Intermountain STC Summit Awards
STC International Summit Awards
In the current economy, it’s even more important to have quality documentation that sets your product or service apart from the crowd. And as the economy improves and spending restrictions relax, you want documentation that can help swing a purchase decision (or service renewal) in your favor. The entry fee is a small price for getting a professional evaluation of your materials.
Intermountain STC is pleased to invite writers, artists, designers, and illustrators to submit their entries to the STC Summit Awards Competition. Get tremendous feedback on your web sites, online help system, user guides, marketing materials, reference documentation, academic publications, wizards, Web-based e-learning, or technical art by submitting them to the Intermountain STC’s Summit Award competition.
We are now accepting entries to the competitions. Please pass this email on to artists, technical writers, technical editors, instructional designers, and web developers. You do not need to be an STC member to enter or judge in the Competition. Detailed Call for Entries, Entry forms, and Judging Information Forms are available on the chapter website (www.intermountain-stc.org).
Judging Entries
Are you interested in judging entries? Judging technical communication with other communication professionals provides a great learning experience, networking opportunities, and excellent credentials for your resume.
Serving as a judge also allows you to be part of an international effort to encourage quality in and set standards for our profession. You can serve as a judge even if you plan to submit entries—we will make sure that you do not judge your own entry. For more information about judging, see the Call for Judges.
All judges attend a team meeting and training session, usually on a Saturday morning in November. Then the judges work in teams of 3 and look at 3 to 5 entries, depending on the complexity of the material. You spend one to three hours exploring each entry at your own convenience. Then the team meets (in person or virtually) and collectively reviews and determines the award level for each entry.
About the Competitions
Entries can be submitted in the following categories:
- Informational Materials–designed to attract potential buyers while providing information about a technical or scientific subject, product, service, or organization. The materials must persuade the audience favorably toward the subject or sponsor. Visual design, including production, is very important. So, too, is editing, because errors are very obvious.
The Informational Materials category includes all entries that are intended to inform the user of information without a specific call to action. These materials might include annual reports, articles, books, error messages, magazines, newsletters, periodicals, posters, research papers, and websites.
- Instructional Materials–includes all entries that train a user/learner on a particular set of skills and knowledge. These materials might include CBTs, facilitator guides, instructional animations or videos, student guides, tutorials, and webinars.
- Promotional Materials–includes all entries that are intended to market or promote a product, company, individual, or event. The materials must persuade the audience to some action, using integrated text and figures. Visual design, including production, is very important. So, too, is editing, because errors are very obvious.
- These materials might include brochures, catalogs, fliers, posters, and websites.
- User Support Materials–includes all entries that provide information needed to support the user in performing specific tasks for independent use by the audience. These materials might include online help, job aids, quick start or reference guides, reference documents, user guides, and websites.
Refer a Friend and Win!
Refer a friend and you could win! Encourage friends, family, and co-workers to submit their work to the competitions and you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card. Tell everyone you know about the competition and ask them to put your name on the entry form. For each entry that mentions your name, you will be entered into the drawing. The more people you refer, the greater your chances of winning!
For questions, contact the competition coordinator, Marj Hermansen-Eldard (marjheldard@comcast.net).
Forms and Materials
If you’re interested in entering a local (community) competition, see the following documents for more information: