GDUSA - Graphic Design USA - June 2020 Edition

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JUNE 2020

GD USA

GD USA GRAPHIC DESIGN USA

WEB DESIGN AWARDS SPONSORED BY

THE CREATIVE GROUP READER POLL JUNE 2020

RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY SPONSORED BY

VERSO 2020 LOGO TRENDS REPORT

www.gdusa.com

AIGA STATEMENT ON RACISM

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER | HOPE IS A FORCE MULTIPLIER “Hope is not a plan” the data-driven have repeatedly told us during this crisis. True, as far as it goes. But combine hope with a strategy and concrete action and it becomes a force multiplier. Confidence, resourcefulness and resilience can make all the difference.

GORDON KAYE IS THE PUBLISHER OF GDUSA Comments, suggestions and letters can be sent to gkaye @ gdusa.com.

Creative professionals understand this, at least based on the responses to our “Pandemic Pause” reader poll conducted during the tumultuous month of May. Early on, confronted with pressing issues of personal and business survival, most respondents focused, understandably, on the hows and wheres of safety and security, the challenges of home offices, the pros and cons of remote work, the joys and dangers of too many Zoom cocktail hours.

But by the end of May and into early June, following weeks of lockdown and as the easing of restrictions began, more philosophical questions of purpose and meaning began to emerge. Comments suggest that, in the crucible, many designers have forged a clearer sense of personal and professional priorities, and started to reimagine a transformed future. And, yes, the vast majority of designers are refreshingly hopeful. About the long term value and viability of the creative business. About their unique capacity to help revive and shape brands, companies, communities, and causes. About playing a positive role in rebuilding trust in the social contract. In the face of uncertainty and adversity, designers are proving adaptable and ingenious — and hopeful.

A TACTILE DROUGHT Traditionally, this is the week we would release our annual Print + Paper reader survey, torn asunder like so much else. It would have been our 57th such exercise, sponsored by the good people at Verso Paper. Thus, we could not resist asking, in the poll referred to above, about the post-pandemic role of print and paper. The responses pleased us paper lovers, and were a bit counterintuitive at a moment when virtual meetings and digital workflow are ascendant. Put simply, most designers affirmed their respect for the classic strengths of print and packaging — permanence, touch, connection, credibility, authenticity. They see those factors as relevant and enduring despite — and arguably amplified by — the crisis. They believe that, in the aftermath, ink and paper will have a renaissance.

As one designer evocatively observed: “We are having a sort of tactile drought. Going forward, the human element will be most meaningful, and will include print and more.”

CRISES ACCELERATE TRENDS Speaking of traditions that endure, we welcome Bill Gardner and his much-anticipated annual LogoLounge trend report back to GDUSA. Started in 2002, LogoLounge has blossomed into the most comprehensive and searchable database of logos. Bill’s yearly exploration of trends is always intelligent and insightful; the 2020 piece is no exception.

But given the exigencies of the moment, here is the master’s observation on “the elephant on the planet: Covid-19.” He says: “Crises often accelerate trends in society and design. It’s very reactive and rushed — i.e. if there were a ten-step program that we typically follow to get from point A to point B, we skipped steps six through nine to get there during a crisis. Next year, we’re probably going to see a lot of logos that came as a result — some will be brilliant, while many more probably won’t. No matter what, I believe the design industry is going to come out of this better than we were. People will regroup, find their niche and come out of this with a new resilience.”

BLESSING OR CURSE “May you live in interesting times.” It has long been debated whether this phrase is meant as a blessing or a curse. For America in 2020, facing dual existential threats, I’m thinking curse. Today's print edition was prepared in the epicenter of the pandemic and during the height of the lockdown. Only as we finished, the ramifications of George Floyd killing became clear. This is no complaint — we are among the lucky ones. It is simply an explanation of why the creative response to the protests will, of necessity, be covered in the next print edition and on our website.

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CONTENTS | JUNE 2020

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FRESH Pearlfisher rings up private label brand for ShopRite; Gensler steps up with colorful murals for cities during coronavirus crisis; Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv Olympics museum logo pays homage to rings and flag; ThoughtMatter shapes dachshund lovers brand; Sioux Falls gets virtual football club; sunny days for Sun-Maid packaging; Wolff Olins identity understands learning differences; and more.

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COMMENT Alysha Smith of modern8 on branding in and after a pandemic; Thomas Hull of Rigsby Hull and SCAD on the importance the pivot, jam or riff for designers and design managers at this turbulent moment; Kevin Kernan of GDLOFT on the role of print materials today and tomorrow; and AIGA issues statement on George Floyd’s death.

30 LOGO TRENDS Bolts. Twinkles. Counters. Mazes. iDrops. Chexmelt. Just a few of the trends in Bill Gardner’s annual LogoLounge.com trend report. Each specific observation is interesting, but it is Bill’s ability to find overarching themes, and to articulate the long game, makes this a must-read. And see Bill’s first take on how the Covid-19 shared experience may shape next year’s logos.

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READER POLL In place our 57th annual print and paper survey, a reader poll on how, where and why graphic designers are coping with the pandemic pause and starting to think about the aftermath.

Adversity of this magnitude is never explicable or welcome but it does build character, test resilience, inspire ingenuity, spawn innovation, compel reimagining.

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20TH ANNUAL WEB AWARDS Our annual showcase of the power of design to enhance online communications and experiences. The outstanding work included here has been created by design firms, ad agencies, inhouse departments, and more, and encompasses, website, app, social media, online ads, and publications, video and UX/UI design. The Creative Group is the exclusive sponsor.

GDUSA - Graphic Design USA Volume 57 / No. 3 May/June 2020 Kaye Publishing Corporation (ISSN0274-7499/USPS227020). Published 6 times a year with combined issues in January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December. Executive, editorial and advertising offices at 89 Fifth Avenue, Suite 901, New York NY 10003. Phone: 212.696.4380, Fax: 212.696.4564, www.gdusa.com.

