THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Industry

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Strategy & Engagement

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Brand Partnership See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Call to Action See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Community Management See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Creative Use of Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> CTV/OTT See previous winners and honorees for Insights and Trends here.</a> <a href=https://shortyawards.com/9th-impact/"https://shortyawards.com/category/16th/data-visualization">See previous winners and honorees for Data Visualization here.</a>"> Data & Insights See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Earned Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Event & Experiential See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Gamification See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Humor See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Innovative Media Buying Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Integration with Traditional Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Internal Communications See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> LGBTQ Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Micro-Influencer Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Multicultural Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Music & Dance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> On a Shoestring See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Organic Promotion See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Paid & Amplification See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Physical and Digital Convergence See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Public Service Announcement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Time Response See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> SEO & SEM See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Storytelling
From the 9th Annual Shorty Impact Awards

Afrotech — Growing Community of Tech Creators and Innovators

Gold Honor in News & Media

Objectives

AfroTech is a platform that covers the latest news, events, and resources for Black tech professionals and entrepreneurs. It celebrates Black excellence in the tech industry, featuring speakers, sponsors, and partners from various backgrounds.  Our goal was to create a vibrant and engaging website that highlights Black excellence in the tech industry and fosters a strong, supportive community.


 

Strategy and Execution

To bring the AfroTech website to life, we began by thoroughly understanding AfroTech’s mission and audience. AfroTech celebrates Black innovators, entrepreneurs, and technologists, and hosts the annual AfroTech Conference, which features keynotes, panels, workshops, receptions, and entertainment to empower corporate executives, investors, and tech moguls.

We conducted thorough research on similar platforms and engaged in stakeholder sessions to align our design strategy with AfroTech's vision. Our goal was to create a website that stands out with its vibrant, clear, and prominent design, setting it apart from conventional news platforms.

Key design elements included:

Our team faced several challenges, such as maintaining the balance between a vibrant design and usability. We overcame these by continuously testing and refining the design based on user feedback. The result is an engaging and user-friendly website that effectively communicates AfroTech’s mission and values.

We also integrated multimedia content to enrich the user experience, including videos, podcasts, and articles that highlight the achievements and stories of Black tech professionals. The website's structure was designed to facilitate easy navigation, helping users quickly find news, events, and resources.

Results

The newly developed AfroTech website has significantly enhanced the platform’s ability to connect and empower the Black tech community. The vibrant and intuitive layout has been praised for its user-friendly navigation and unique aesthetic.

Since the development, AfroTech has seen increased user engagement and positive feedback from its community. The site now effectively highlights the latest news, events, and resources, supporting AfroTech's mission of celebrating Black excellence in the tech industry.

The platform has also improved AfroTech's ability to promote and organize the annual AfroTech Conference, attracting more attendees and participants. The successful completion of this project demonstrates the impact of thoughtful design in fostering community and supporting professional growth.

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

Lazarev., Afrotech

Link

Entry Credits