Industry: Adobe's new mag

Adobe has changed up its PDF magazine Proxy, which is now called Adobe Magazine for Creative Professionals. It's free to subscribe and, if it follows what Proxy did, will be pretty useful on cool tips and tricks. And it also shows you the amazing power of the PDF, which has become uber-interactive in lots of neat ways.

Adobe says this: Eclectic branded entertainment. Pioneering interactive design. Artsy niche magazines. Explore design without boundaries — and discover the secrets that help this work shine. Download now.

RELATED: Adobe releases myFeedz, a "smart newspaper" Web application that finds what is important from the sea of information on the Internet and "shows you what you need to read." It learns from your reading habits. Very interesting ...

First categories ready for judging

The competition assistants and SND office staff went to Drumlins this morning to set out the first categories and set up the data entry area.

We're now ready to record the winners and competition coordinator Kris Kinkade and others determined the first categories for assistants to place on the tables:

News judges:
Local section fronts for broadsheets and tabs in the large and medium circulations (3B.a, b, d, e).

Long-form judges:
News design/A sections (2A.a, b).

Features judges:
Opinion pages for broadsheets and tabs (7A.a,b,d,e).

Graphics judges:
Breaking News Graphics, all circulation sizes (16A.a, b, c).

Photo and small paper judges:
Single photos, general news photography (14A).

Above, Tiffany Pease, Luke Knox and Keeli Pointer put category 2A on the table for the long form judges at Drumlins this afternoon.

Note: Broadsheet and tabloid categories, as well as circulation categories are on the tables separately, with the subcategories clearly marked.

Our reporter in Michigan ...

Ashley Dinges, Michigan student and intern beyond compare (and headed back to the San Jose Mercury News upon graduation), has posted a terrific report from the recent SND Quick Course at Michigan State. Ashley took a look at the day with some fun highlights, not to mention a cool soundtrack. It's become a bit of a success on the old VodPod, where our own Ashley is now No. 9 and (we can only hope) rising. Way to go young Ashley!

UP NEXT: "Words + Pictures = Teamwork," a one-day Quick Course in Jacksonville, Fla., presented by The Florida Times-Union and the Society for News Design. Discover how alternative story forms can transform your news report, how to brainstorm with results, and how to go in-depth effectively. Register now!

Industry News: A new Observer

Well, the new New York Observer is out today on the streets of New York City. The paper itself has a press release up and a slideshow of famous Gothamites holding and generally adoring the new tab. Still scouting for additional page images.

The New York Times' David Carr weighs in: "There is good news to be found in the redesign. It is still pinkish, and still plays host to some terrific writing, annotated by cheeky headlines and pointillistic graphics.But reading the new Observer also provides a palpable feeling of loss."

Over at VizEds, our old friend Steve Cavendish posts on Carr's piece, and he's none too happy about what Carr has to say: "Is there a media critic in the world who doesn't reflexively wet himself when talking about a redesign? Is this what we're reduced to as the industry shifts – every time a redesign/size change/format change/whatever comes down, an ink-stained wretch will declare it an abomination and long for the good old days when an unending torrent of type was the norm?"

Let the speculation begin ...

Beyond the annual ritual of the competition there is another guessing game that's been gaining propularity in recent years: Determine the World's Best-Designed Newspaper winners before they are announced on Monday night.

There's a good thread started over at VisualEditors.com on the topic. Some of the smartest folks out there in visual journalism have been studying videos, analyzing comments, assuring "inside information" and starting to think critically about what makes a great or innovative newpaper design anyway.

Despite what Anders Tapola says, we sure don't know yet who won. The Web Desk does not get that info until Monday afternoon, so please ... do not ask us who won. We just don't know. But, like a lot of you, we do enjoy the guessing game.

Our money line is on the Guardian. Book odds now.

Oh, and the actual winners? Yep, we will have them right here on snd.org come Monday night. Count on judges' commentary and images from the papers that prevail.

Then the Tuesday morning quarterbacking can begin in earnest. And the Web Desk will be right there in the fray, looking for answers and offering analysis on this year's big deals.