Partnership between Gravity Works and Ann Arbor Area Transit Authority Receives Web Award Recognition
Gravity Works has won two web awards for their work with the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (AAATA) on the website redesign of TheRide.org. The first award, given by the W3 Awards, is a silver in the Transportation website category; focusing on creativity, usability, navigation, functionality, visual design, and ease of use. The second, awarded by the Davey Awards, is another silver award in the Transportation category. “Entering websites for awards is one way we like to thank our customers for collaborating with us,” said Gravity Works Chief Operations Officer Jeff McWherter. “We have a truly skilled content strategy and design team that works in step with our developers to ensure that each site is a comprehensive, human-centered experience from start to finish.”
Both of these awards are significant within the creative industry, so what exactly does winning these awards mean? Let’s get into it!
The annual, international W3 Awards celebrate “digital excellence across the globe by honoring websites, marketing, video, mobile sites and apps, social media and podcasts created by the best in the industry.” W3 is one of the first major web competitions to put everyone out on a level playing field, meant to be accessible to the biggest agencies to the smallest firms and everyone in between. It truly is a merit of outstanding work. The W3 is sanctioned and judged by The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA) which is an invitation-only group of creatives from organizations such as Microsoft, Big Spaceship, Spotify, Wired and many others.
The namesake for the Davey Award is David, and many people know the story of David defeating Goliath with a big idea and a little rock. The annual International Davey Awards honor the achievements of smaller agencies or “creative Davids” who “derive their strength from Big Ideas rather than large budgets.” Like the W3 Awards, the Davey awards are also sanctioned and judged by The AIVA so while the competition might be for smaller companies the judges still have just as big of a reputation. Unlike most other awards, entries in the Davey Awards are judged to evaluate distinction and creative work rather than against each other. Scored on a ten-point scale by judges, each category may have multiple gold and silver winners or may have none.
At Gravity Works, awards aren’t just about winning. They’re about learning and growth as well. In each project, we think about what we can bring to the next one. What boundaries can we push? How can we collaborate better and more effectively with customers, stakeholders, and each other?
“I really liked working closely with design and development on this project, collaborating on how we could communicate concepts that riders need to understand in a simple way — like how fares and passes work — through clear content, clean design, and intuitive tools,” said Gravity Works’ content strategist Hailey Whisler. “I really came to understand more deeply how design, development, and content should work together and influence one another through this project.”
We’re thrilled for our clients and our team. To learn more about this project, read our full case study. Visit our website or contact us if you’re interested in designing an award-winning experience for your organization as well!
