A few terms get read loosely every cycle. These are the working definitions we apply when an entry is assessed, so the same rules hold for everyone.
A project is placed by what it actually is. A packaging system with a strong typographic core still enters as packaging, not type design. If the work sits between two categories, the technical check flags it and the entrant picks one before scoring begins.
Typefaces, stock imagery, music and collaborator credits all need to be accounted for. An entry that cannot name its sources stalls at the first stage regardless of how strong the work is. Clearing rights is the entrant's task, not the jury's.
Each cycle is scored by a different group of practicing designers. That means criteria shift between cycles by design. A near miss in one year is not a permanent verdict, and a shortlist place does not carry over.
Shortlisted work is published in the searchable archive with jury notes and category rationale. That publication is a record of the cycle, not a ranking. The archive shows what advanced and why, and it is meant to be read that way.
Student entries are scored on the same criteria as professional work. The difference is in framing: jurors read student submissions for intent and process, not for the finish a working studio would bring.
Every submission moves through the same two stages: a technical check on file specs, category fit and rights clearance, then scoring by a rotating jury of practicing designers. What changes between routes is who is entering and how the work is framed for review.
For small teams submitting client work or self-initiated projects. Entries are judged on the finished piece and the thinking behind it, so a tight selection reads better than a scattered one.
For designers working inside a company on brand systems, campaigns or product craft. The technical check looks at the same specs as any other entry, so internal deadlines matter as much as external ones.
Coursework and first releases are scored on the same rubric as professional entries, with the jury reading for intent and process rather than finish alone.
Not sure which route fits your work? Write to support@interawards.com or call +54 11 5386-7385.
Every submission to Interawards moves through the same two stages, and the scope of what we can assess is fixed before scoring begins. Knowing the edges of that scope saves a resubmission later.
Check that your file specs match the current brief, that the category you picked reflects what the work actually is, and that rights for any typeface, image or collaborator credit are cleared. Deadlines shift each cycle, so read the calendar for the cutoff you are aiming at rather than assuming last year's dates hold.