SUBSCRIPTION: Domestic, $72 one year. International, $140 one year.

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HIRING AND CAREERS Job-hunting is tough, but especially with the effects of a global pandemic still hanging over the business world. Here

Periodicals postage paid at New York NY and additional mailing office.

are 10 Job Search Tips from Diane Domeyer of The Creative

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GDUSA - Graphic Design USA,

Group that can help.

PO Box 3072, Langhorne PA 19047. Permit #224.

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THANKS TO THE SPONSORS THE CREATIVE GROUP A special thank you to The Creative Group (TCG) for its long-time sponsorship of the GDUSA Web Design Awards — The Best In Web, Digital + UX Design. TCG is a specialized staffing firm that connects interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations talent with a variety of firms. A division

GD USA GRAPHIC DESIGN USA

of Robert Half, TCG offers flexible solutions to meet companies’ project on a freelance, contract-to-hire and full-time basis on-site and off-site needs. The company is also extremely generous to the community with high-quality and insightful advice and research. (See Executive Director Diane Domeyer’s “10 Job

Gordon Kaye Publisher

Search Tips For Creatives” in this print edition and “Closing The Gap: Nurturing Creativity In A Remote

ART & PRODUCTION

Workforce” at gdusa.com/category/career.) Unlike other creative staffing agencies, The Creative Group offers

Ilana Greenberg Creative Director

staffing solutions and highly regarded consulting experience under one roof to help you deliver worldclass customer experiences. With offices located in major markets across the U.S. and Canada, TCG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Learn more at RobertHalf.com/Creative Group VERSO CORPORATION Verso Corporation is a leading North American producer of graphic and specialty papers, packaging and

Charlotte Kaye Production Director Jay Lewis Jeff Rosenberg Photographer

pulp. Verso states: “Our graphic papers portfolio comprises sheetfed, web, digital and inkjet papers used

WILL BURKE

primarily in commercial printing, media and marketing applications, including magazines, catalogs, books, direct mail, corporate collateral and retail inserts. Our specialty product line includes release liner papers and high-performance label face stock for pressure sensitive, glue-applied and litho laminate applications. Our packaging papers include recycled linerboard and medium used in corrugated box manufacturing, bleached virgin and recycled kraft paper used for a variety of bag, sack and converting applications, and SBS paperboard used in single-face corrugated laminated box applications. Our market pulp is used to make printing, writing, specialty and packaging papers, facial and toilet tissue, and paper towels.” Learn more at versoco.com

ADMINISTRATION & READER SERVICES Althea Edwards Circulation & Reader Services Jennifer Hoff Scott Sczcypiorski Internet Services Angelo Abbondante Accounts Manager

EDITORIAL

ABOUT THE COVER

Gordon Kaye Editor

Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv created a logo for the

Sasha Kaye-Walsh Associate Editor

new 60,000 foot US Olympic & Paralympic Museum to open in Colorado Springs CO. It is inspired by, but independent of, other traditional Olympic iconography.

Susan Lewis Kaye Assistant Editor

Story begins at PAGE 14.

FOUNDER Milton L. Kaye (1921-2016)

ADVERTISING Ron Andriani Executive VP, Integrated Marketing + Business Development 201.485.8720 212.696.4380 randriani@ gdusa.com

COVER PAPER CREDIT: The cover of this special edition of GDUSA is printed on FSC-certified Kallima Coated Cover C2S, part of the Kallima Paper family of FSC-certified coated cover paperboard, manufactured by the Tembec Paper Group. A leading advocate of sustainability, Kallima has a distinct low-density high-bulk construction resulting in less trees used and significant cost savings to the customer. Contact: http://kallimapaper.com and 1.800.411.7011

Gordon Kaye Publisher 212.696.4380 gkaye @ gdusa.com COPYRIGHT 2020 BY KAYE PUBLISHING CORPORATION

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FRESH | THOUGHTMATTER SHAPES DACHSHUND LOVERS’ BRAND

NEW YORK NY Kinship Labs wanted to build a brand focused on

dachshunds, related pet care and lifestyle products, while also fostering a community with a passion for dachshunds. Design studio ThoughtMatter centered the brand identity around the idea of the lovable misfit and played up the loving relationship between dog and owner. Witzig’s designs take cues from dachshunds’ unique body shape from the typefaces down to the illustrations. The logo is based on a strangely warped font — a subtle nod to how dachshunds are a little weird too — which ThoughtMatter customized for legibility and to add a hidden dachshund illustration in the letter forms. They coined the brand name Witzig — German for witty — in a nod to the dachshund’s intelligence and origin. A vibrant color palette invites unusual color combinations. And custom illustrations reflect eccentricity and playfulness, but also the brand’s knowledge and integrity. The project included name, brand positioning, messaging, brand strategy, brand design, logo, illustrations, a coffee table book and even website design (in partnership with web development agency, Markacy). thoughtmatter.com

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FRESH | COLOR SPEAKS ADDS OPTIMISM TO CITIES

SEATTLE WA To brighten an otherwise bleak canvas around

our cities during the pandemic, designers from Gensler volunteered their time to partner with small business owners to create vibrant and inspiring murals that reflect the distinct personality of each business, as well as the promise of better times to come. Color Speaks — a research project spearheaded by Sara Thompson, Ryan Collier, and Krista Reeder at Gensler’s Seattle office — was initially created to study how color can bring hope and optimism to the future of our cities. “We have been looking at how applications of color in the urban environment affect our behavior and hypothesized that it may just improve our collective well-being,” says Krista Reeder, Associate and Brand Design Director at Gensler. In the face of COVID-19, the team is using the initiative to encourage others to join them in revitalizing storefronts and transforming abandoned streets into beautiful splashes of uplifting colors and positive messages. “We’re trying to send a message of resilience, that design can inspire hope in uneven time,” adds Reeder. To date, the Gensler Seattle team has painted murals at three locations around Seattle: Roquette in Belltown, and the Hillside and Montana bars — both located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Gensler Portland has completed one mural for Kate Towers Studio + Shop, and has several others underway. Many other Gensler offices around the nation are joining in to beautify their own cities. gensler.com

