Norfolk, Va.
Award of Excellence
Information Graphics, Non-Breaking News, 175,000 and over

Graphic Artist: John Earle
Designer: Sam Hundley
Photographer: Genevieve Ross
Reporter: Elizabeth Simpson
DME/Projects: Maria Carrillo
DME/Presentations: Deborah Withey

Madalyn Hopkins is a toddler here in Hampton Roads who received coclear transplants, enabling her to hear again. It was an incredibly well-written, touching story by Elizabeth Simpson and illustrated with beautiful photos by Genevieve Ross.

We wanted some sort of graphic to explain the science end of how Madalyn's hearing was restored. But we didn't want a little text-heavy two-column job that would break up the pacing Elizabeth and Genevieve (and special projects design chief Sam Hundley) set.

My wonderful managerial "technique" was to ask veteran Virginian-Pilot news artist John Earle to come up with something special. And then back off to see what he came up with.

And he came up with one of the more stunning pieces I've ever seen.

John rendered with pencil and then scanned it into photoshop. There is a faint textural feel to the piece, as if it were drawn on canvas or something. The text boxes are understated and the piece itself feels airy -- unline the typical infographic. I even liked the way the text boxes start at the bottom and work their way around the illustration. Yet it wasn't confusing, in the least.

What made this piece REALLY sing, though, was how the drawing looked like Madalyn. Genevieve had a photo that didn't make the cut for the package. So she offered this side view to John to use in the graphic. Rather than photoshopping a diagram of the implant into the side of her head – as I probably would have done – John elected to put the whole damn thing on a light table and render it with pencil.

It has a wonderfully loose feel.

I issued credits on the SND form to John, of course, as well as Sam, Genevieve, Elizabeth and the DMEs who oversaw the project: Maria Carrillo and Deb Withey. But make no mistake, this is John Earle's project. – Charles Apple, Graphics Director