I’m excited to share that I’m returning to the judging panel for the 25th Annual Horizon Interactive Awards. I first started judging for Horizon in 2019, so it’s especially meaningful to be involved as the competition celebrates its 25th anniversary.

I’ve judged creative work across branding, logos and audio, but digital experiences bring all those disciplines together. A great website or app needs more than an attractive interface. The idea, message, usability and technical execution all have to work for the people using it.

That’s what I’m looking forward to seeing in this year’s entries.

For its 25th anniversary, Horizon has reorganised the competition to reflect the work digital teams are creating now. You can enter websites, advertising and marketing campaigns, interactive and immersive experiences, apps and digital products, video, and digital learning projects.

There are also dedicated categories for AI native and AI hybrid video, as well as AI powered learning. I’m curious to see where creators are using these tools to make genuinely better experiences, not just faster ones.

What makes digital work worth recognising?

Horizon judges entries across five equally weighted areas: UX and design, creativity, technical execution, message and effectiveness.

That last one matters to me. I love distinctive work, but I also want to understand what it set out to do and whether it succeeded. Who was it made for? Does the experience make sense to them? Is there a strong idea behind it?

The competition uses blind judging wherever possible, so judges do not receive entrant or company information during evaluation. The work has to speak for itself.

Enter your work

If you’re a designer, developer, creative studio, agency or in house team with a digital project you’re proud of, take a look at the 2026 categories and entry requirements.

My advice is to give the judges enough context to understand the work. Explain the audience, the challenge, the thinking behind your decisions and the results where you have them. For a private app or an experience that can’t be explored directly, a clear walkthrough can help show what makes it special.

Entries close 11 December 2026. You can enter the Horizon Interactive Awards here.

I’m grateful to have judged with Horizon since 2019 and to return for its 25th anniversary. It’s another opportunity to recognise thoughtful creative work, alongside my judging roles with the Designity Awards, LogoLounge, Signal, Indigo Design Award and LogoWave.

I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve made.