Award Design

Size

This award is 200-by-200 pixels in size.  This size is considered by many in the awards community to be about as big as you really need; indeed, many awards are much smaller than this.  We have also seen awards that nearly fill the entire screen!  The larger you make your award, the more time it will take for the viewer to download the page and see it.  Some applicants will not apply for your award at all if they think your graphic is too big.  Just remember: smaller is better.  You're supposed to be awarding the sites, not dominating them!

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Weight

Non-optimized	Optimized

You would have difficulty seeing any difference between these two graphics.  But the graphic on the left has a weight of 11.2 KB, while the graphic on the right has a weight of only 5.9 KB!

Be aware that it is possible to OVER-optimize your graphics.  If the appearance of your graphic has noticeably degraded, then you have over-optimized.  You may have to experiment with the settings on your optimization utility in order to find the right balance between picture quality and file size.

Over-optimized

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Appearance

Should it look like my web site?  It certainly can, but it's not necessary.  Your award should, however, be representative of your awards program in some way.

What if I have no talent for designing graphics?  Try it anyway.  You don't grow as a designer until you enter new territory and try new things.  And you don't need fancy graphics programs costing hundreds of dollars -- there are far less expensive programs out there that can do a good job for you.  But if all else fails, there are a number of individuals and companies on the Web who will be happy to design an award for you.  (Check our Resources section for a few of these.)  Some have pre-designed sets of awards which you can "adopt" for your program -- you might pay a small fee, or they may simply ask for acknowledgement on your site.  (You will be surprised at what some people in the world of awards will do for you!)

Can I use pictures or graphics that I find on the Web?  Maybe.  Most graphics and pictures on the Web are protected by copyright laws.  A very few are in the "public domain," free for use with no further obligation.  Some are free for your use, as long as you meet certain conditions.  (For example, you may have to place a link to their site on your site, you may only be allowed to use them on a non-commercial site, etc.)  Some require you to pay a fee for their use.  Every source is different.  Check carefully when you are considering using someone else's graphics or pictures.  (Often, a site will have a "Terms Of Use" page explaining their conditions for use of their material.)  Using someone else's graphics or pictures without consent is unethical and illegal.  Lawsuits are nasty, and most of us prefer to avoid them.

Should I use animated graphics?  You can, but they add considerably to the weight of your graphic.  And many people find animated graphics to be distracting, even annoying.  In fact, a flickering graphic can cause seizures in people with certain medical conditions!  Don't use animation simply because you can.  If you use it, have a good reason for it.

Should I put the URL of my web site on the graphic?  No.  This changes your graphic from an award into a shameless advertisement for your web site.  Besides, it's a bad way to advertise.  What if, at some point, you have to change addresses?  You'll have lots of awards out there showing the wrong address!  (You may have to change addresses at some point whether you want to or not.  Web space providers have a nasty habit of abruptly going out of business and shutting down without warning.)

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