"As an Italian, Silvia grew up surrounded by art and has always been fascinated by it, in particular interactive installations and immersive experiences."
This is how Creative & Art Director at MullenLowe London Silvia Sella kicks off her bio here on Creativepool, before describing a stellar career made of interactive experiences, small but ambitious design studios and other achievements all over the industry. We had the honour to welcome Silvia in our 2020 judging panels for the Packaging category, where she looked for outstanding work and journeys communicated through the beauty of design.
For this Judge Spotlight, Silvia has but one important advice for all the present and future Annual entrants: be proud of your work!
The Annual 2021 final submissions deadline is next Thursday, 10th June. Enter now to grab your slice of creative immortality!
What feels unique about judging in The Annual?
Judging the Creativepool annual is a fantastic opportunity to appreciate great creative work, as well as connecting with a fellow judges and the creative community.
How did it feel like to be a judge for the Creativepool Annual Awards?
We are all used to remote working by now, but I missed the discussions and the exchange of point of views with fellow judges in person, although it was still made possible virtually. Also having judged the packaging category it was a shame not being able to see the tangible entries, however the case studies were very well put together and detailed.
Will you be joining the panels again in the future?
I’d love to.
Can you tell us more about your 2020 category and what impressed you the most about the submissions you scored?
In the Packaging category there were clear standouts project, however no Gold was awarded. The most impressive trait in all the highest scoring submissions was the ability to bring the consumer on a journey with strong concepts and storytelling as well as design craft and attention to details.
What did you love about the Creativepool community and the entrants you scored?
I very much appreciated the mix of entries from small studios and big agencies. The Annual really gives a stage to the smaller enterprises to showcase and be recognised for their talent next to the big companies.
What advice would you share with agencies and individuals looking to grab a prize?
The judges expect a high standard of creativity and craft, so be proud of the work and ensure it will stand out and is memorable.
How do you feel Covid has impacted the creative landscape in 2020?
Creative sectors have been impacted in different ways, depending on the area of expertise. When the pandemic struck, I was in awe of how quickly the production side and IT services stepped up with solutions and had us all up and running within weeks.
What are your hopes for 2021 and beyond?
I sincerely hope we have learnt how to make the most of flexible and remote working and that we will keep these practices going forward. The impact remote working can have on the environment for instance, with less business travel is something we should embrace whenever possible in the future.
What is your most exciting project in the next year?
I’m working on a few projects that are still under wraps, but I’m looking forward to a very busy summer working on clients old and new.