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FRESH | PEARLFISHER & SHOPRITE TOGETHER ON PRIVATE LABEL BRAND

NEW YORK NY Pearlfisher partnered with Wakefern on the brand

creation for ShopRite’s Bowl & Basket own brand of high-quality affordable foods. The project includes strategy, visual identity, packaging, portfolio redesign and roll-out of the brand. ShopRite, the long established retailer’s cooperative is introducing what it calls a “pioneering and future-proof approach” with the creation of private label brands. The Bowl & Basket brand spans all food products and communicates expertise, quality, modernity and approachability, featuring ingredients that bring people together “from our basket to your bowl.” Hamish Campbell, VP & Executive Creative Director at Pearlfisher said: “A fresh and elevated design for Bowl & Basket helps disrupt the look of this category, presenting a new opportunity for consumers to resonate with a design-forward family of products.

The fluid, organic and optimistic nature of the design and what it represents informs the identity and brand expression — including the addition of an ampersand that doubles as a visual icon resembling a bowl and a basket. The rectangular placemat surrounding the identity signifies the center of the table, shareability and community with modern, stylish and real-food photography cueing freshness, quality and authenticity.” Art direction for the food photography style and illustrations on packaging is distinct and complementary of the series’ soft color scheme. The ampersand extends the message of togetherness beyond the name to make many quality combinations such as: Milk & Cereal, Saturday & Pajamas, Friends & Family, Bowl & Basket. pearlfisher.com

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FRESH | US OLYMPIC MUSEUM LOGO IS HOMAGE YET OWNABLE

COLORADO SPRINGS CO

It was a straightforward but

considerable challenge: In designing a new logo for the 60,000 foot US Olympic & Paralympic Museum, the charge to Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv was to create a unique identity for the institution set to open in Colorado Springs CO this summer. Museum is dedicated to athletes and their compelling stories, with the artifacts, media and technology behind the athletes who make the United States proud. “In my mind, I was envisioning that if there were three flag poles in front of the Museum, with the Olympic rings on one flag and the Paralympic agitos on another, what would I want on the Museum’s flag in between them?” Museum CEO Christopher Liedel said. “We wanted to embrace the movement of athletes, embrace the rings, embrace the agitos and embrace the Museum’s architecture.” Partner and principal designer Sagi Haviv did his homework, traveling to Colorado Springs to visit the Museum during construction, talking with the architects, athletes and others involved in the planning. “For us, the challenge was also the most exciting aspect: To draw inspiration from the most recognizable and ubiquitous icons in the world — the Olympic rings and the American flag,” Haviv said. “The strategy was that it should be something new and innovative that can stand on its own. Find something that gives homage but is still ownable and can be trademarked on its own.

That’s the magic, if you can find that balance between an inspiration and yet still have independence.” cghnyc.com

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FRESH | DESIGNER SCORES WITH VIRTUAL SOCCER TEAM

SIOUX FALLS SD In the midst of the pandemic, when sports came to

a complete halt, Andrew Brynjulson of The Creative Studio of Andrew thought it was the perfect time to create a virtual soccer team for his hometown of Sioux Falls SD. Not just a logo, the Sioux Falls FC project includes a roster of real people, kit designs available for purchase, shirt sponsors, a 20-team schedule, and weekly games that are played out on social media for all to see. There is even a team song and chant. Andrew explains that three key projects informed his work: “First, an actual semi-pro team in Sioux Falls called the Thunder. I worked with them on design work from Thunderbird crest, to uniforms, to ticket stubs.

Unfortunately, very little of it saw the light of day and after two seasons, the team went on pause. I had a backlog of soccer design work looking for a home. Second, a city branding project that never was. When my hometown decided to create a unified brand for the city, I obviously put forth a proposal. I put a lot of thinking and sketching into that process.

So when the committee selected an out-of-state agency, the unused work needed a home. Third, the official Sioux Falls flag. I had nothing to do with the design and execution of the flag. It was part of a grassroots competition that resulted in an unofficial flag that was eventually adopted as the official standard of the city. The flag finds itself on the jerseys and inspired the color palette.” He also notes that he Photoshopped a large soccer stadium right in the middle of downtown “sure to antagonize the NIMBYs in the community.” brennifresh.com/about

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FRESH | RADIANT REDESIGN FOR SUN-MAID

HARRISBURG PA Food-and-beverage marketing-specialist quench has redesigned packaging for the venerable

Sun-Maid raisins brand and Sun-Maid’s other fruit products. The redesigned packages exhibit changes that aim to appeal to millennial shoppers looking for healthy family snacks. Consumer feedback helped validate that a refresh was in order, but also indicated a fondness for the brand’s nostalgic design, so it was important to preserve that quality while making changes that allow the packaging to appear timeless. Maintaining the integrity of the iconic little red box was key, say quench officials. The agency gave Sun-Maid’s female mascot, Lorraine — based on a real person — a bit more space and depth on the packages and made the sun rays surrounding the illustration more prominent. The new packaging graphics highlight key product differentiation, functional product benefits and appetite appeal — all with a modernized font. Consumers will now see meaningful callouts, such as “0g of added sugar” and “made with whole fruit,” along with the influential Non-GMO Project verification on the front. “The redesign was a delicate balance between updating a package that hadn't been touched since the 1970s, and not disrupting the recognition and awareness we have with this loved brand,” comments Sun-Maid President and CEO Harry Overly. The updated packaging for Sun-Maid snacks will continue to roll out nationally through 2020. Agency credits include Keith Seaman, Creative Director/Designer; Jay Deluits and Joe Barry, Designers; and Sam Renner, Copywriter.

