Photography by Spacecrafting/Michael Green
Each year, the Midwest Design Awards celebrates the most compelling work in residential and commercial architecture and design. But what separates a strong entry from an award-winning one? We turned to two past Midwest Design Awards judges—Raul Rodriguez Garcia, AIA, Ph.D., associate principal and project director of REX Architecture, and Lori Weitzner, principal and creative director of Lori Weitzner Design—for insight. Their guidance, drawn from experience reviewing hundreds of submissions across myriad programs, offers practical advice and pointed reminders for anyone preparing to enter.
As the entry period approaches its close for this year’s Midwest Design Awards, be sure to tell a clear, confident story with your submissions—one that’s worthy of distinction. Entries are due July 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
Start with Alignment—and Clarity
“The presented project should clearly qualify for the category it is being submitted to,” says Rodriguez Garcia. “In addition, the photographs should adequately show—or highlight, if possible—the values that make the project exemplar or outstanding for such distinction. Awards honor special or unique aspects of works; not simply recognize a project completion.”
That said, visuals must be curated with care. A mistake Rodriguez Garcia commonly sees is that “many entries rely on photos showing lots of decoration and FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) that conceal the architectural quality of the spaces,” he adds.
For Weitzner, initial impressions also begin with the eye: “Proportion and color play—and if that is compatible with the space itself.”
The Takeaway: Choose the right category, highlight what’s exceptional, and don’t let over-styling obscure the true design work.
Photo by Wing Ho
Narrative Can Help—But Don’t Overdo It
While great imagery is crucial, the written portion of a submission still plays a role—so long as it serves the design. “The narrative is very important as long as there is an argument to convey,” Rodriguez Garcia notes. “Mere descriptive narratives incurring in redundancies with the graphic documentation is discouraging—and sometimes annoying.”
Weitzner agrees that visuals do the heavy lifting: “Less is more. I tend to spend much more time on the visuals than the story. Great photography is key. Detail and larger shots.”
The Takeaway: Use your words strategically—don’t repeat what’s obvious in photos, and let high-quality visuals do the talking.
Rigor Over Flash
When evaluating design across styles and categories, Rodriguez Garcia has one word that consistently guides his scores: “Rigor! The lack of rigor in pursuit of simply ‘cool’ things denotes a total ‘give up’ of our profession,” he admits. “Obviously, rigor requires a lot of work and preparation. If there is talent as well, the result usually provides intelligent innovation and beauty—the dream combo.”
As for originality, Weitzner adds: “Originality is great and important, but it is imperative that it be also conducive to a place one can live in happily.” And when considering the emotional or sensory side of design? “Very important. It is the difference between creating a house versus a home.”
The Takeaway: Originality is valuable, but rigor is essential—and emotional resonance counts just as much as aesthetic impact.
Photography by Spacecrafting/Michael Green
Final Advice for Entrants
Rodriguez Garcia offers a two-part strategy: “First, identify the work that could qualify for the intended category or categories; then, create a careful, rigorous, intelligent presentation with adequate and beautiful documentation.”
Weitzner’s advice is simple but often overlooked: “Have enough [great] photos from all angles.”
