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You are here: Home / Awards / ClearMark Awards / 2019 ClearMark winners

2019 ClearMark winners

We are proud to present this year’s ClearMark Awards, the best plain language communications created by North American organizations. These award recipients provide models of plain language principles in action. Scroll through our winners on this page or jump directly to a particular category winner using the links directly below.

Grand ClearMark

Before and After: Digital

Before and After: Print

Brochures Over 10 Pages

Brochures up to 10 Page

Digital: Email and Newsletters

Digital: Apps and Microsites

Digital: Websites

Forms, Applications and Statements

Infographics

Letters and Correspondence

Posters, Charts and Fliers

Spanish Language 

English Grand ClearMark Winner:

“Move Your Way” Fact Sheets, CommunicateHealth

View judges’ comments

Spanish Grand ClearMark Winner:

Virginia Medicaid Managed Care (Medallion 4.0) website, MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy

View judges’ comments

Category Winners and Finalists

Before and After Digital

CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service Website, Westat

Before
After

Judges’ comments
“This entry is an excellent example of rethinking a site based on understanding the different audiences and their top tasks. How heartening it is to read about such a fully user-centered design process.”

Finalists

  • Westat
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Palladian Partners, Inc.
Back to top

Before and After Print

Virginia Department of Elections’ What ifs: a complete guide for helping voters with exceptional situations

Before
After

Judges’ comments:
“This [is an] excellent guide to handling difficult problems on election day. Its structure enables ease of use, its language ease of understanding, and its overall revision ease of helping voters … Congratulations on your contribution to plain language and democracy!”

Finalists

  • Great-West Life
  • WoodmenLife
  • Center for Civic Design with Virginia Department of Elections
  • Aetna
  • UAMS Center for Health Literacy
Back to top

Brochures over 10 pages

Hydroxyurea for Sickle Cell Disease, CommunicateHealth

Judges’ comments

“This is a well-thought effort that gets better each time you read through it … Complex medical concepts are translated into everyday language that users will be able to understand. I absolutely would use this booklet as a prime example of plain-language writing and design.”

Finalists

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
  • CommunicateHealth
  • Institute for Healthcare Advancement
  • Start Smart Foundations
Back to top

Brochures up to 10 pages

Breastfeed Your Baby to Reduce the Risk of SIDS Handout, Palladian Partners, Inc.

Judges’ comments:

“This simply designed brochure will help reinforce important safety messages about breastfeeding helping to reduce the risk of SIDS … Very helpful integration of tips to give direction on what to do in challenging or risky situations. Well done!”

Finalists

  • Anthem (2 finalist submissions)
  • Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology along with University of Chicago Medicine,
  • Palladian Partners, Inc.
Back to top

Apps and Microsites

Minnesota Sales Tax Rate Interactive Map, Minnesota Department of Revenue

Judges’ comments

“ Gaining insight from a survey and web-data analysis, the developers cut directly to a clear, effective solution for the audience’s specific need – a map. Without distracting add-ons, the map is incredible easy to navigate, and its layout lets you not only find tax rates for a specific area but also compare them across the state.”

Finalists: 

  • Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
  • MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy
  • Minnesota Department of Revenue
  • Plainly Speaking with Export Development Canada
Back to top

Emails and Newsletters

Category winner: Growing Families Together, AdoptUSKids

Judges’ comments:

“This entry demonstrates plain language writing and information design very well, especially considering some of the particular government standards and policies which the organization must follow in its communications … The results suggest that the audience analysis, testing, and frequent revisions have paid off in improved engagement.”

Finalists

  • AdoptUSKids
  • Sallie Mae
  • Anthem
  • The Standard
Back to top

Websites

Together by St. Jude, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Judges’ comments

“The website makes a topic as difficult and emotional as Cancer approachable and clear. The team clearly understands that cancer is more than medical jargon, so they address personal struggles as well as hospital ones. And they genuinely want their audiences to understand what’s written.”

Finalists:

  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Back to top

Forms, Applications, and Statements

Michigan Medigap Subsidy Program Application, MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy

Judges’ comments:

“This subsidy application works hard to reach an audience that may struggle with financial forms because of low literacy, low numeracy, or a combination of both. Thanks to effective graphic design, the application helps users see exactly what they need to provide, taking the guesswork away from the consumer.”

Finalists:

  • Anthem
  • MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy
Back to top

Infographics

Don’t Ignore Your Pelvic Floor Infographic, Palladian Partners

Judges’ comments:

“This infographic will enable women to recognize whether or not they have a pelvic floor disorder and know that they can talk to their doctor about treatment options … Headings and bold text guide readers through each section, while typography, color, and whitespace enhance the readability. This piece works on so many levels.”

Finalists

  • Aetna
  • Palladian Partners, Inc.
  • National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of EMS
Back to top

Letters and Correspondence

Making state audits readable, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries

Judges’ comments

“This is an extraordinary entry no matter which category held it. Even without the before examples, the revised versions are spectacularly successful. I’ve never seen judges agree so thoroughly in their scores and comments. It’s an outstanding piece of work in all elements, including evaluation and the impact on its organization.”

Finalists

  • Anthem
  • Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
  • Massachusetts Health Connector
Back to top

Posters, Charts, Fliers

“Move Your Way” Fact Sheets, CommunicateHealth

Judges’ comments

“After viewing this entry, it’s hard to stay still. Its visuals enliven the spirit, and its clear messaging gives a concrete sense of physical activity’s importance to the body, mind, and soul … The result is a model of plain language in its language choices and signposting, crisp writing, and visuals that connect with the eye and mind.”

Finalists

  • Plainly Speaking along with Crime Prevention Ottawa
  • Magellan Health
  • CommunicateHealth
  • Anthem
Back to top

Spanish

Virginia Medicaid Managed Care (Medallion 4.0) website, MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy

Judges’ comments:

“The design invites the audience to keep reading, and you can spot the important information at a glance. What’s more, the smart consumer testing validated the choices made for the web site, while uncovering areas for improvement. Overall, a solid example of plain language principles, and it should translate to higher enrollment rates and better informed consumers.”

Finalists:

  • MAXIMUS Center for Health Literacy
  • Cancer Support Community
  • CommunicateHealth
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