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FRESH | WOLFF OLINS UNDERSTANDS THE MISSION

NEW YORK NY In the United States, 1 in 5 people live with learning

and/or thinking differences (such as dyslexia and ADHD) while 1 in 4 people have some type of disability. Advocating for these underserved people is the mission of Understood and they turned to Wolff Olins to help with a rebrand — featuring a transformation of the organization’s signature “U” logo into an ever-evolving identity that visualizes “Shape the World For Difference.” The rebrand features different shapes shifting around the signature “U” logo — representing how those in family, education, and workplace settings can be empowered with Understood’s online resources and support. The effort also features a sonic identity created by Listen to help those who have trouble with sensory processing, a custom dyslexia-friendly typeface created by the Wolff Olins team and Display Font Designer Martin Vácha, and illustrations by Ka Young Lee. All told, the rebrand includes a new design system, website design, brand architecture, ADA-compliant color palettes, inclusive photography, illustration, and animations, and the new sonic logo, music and tone/voice guidelines. “The needs of the diverse communities we serve, from grandparents to principals, from young adults to employers, informed all aspects of our new brand ecosystem,” said Nathan Friedman, chief marketing officer of Understood. “The redesigned brand will help ensure that our resources engage as many people as possible and help them thrive in school, at work, and throughout life.” wolffolins.com

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LAUNCHING A BRAND THAT FITS THE NEW NORMAL ALYSHA SMITH continue to thrive — Groupon, Slack, Venmo, and Rent the Runway are all excellent examples.

BRINGING WHAT YOUR COMPETITORS DON’T The second consideration is an evaluation of your value proposition and competitive advantage — is it different and distinct enough to stand out in a crowded market. The current market is highlighting disparities in value from product to product and service to service. If you are a challenger brand and not the first to market in your space, then now is an opportunity to prove your value against the bigger slower leaders in your competitive landscape. Messaging that targets your audience and relates to why your product is needed above the others can cut through and get noticed.

There is an opportunity to leverage the current circumstances to provide more value to your current and potential customers, make your offering more accessible, and analyze and balance the current needs of your market. This doesn’t mean giving more for less, but it might mean reevaluating the customer experience, creating helpful content, marketing with empathy, giving gratitude and donations, or providing a sense of place and belonging

HERE TO HELP? IF NOT, THE WORLD

for your audience. Make your brand invaluable to your customers.

DOESN’T NEED YOUR STARTUP RIGHT NOW We are currently working with a direct to consumer brand, Wave As a person who has literally grown up in the design world and

Coffee, set to launch in the next month. We debated pushing

become the leader of a branding agency, I’ve come to know a lot

pause and waiting to launch after the pandemic, but the product

about this industry. But branding in a pandemic isn’t as simple.

addresses a current need — coffee delivered regularly without having to go to pick it up. The target market is defined, the aes-

What we can all agree on is that the current climate of consumer

thetic was created to speak to that market, and the messaging,

spending is unstable. As consumers, we are all rethinking how we

and marketing is all crafted to speak to their preferences and

spend our money, especially as the full effect of the crisis may

motivations. Wave is not going to be the first to market in the

not be realized for yet another six to ten months. Discretionary

coffee subscription space, but the value of a product that pro-

spending will be squeezed from all ends, and we will all be more

vides ease of use, promotes shared experiences during times of

cost conscious if we aren’t already.

uncertainty, and at a price point that is justifiable, can take advantage of the new mindset shift and get noticed.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that a new brand can’t launch in this crisis, but it must answer the obvious question — does it

Never forget — a brand is a promise of value to be received. A

address a current need?

brand is the totality of perceptions that you see, hear, read, know, feel, and think about a product or service. Though it may seem

MAKING SURE YOU ARE NECESSARY Does your product or service make communicating, buying, travel, working from home easier or more accessible? We are all experiencing a mindset shift since being forced to work, learn, and homeschool within our four walls. For example, my brand-

difficult, this pandemic may be the right time to establish or pivot to re-establish a distinctive position in a potential customer’s mind based on past experiences, associations, and future expectations, expressing beliefs and values that differentiate and simplify your audience’s decision-making process.

ing and design agency, modern8, would have never considered running a service business virtually, but being forced into a new

ALYSHA SMITH is the CEO of modern8, a strategic brand design consultancy built

way of thinking and a leveraging technology, we are making it

around a belief in the power of design and design-driven strategy to convey real

work and may never go back. During the last recession, several

emotion. Their methodology, embodied by their d5 process, helps define each brand as

businesses also used this shift in mindset to launch and still

a strategic and emotional platform for developing results-focused design solutions.

22 G D U S A

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PRINT EQUALS HUMAN (AND THE PANDEMIC MAKES THAT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT) KEVIN KERNAN believe that if you’re asking for money or attendance, print can be superior. It shows you’re invested. And in our experience, the responses and donations reflect that effort.

• PRINT IS TANGIBLE – WHICH IS MEMORABLE With the tactility of print, you’re activating more senses. You can see it, feel it, hear the paper crinkle, smell the ink.“People understand and remember what they read on paper better than what they read on screen. Researchers think the physicality of paper explains this discrepancy.”— Ferris Jabr, “The Brain Prefers Paper”, Scientific America• People like getting mail — and it converts! Mailboxes used to be filled with junk mail. Now, an intentional print piece truly stands out. 41% of Americans of all ages look forward to checking their mail each day. (Gallup) The response rate for direct-mail marketing is 37% higher than the email rate. (MarketingProfs) • PRINT CREATES OWNERSHIP

With the onslaught of ads and online messages

As we said in our 2016 presentation for the Federal Reserve

we are receiving every day these days, our brains

(which may be even more relevant today): In psychology and

have learned to tune out digital communication

behavioral economics, the endowment effect is the hypothesis

without even noticing. Now more than ever, do

that people ascribe more value to things merely because they own them. Touching and the physical nature of things enhances this

not let your fundraising or outreach campaign rely

effect. To touch a thing is to trigger a reaction: as soon as we do,

on digital efforts alone!

we develop a sense of ownership and value towards it.

