Awwwards is considered one of the most renowned international web design competitions. Entries are judged by a jury and community members on design, usability, creativity, and quality of execution. An Honorable Mention ranks below nominations and prizes, but for a studio it is a public sign that the work has been noticed beyond its own market. Furgoneta was recognized in two relevant categories at once, meaning it was evaluated both as a food website and as an example of flat design, which was at its peak in 2016.
The project was created by the studio Sponge, founded by Bohdan Hnatiuk. In the Awwwards database, the site is listed as “Food Delivery Service,” meaning it was not a restaurant with a menu but a delivery interface: selecting dishes, placing an order, and clear navigation for a user who visits from a phone between errands. For the design of such a service, speed and clarity are essential, and these are precisely the qualities that competition juries typically highlight first.
Two Weeks from Recognition to “Site of the Day”
The first after Awwwards was CSS Winner, where on February 4, 2016, the site received “Site of the Day” status. This is a web design gallery to which curators select works, and choosing one project per day is considered a separate mark of quality. Already on February 7, Furgoneta became “Site of the Day” on CSS Nectar, another gallery of the same type. Thus, less than a week passed between the honorable mention and the two daily selections.
For the studio, this sequence was no accident. Its own website had already received similar awards: in 2015, it became “Site of the Day” on CSS Winner on June 13 with a score of 7.5, and on August 8 it was recognized as “Site of the Day” on Awwwards with a score of 7.03. Such scores are given by users and jury members, and they reflect how much professionals liked the work, not just those who commissioned it.
2016 Gold and a Place in the Ratings
“Golden Site” is an annual Russian award for web projects and digital studios. In 2015, Sponge’s own website took first place in the “Digital Agency Website” category, and in 2016 the studio received two golds: Furgoneta and Trendon became first in their nominations. For a bureau from Odesa, this was a notable result, given that competition in the website and digital agency categories is traditionally high.
The results of 2016 were also reflected in the ratings. In the developers’ rating, which takes into account awards and public evaluations, the studio scored 10 points and ended up in the 13–18 range. In the seasonal rating of the VRK for 2015/2016, Sponge took 8th place among digital agencies with 29 points, and in the Runet creativity rating for 2016, which was compiled separately, it ended up in 11th place.
The Next Season
The studio’s work in 2016 was not limited to a single project. Trendon received an Honorable Mention at Awwwards on June 13 and “Site of the Day” status on CSS Winner on July 10. Defence Group was recognized at Awwwards on August 3, and on August 11 the site received “Star” status on CSS Winner. White Tetris became an Awwwards nominee on August 30 and “Site of the Day” on CSS Winner on September 4. Simbrella received an Honorable Mention at Awwwards on November 30, and on December 11 it was awarded “Star” status on CSS Winner.
The series of recognitions continued into the beginning of the following year. On January 16, 2017, BizzGrid received an Honorable Mention at Awwwards, and the next day, January 17, the site was chosen as “Site of the Day” on CSS Winner.
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