- 01
User Experience & Strategy
15%Intentional journeys that earn the visitor's time. Strategy must be visible in the design, not assumed.
- Clear information architecture that anticipates user questions and behaviors.
- Thoughtful micro-interactions that reduce friction and celebrate key actions.
- Evidence of user research or data-backed rationale behind the journey design.
- 9–10 Exceptional
- Journey reads like a case study. Every screen earns its place; the primary conversion path is unmistakable without being heavy-handed.
- 7–8 Strong
- Confident IA and flow. Minor friction in one or two secondary paths but the main story is clear.
- 4–6 Adequate
- Works, but the primary path requires interpretation. CTAs compete, hierarchy is muddled.
- 1–3 Weak
- Visitor has to reverse-engineer what the site wants from them.
- 02
Visual Design & Branding
15%Visuals that feel both original and unmistakably on brand. Decorative competence is not enough.
- Consistent design system with purposeful typography, color, and imagery choices.
- Cohesive storytelling that uses layout and motion to reinforce brand values.
- Inventive art direction or craftsmanship that differentiates the experience.
- 9–10 Exceptional
- Art direction you'd cite. Typography, color, and composition feel inevitable; the brand could not look like anything else.
- 7–8 Strong
- Polished and on-brand. Tasteful but recognizable - you've seen this language before.
- 4–6 Adequate
- Clean defaults. Tasteful template-grade work with no point of view.
- 1–3 Weak
- Inconsistent system, derivative choices, or visible craft defects.
- 03
Content & Storytelling
10%Messaging that communicates value quickly and rewards deeper exploration. Words count as much as pixels.
- Succinct messaging hierarchy that resonates with target audiences.
- Editorial voice and tone that align with the product, service, or cause.
- Use of media (video, audio, data visualization) to enhance - not distract from - the narrative.
- 9–10 Exceptional
- Copy you'd quote. A distinctive voice carries the whole experience; media is load-bearing, not decorative.
- 7–8 Strong
- Clear, well-written, on-message. Voice is consistent but not memorable.
- 4–6 Adequate
- Reads like a brief. Functional copy, generic claims, media is filler.
- 1–3 Weak
- Jargon, padding, or contradictions between what the site says and what it shows.
- 04
Accessibility & Inclusivity
10%Inclusive practices that serve diverse needs. Baseline compliance is the floor, not the ceiling.
- WCAG-informed color contrast, focus states, and semantic markup across templates.
- Keyboard and assistive-technology support for all key journeys.
- Inclusive language and localization considerations where relevant.
- 9–10 Exceptional
- Accessibility is part of the design language. Bespoke focus treatments, AT-friendly motion, demonstrably tested with users beyond the defaults.
- 7–8 Strong
- WCAG AA holds across the experience. Keyboard journeys work; nothing flagrant.
- 4–6 Adequate
- Meets the basics on the surface. Predictable failures appear on secondary pages or under keyboard navigation.
- 1–3 Weak
- Material barriers: contrast failures, missing focus states, broken keyboard paths, or inaccessible primary actions.
- 05
Performance & Technical Implementation
20%Engineering that makes the experience feel immediate, stable, and trustworthy. Heavy sites do not win.
- Optimized loading performance with sensible asset strategy and caching.
- Resilient engineering patterns that handle edge cases and error states gracefully.
- Progressive enhancement to maintain functionality across devices and bandwidths.
- 9–10 Exceptional
- Feels instant. Green Core Web Vitals on slow networks, graceful failure modes, no jank under interaction.
- 7–8 Strong
- Fast on good connections, mostly clean CWV. Minor layout shift or one slow asset.
- 4–6 Adequate
- Loads acceptably on desktop but stutters on mid-range mobile. Visible cumulative shift, slow LCP, or render-blocking work.
- 1–3 Weak
- Slow first paint, broken states under poor network, or visible regressions during normal use.
- 06
Responsiveness & Multi-device Support
10%Layouts that adapt fluidly across breakpoints and input modes - not just a mobile fallback of the desktop view.
- Mobile-first layouts that preserve clarity and hierarchy.
- Touch-friendly controls, gestures, and accessible hit areas.
- Thoughtful adaptation for large screens, tablets, and emerging device categories.
- 9–10 Exceptional
- Each breakpoint feels native, not derived. Touch, pointer, and large-screen experiences each get deliberate design.
- 7–8 Strong
- Clean adaptation across common breakpoints. Tablet or ultra-wide gets less love than mobile and desktop.
- 4–6 Adequate
- Mobile is a shrunk-down desktop. Hit targets are small, gestures are inconsistent, content reflow is awkward.
- 1–3 Weak
- Layout breaks at common breakpoints, controls are unusable on touch, or important content is hidden on mobile.
- 07
Innovation & Future Readiness
20%Work that pushes the medium forward - original concepts, responsible use of new technology, durable thinking.
- Original concepts or interactions that advance the web as a medium.
- Ethical use of AI, automation, or personalization techniques.
- Roadmap signals - documentation, extensibility, or sustainability - that show long-term thinking.
- 9–10 Exceptional
- Teaches the rest of us something. Original interaction, novel technique, or a use of emerging tech that others will copy responsibly.
- 7–8 Strong
- A fresh take on a familiar pattern, executed cleanly.
- 4–6 Adequate
- Competent but derivative. Recognizable templates, current trends without commentary.
- 1–3 Weak
- Nothing here that the medium hasn't seen, or experimentation that fails the user.