At GDLOFT, we know there’s been a move towards digital in recent years. While digital can be less expensive, it can also have low click rates and become disposable as saturation increases. There is certainly a place for digital in your organization’s efforts, but, we believe that print must play a role, now more than ever.

Here’s why . . .

• PRINT IS HARDER TO IGNORE When it comes to email or digital, we’ve trained ourselves not to look at it anymore. We don’t even have to make a decision.

With print, you have to at least pick it up, recognize it’s there, and make a decision about what to do with it.

• PRINT BUYS YOU A MOMENT IN TIME

For all the above reasons, as a studio, we are long and trident advocates of print and its material nature. But we also believe the pandemic has changed the role/power of print. Prior to the pandemic, print had already gained traction with audiences, with its ability to cut through the digital clutter, by appealing to our human senses. Now, we believe print has reached a tipping point because people are craving interaction, people want their humanity back. Print can satisfy this need — offering an experience for the senses that digital can’t provide. It is simple to ignore or turn off a digital experience. Print’s physicality is unavoidable.

Print “takes up” physical space and must be “confronted” no matter what you decide to do with it. In addition, the over saturation of digital messaging is giving way for complementary strategic approaches for the use of print that the digital medium may not be able to satisfy.

If what you’re sending is irrelevant, then that moment in time is wasted. But if you’re sending something relevant, valuable or shareable, then you’ve made a valuable connection. 42.2% of direct

KEVIN KERNAN is Partner and Managing Director of GDLOFT. He is shown here with

mail recipients either read or scan the mail they get. Only 22.8%

Founder and Creative Director Allan Espiritu. Kevin has an extensive background in print

say they don’t read it at all. (Data & Marketing Association)

production, social media, and web design, having worked with Current Medicine/

• PRINT SHOWS EFFORT, STABILITY, RESPECT In a world of fleeting digital, print has a bit of luxury to it. It’s afternoon tea instead of a Wawa takeaway cup. At GDLOFT, we

24 G D U S A

Current Science, Philadelphia City Paper, and Drexel University. He received his BA in graphic design from Rutgers University-Camden and holds a master’s degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University, where he specialized in working with nonprofit organizations and universities. Kernan’s work has been published and acknowledged

by AIGA, GDUSA, UCDA, Telly Awards, Creative Quarterly, Print Magazine, and TED.

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STAYING CREATIVE WHILE STAYING IN PLACE JOE VIOLANTE a creative idea. Rockwell turned that moment into one of his most iconic works. But as a wry commentary on 21st-century America, you could easily paint a different picture — one in which the artist dodges that challenge by staring into a glowing smartphone as the blank canvas, willfully ignored, looms in the background.

One consequence of shelter-in-place is that artists and designers now have more time and space to themselves. That could mean going for a quiet neighborhood walk or contemplatively sipping a craft beer. On the other hand, habit could drive you to fill the space with social media. The will to distraction is a form of resistance to “blank canvas” moments. When you put down your phone or tv remote and embrace what’s happening within yourself, you reconnect with your creative wellspring. It’s the first step to bringing fresh ideas to your personal and professional work.

Contrast is a key concept for any artist or designer.

But now contrast — the massive gulf between what life is like today versus the way it was just weeks ago — looms for all of us.

As head of our creative studio in New York, I’m accustomed to spending my days in our “brand rooms” riding the energy of in-person collaboration. After 25 years, I have come to cherish such collaboration every bit as much as the sight of one of my own ideas brought to life on a package or in a logo.

What to do now that I’m home an hour north of our Manhattan office amid the isolation of social-distancing and the difficult news coming out of New York and just about everywhere else in the world?

The first thing is to be grateful: The Hudson Valley is beautiful and we’re thankful for every day spent in safety and health. We also know to look for the unexpected opportunities that can emerge in times like this.

For creatives in marketing and branding, the solitude may present such opportunities. When Zoom is your only way to commune with your colleagues, what choice do you have but to look within? Here are three tips for reconnecting with the joy of your creativity during this time.

No. 1: Recognize Resistance – And Fight Back Blank Canvas (Deadline), the 1938 Saturday Evening Post cover

by Norman Rockwell, captures that moment prior to putting paint to canvas, pen to paper or stylus to iPad. It’s a self-portrait of the artist scratching his head, staring at the blank canvas and confronting what you could think of as “the void” — the absence of

26 G D U S A

No. 2: Connect With The Classics Before the pandemic, I routinely encouraged young creatives in our studio to get out there and study the world. Unfortunately, gathering for social and aesthetic adventures is not an option right now. However, creatives can find inspiration by plunging into experiences of a different sort. In my case, that means dusting off an Andy Warhol art tome or playing Bob Dylan’s 1975 classic “Blood on the Tracks.”

It’s a good time to revisit classical works of art and design – everything from the Bauhaus to Pablo Picasso to Calder. Or you could turn to feature films and documentaries that speak directly to what you love about the creative process. For me, that could be something like “Far Out Isn’t Far Enough” (2012), about author and illustrator Tomi Ungerer, or “To Inform and Delight” (2009), about Milton Glaser. You’re bound to stimulate your own creative impulses. If you’re a talented illustrator, that could make you more likely to create something truly original for your client.

No. 3: Pay Attention To The Changes Lastly, pay attention to how the pandemic is affecting you emotionally, because this will inevitably show up in your work.

I’ve been thinking much more about humanity writ large — the beauty and challenge of our lives. Sustainability, too, figures more prominently as I contemplate the future of our troubled planet.

Others I have spoken with describe being more cognizant of history and of the struggles our ancestors overcame.

