change how the organisation does research? Lay foundations for future features? This addresses Strategic Depth & Sustainability, the criterion that separates a good project from one with lasting value.

Common mistakes in UX award entries

• Letting visuals do the talking. Jurors score against written criteria. Images support the argument; they do not make it.
• Hiding your role. If you led a team, say what you personally drove and what the team delivered.
• Process for its own sake. A double-diamond diagram shows you know the method, not that you used it well. Focus on the decisions it produced.
• No results section. Leaving out outcomes effectively gives away points on a full criterion.
• Wrong category. If the story is really about building a company, another category may suit it better. Read the category descriptions before deciding.

Practical points before you submit

• One nomination, one entry. Each nomination is a separate entry with its own entry fee. Fees depend on the programme and stage, so check the Technology and Design page for the current amount.
• Timing. The category page lists its Awards Timeline, including the final submission deadline, judging period and winner announcement. All deadlines expire at 23:59 UTC. For closed categories, dates and fees for the next cycle are published before submissions open.
• Read the rules. The Official Rules and Regulations are worth reading before you begin writing, not after.

FAQ

Can a design team enter, or only individuals?

Both. Companies, startups and teams take part through an authorised representative, while individuals enter in their own name if they meet the participation criteria.

How old can the project be?

The achievement must have taken place within the last five years. Check that your launch and results fall within that window.

How are winners announced?

Winners are notified by email, announced on the date shown in the category's Awards Timeline and then published on the Winners page. Scores of entries that receive no recognition are confidential.

Ready to shape your entry?

Pick the project with the clearest problem, the most deliberate decisions and the best evidence of results, then structure it around the five criteria above. Review the timeline, fees and category details on the Technology and Design category page, and if you have questions, write to [email protected].