Webby Awards Recognize Milwaukee Police Department’s Innovative Website
Each year, the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences recognizes the best sites, advertising and mobile experiences on the Internet. Webby Awards are given to an innovative company, organization or government who manage to separate themselves from their counterparts on the crowded Internet.
The government category is always intriguing, because shrinking budgets don’t permit most agencies to push the boundaries of web design. But each year, an agency creates something truly noteworthy. In 2012, it was NASA. Their work is always exceptional, but it’s hardly surprising to see them take the cake, because their budget is so much larger than most local government agencies. This year, however, proved to be a different story.
The Milwaukee Police Department won the 2013 Webby for web design in the government category. A visit to the department’s website will make it obvious why it won.
According to The Next Web, the site was built and donated by Cramer-Krasselt Milwaukee and LISS Interactive. It features parallax scrolling, where background images and foreground images scroll at different speeds. The effect is that of three dimensions, and when combined with beautiful photography and bold typefaces, the effect is stunning.
To be fair, some users might find the site difficult to navigate, but the willingness to try something new makes the police department worthy of the award. It’s also important to note that this is not the department’s main website, but a news site run by the local police officers. It is the perfect place for experimentation and, hopefully, hints at future innovation.
Parallax scrolling. Nice. RT RT @arghawisha coolest police department website ever. Milwaukee Police Department milwaukeepolicenews.com #web
— Shandya (@shandya) May 17, 2013
Other state and local nominees included the California State Lottery, the NYC Service and the New York City Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting. See all the nominees here.