The culture in which many of us grew up was filled with Volkswagen Bugs, G.I. Joe action figures and powdered Tang. But unbridled optimism about industrialized production may be giving way to something more realistic. My sense is that when all of this is over consumers will be looking for brands that are altruistic, beneficial and truthful.Artists and designers should be thinking about how to tell the stories of those companies and brands that aim to help. Fortunately, we know where to find the inspiration for that effort: It’s there waiting for us in the blank canvas.

JOE VIOLANTE is Executive Creative Director at CBX, has more than 25 years of design knowledge and experience in branding, packaging and corporate identity.

You can read his complete article at www.gdusa.com

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THE VALUE OF RIFFING THOMAS HULL great. If you want to do your best work, develop the best products, have joy in your work you have to surround yourself with folks who are exceptionally good at what they do.

For years, I’ve been asked over and over “how did you ever convince the client to do that!” Honestly, I didn’t ever have to convince them of anything. I’ve been able by choice and a little bit of luck to work with some of the industry’s best writers, photographers, printers and yes, even clients. When you assemble the very best team, the odds of creating truly exceptional work increase. Design management becomes infinitely clearer — even easier — because you have common expectations and goals.

PLANS CAN BE A TRAP Plans are necessary and well thought out processes are essential.

They give you the freedom to experiment and explore. But plans are PHOTO: NICK THOMSEN

not a formula for divining a solution. Innovation, mind-blowing leaps, and unexpected connections are rarely born out of detailed plans and predictable processes. Harvard Business School professor Robert Austin posited, “Working without a script or with a very loose script forces you to listen to each other intensely to ensure that when you riff off each other, your own contribution is contextually relevant to what everybody else is doing in the moment.”

Over the past two decades, I’ve been fascinated by the way creative people in varying disciplines

IN THE END, IT’S ABOUT THE WORK

manage teams and create. From film to architecture

More specifically The Work, not necessarily work-ing. We all like to

to music — even cycling — I’ve long been fascinated

get along, we love to get paid, we like to be liked and those things

by the way teams worked in tandem, feeding off

matter to varying degrees, but I’ve found when I’m focused on making everyone happy — I rarely am. However, when I’m focused

each other, watching each other intently, shifting

on making The Work, my work exceptional, my communication

the energy and focus from one place to another as

objective, clear, and focused on that singular outcome — usually,

they meander, riff, and build in the moment.

everyone is happy. They do get along. We all get paid. And, many times, as a bonus, I like them and they like me.

I’ve thought over and over about the way a jazz ensemble relates to managing my work in the studio and in the classroom. I’m

In a season of unpredictability, there may be many who strive to

certainly not alone in thinking about management and creativity

cling to the familiar or well-worn patterns for managing and cre-

this way. John Kao and his colleagues at Harvard have as well,

ating communications or products. The individuals and teams

but here are three of my takeaways — the lessons learned —

that thrive in this climate will be those that are able to pivot, jam,

from those moments that have been as memorable for me as

even riff their way through the coming months and years ahead.

perhaps they are for a group of jazz players gathered on stage or in a recording studio.

THOMAS HULL is a Partner at Rigsby Hull and professor of Graphic Design at Savannah College of Art and Design. Thomas presents, lectures and teaches at

IN ORDER TO BE YOUR BEST, WORK WITH THE BEST When recording his classic album Kind of Blue, Miles Davis

conferences and institutions throughout the country. As a partner at Rigsby Hull, his work has won consistent international acclaim and is part of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s permanent collection, the Denver Art Museum, the Rare

assembled the best players in the world then led them to create

Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University, The Letterform Archive, and

this iconic music by not telling them what to do. Miles Davis knew

exhibited in the Museu Picasso in Spain. Communication Arts has cited partners

this to be true, So did George Lucas, Thomas Watson, and Steve Jobs — anyone that has wanted to make something diabolically

28 G D U S A

Lana Rigsby and Thomas Hull’s work as among the most influential in American design for the past three decades. Thomas has served as a board member of AIGA, Houston and as Executive VP of The Printing Museum.

June 2020 FRESH Impo_feb news play 6/11/20 12:41 PM Page 29

AIGA ISSUES STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD STATEMENT, PLEDGE, AND CALL-TO-ACTION ON THE CONTINUED KILLINGS OF BLACK AMERICANS

AIGA, the professional association for design, stands in solidarity with Black designers, creative business owners, educators, students — as well as their families, cultures, and communities — in the condemnation of racism, intersectional discrimination, fear, and acts of violence, including murder.

Specifically, AIGA commits to supporting the needs of Black people and communities across the Nation, listening, collaborating, and amplifying their perspectives. And our members are positioned to be a part of the solution. Designers are especially equipped to hone in on issues, and work to address them through research and adaptive changes or complete redesigns. It’s through the careful identification of stakeholders, those with and without power. It’s through the identification of those negatively affected by the systems created and in place, and the careful listening to their experiences. It’s through breaking down the seemingly intractable problems into manageable pieces to be solved. And it’s also through both

It’s with great sadness and anger that we reflect and take a stand against the violent deaths of George Floyd and Black

intensive collaboration and iterating that designers are able to help create solutions to large, complex, intersectional problems.

adults and children across the United States. It’s a pattern of loss that spans generations and directly impacts the safety, health, and liberty of Black Americans. Members of our community are weighed down by the knowledge that they or their loved ones may be killed in their homes, community parks,

We also commit to helping protect Black people from brutality whenever we have the opportunity. For example, we’re here to help connect interested designers with partners, experts, and communities to redesign policing within specific communities.

driving in their cars, or walking in their neighborhoods.

Whether they live in Saint Louis, Minneapolis, New York City, Louisville, or countless communities across our Nation and around the world.

In the true spirit of design, below are initial problem statements AIGA encourages you, our extended community of designers, design students and teachers, creative businesses, researchers, and design-driven corporations, organizations,

As designers, we understand the power of a well-designed and human-centered system to drive health, security, and

and institutions to explore with us moving forward. As communities and individuals, we call on you to explore:

justice in our communities — and to protect and ensure the rights of all people. We are attuned to identifying unethical systems. Systems that exclude certain individuals or groups, lead to dead ends, anger, and in the most monstrous cases, the consistent loss of life from historically abused and disenfranchised communities.

How might we collaborate, support, and better amplify the perspectives and needs of Black people and communities across our Nation? How might we help protect Black people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and communities when they’re out in community? And importantly, how might we help redesign policing in the United States to protect and serve all, includ-

This is a problem that’s crossed generations and centuries,

ing Black individuals and communities?

and enough is enough. These wrongs can no longer be permitted to stand.

To the many organizations and individuals, in and outside of our communities, who have worked and continue to work

No problem can be solved that is not first identified and soberly acknowledged. AIGA acknowledges the issues and pledges to do its part to confront this egregious reality by both

tirelessly on matters of racial justice, racial equity within design, and amplifying Black voices: Thank you. You have helped lead the way to this point, educating and steering change.

empowering and supporting our members and community to do the same. Even though the full effects of our investments aren’t likely to be fully realized by our generations, it’s time for designers and the organizations that support them to do our part to shift the tide of change toward solutions,

If you or your organization or institution are already doing this work, and are interested in exploring how AIGA can support your cause, please email us at community@aiga.org to begin a conversation.

peace, and justice.

G D U S A 29

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2020 LOGOLOUNGE TREND REPORT INNOVATION DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGY AND TOOLS

BY BILL GARDNER, FOUNDER + PRESIDENT, LOGOLOUNGE.COM As with every logo trend report I write, I look to the past before looking ahead. You can’t tell where something is going if you don’t know where it’s been. There’s always a reason something goes viral or takes off — something set it in motion, good or bad. So let’s start by addressing the white elephant on the planet: COVID-19.

Crises often accelerate trends in society and design. It’s very reactive and rushed — i.e. if there were a ten-step program that we typically follow to get from point A to point B, we skipped steps six through nine to get there during a crisis. Next year, we’re probably going to see a lot of logos that came as a result — some will be brilliant, while many more probably won’t. No matter what, I believe the design industry is going to come out of this better than we were. Some firms will not recover. It’s going to be survival of the fittest, but having said that, we’ll see an emergence of little start-ups and uncover some talent we’ve never seen before. People will regroup, find their niche and come out of this with a new resilience.

We’re going to see a new way of working and doing business.

While working remotely, we’ve also come together and grown closer with a new kind of face-to-face — something we probably weren’t doing anyway. Just because people work in close proximity, doesn’t mean they’re connecting or talking. Zoom and Facetime have become the new norm in business as companies work with offsite pods of people with different skillsets. We’re talking to each other more now than before.

Another offshoot of this, is that we’re seeing the big telecom and technology companies step up and lead, offering expanded services to help students with e-learning, keep remote workers working and provide more entertainment options than ever before. Sometimes the price of doing business means being a good citizen. This is a shared generational experience that we’ll never forget and hopefully, we’ll all learn from. Next year’s batch of logos will surely reflect this!

As for this year’s trends, we’re seeing some intriguing clusters of design innovation driven by technology and tools. For instance, there are a lot of logos this year that employ variable fonts and effects filters, maybe for no other reason than we have the capabilities to do it. As designers, when new tools are introduced, we start with the obvious effects and objectify the coolness (which gets tired after a while). Fortunately, there were many great examples by designers who took these tools to the next level, exploiting their capabilities and creating new logo experiences that we’ve never seen before.

30 G D U S A

We’re also seeing two opposite trends that hearken back to the best of the 1970s. Wordmarks with big fat fonts came out roaring this year (think bell bottoms and afros), perhaps as a counter to the minimalist sans serif aesthetic we’ve gotten used to the last five or six years. At the same time, there are a lot of ultraminimalist vector images with clean positive/negative fields that may have resulted from a desire to return to clarity and simplicity, ala Saul Bass and Paul Rand — the pendulum swings both ways.

There’s also a tendency toward minimalist effects using transparencies, where one surface hovers closely to another. It’s getting tiresome and I see a movement away from this. On the other hand, we have what I like to call “Potter Pics,” which reference the little animated movements in some logos, like the wink of an eye. They’re subtle and clever.

Hand-drawn naïve symbols that are more crude are emerging.

They’re kind of a New Age throwback. In a similar vein, there are logos with flowers and leaves referencing organics and natural products. Expect to see more of this as the cannabis market expands in the next few years.

Bolts and Twinkles have reached a place of critical mass this year and they are far-reaching. The mystical and lighthearted applications have a level of charm that can be seen in conservative business to business brands as well as little boutiques — ie They are equally at home in the boardroom as they are on the boardwalk, and that’s not something you can say about a lot of things!

Gradient solutions are rampant, but it’s taken on a new level and being applied in novel ways. The simple ways of washing green to blue or red to orange are tired, so now there are more fashionable applications. For instance, there are waves of purple to pink, then zooming into a blackhole or interacting with colors that aren’t necessarily adjacent to each other on the color wheel. It’s quick and busy and interactive.

And, of course, in the opposite corner there is a trend toward intricate linework that is so fine it’s taking on a halftone effect by default when it’s scaled down.

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Things that have gone rampant include kettle weights, anvils, Legos and animals like foxes and tigers — but not Tiger Kings. Wait ‘til next year! There are also a lot of logos with a third eye thrown in. The third eye is supposed to indicate self-actualization, but I don’t think that was taken into consideration so much on a lot of these. It just felt like a weird element that was added as an after-thought.

COUNTERS

I never grow tired of reviewing the thousands of logos we receive every year. It’s always a fascinating study of creativity and innovation. These trends come and go and then come back again. I’m grateful to the logo design community for bringing their best to LogoLounge each year. This report is an observation on the logo industry and isn’t meant as a guide for best practices. Trends are trajectories that will evolve and modify over time, not a passing fad. Use the ideas here to push your design skills to the next level and keep the trajectory moving to the next iteration.

They themselves have seen the obvious and if you were equally as

There are more than enough idioms in our language that lambast the individual that can’t spot the obvious: They can’t see the forest for the trees; Couldn’t see it if it hit you; Hidden in plain sight; or a personal favorite, Can’t see a hole in a ladder. Though questioning a designer’s perspective can be treacherous, their personal use of these phrases is less an insult to the viewer than an attempt to brag. smart you’d see it too. These logos are less about the colorfully arranged elements floating on the background but more about the negative counter space created between them.

There’s no better way to endear the public to a mark than to build margin in the design for them to participate. Recognizing the consumer’s intelligence and leaving room for discovery and the aha moment in these logos allow them to live on multiple levels. A tread forms an S, as well as a pair of arrows intersecting where diverse content joins together. A series of parallelograms represent structures with a sunset gradient on the horizon crafting a mnemonic reminder

ABOUT THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT

of the letter H. These marks tend to work best when simple and

2020 marks the 18th year of this one-of-a-kind report. Each year, it offers the opportunity to literally review thousands upon thousands of logos one at a time, looking for nuances and artifacts of emerging trends. As we acknowledge that each design represents hours and hours of thought and struggle from designers around the world, we are as humbled and awed as ever by their dedication to the craft and grateful for the important role they play in helping us create these reports. So thank you to all of the designers who have and will contribute to the Trend Reports then, now, and for years to come.

relatively geometric in construction. . . . But who can’t see that?

DESIGN FIRM: ZEN CLIENT: K ARROW

DESIGN FIRM: RENTSCH DESIGN CLIENT: SPEED

For an even deeper look at this year’s trends, visit our course on LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com).

ABOUT LOGOLOUNGE LogoLounge.com is the most comprehensive and searchable database of logos available today. Close to 350,000 logos have been submitted to the site since 2002, growing it to the largest online treasury of professionally designed logos.

Through their submissions, members also gain the benefit of consideration for publication in the LogoLounge book series, the result of the most prestigious logo design competition in the world.

Through the line of LogoLounge books (currently published in volumes 1 through 11, with the 12th soon to come) designers can gain even more insights from a collection of the smartest logo designs submitted to LogoLounge from all over the world, which are hand-selected by a preeminent panel of some of the most respected names in the industry.

DESIGN FIRM: ANGELO VITO CLIENT: 44 ELEMENT

DESIGN FIRM: W20 CLIENT: HORIZON THERAPEUTICS

ABOUT BILL GARDNER Bill Gardner is the president of Gardner Design and founder of LogoLounge.com, a repository site where, in real time, members can post their logo design work and search the works of others by keyword, designer’s name, client type, and more. The site also offers news curated expressly for logo designers as well as

For more information on membership and identity design news, visit LogoLounge.com.

unlimited entries for consideration in the bestselling LogoLounge book series.

Bill can be contacted at bill@logolounge.com

G D U S A 31

June 2020 Logolounge Impo_feb news play 6/11/20 12:01 PM Page 32

LOGOLOUNGE | THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT

MAZES Mazes and their inception have always puzzled me. In classical times, I can imagine them being laid out and pruned within an inch of their life to amuse the owner of some well-healed estate. On the other hand, I can see that they could have been a way for the elite to dispose of boorish guests that had tested their limits.

Whether you look at a maze as a delight, a mystery, or a punishment it is a challenge that visually represents many of the objectives a client may wish to associate with their brand. As a rule these marks are a continuation of the monoline aesthetic with an even distribution of positive and negative weight.

Some of these marks identify a path that enters at point A and exits at point B, while others guide you directly into a blind dead end or a goal or starting point, depending on the perspective. Either way there is a specific pathway that leads you to a timely completion of your task. Having a guide for the journey that might otherwise be interminable is the underlying promise these marks address. As addictive as click bait, they invite a consumer to visually trace their route, demonstrating it’s much easier to find your way to freedom with a birds eye-perspective of the challenge.

OMNIUM STUDIO, PHOX

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

DESIGN FIRM: ABO AGENCY

DESIGN FIRM:

CLIENT: TRAINLINE

CLIENT: SONIA COLOMBO

CHRISTOPHER REED CLIENT: VOLANTUM

SISTERS Humans have a desire to achieve a level of balance and harmony. We like to create order. As a rule, order can give us a sense of wellbeing.

This is all part of a much bigger psychological conversation associated with the Gestalt theory, but for the purpose of this trend it’s driven by our comfort with symmetry. This group of logos are most often crafted from two identical elements either mirrored or rotationally nestled together after a 180-degree rotation.

It’s not uncommon for the end product to assume the shape of a letterform or be constructed by reflective letters. The symmetry of these logos creates a sense of assurance in much the same way you find harmony in a yin yang symbol. It conveys the idea of a strong partnership that is well suited and beneficial to both sides. Rotational pairings can easily represent a sense of motion or action that may demonstrate a positive aspect of the client’s nature. Like the siblings this trend is named for, the two distinct elements may be in perfect harmony or reference co-joined elements rife with tension. Regardless they will work it out. After all, they are family.

DESIGN FIRM:

DESIGN FIRM: MELVAER@CO.

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

STEWARD DESIGN

CLIENT: NORIED

CLIENT: OSHKOSH

CLIENT: UNIVAR SOLUTIONS

CLIENT: IN & OUT TIRE

32 G D U S A

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LOGOLOUNGE | THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT

CHEXMELT Sometimes an aesthetic meets it demise and no one remembered to tell it. A bit like my feelings for designs that trod out the old circuit board solder pathways careening around like a pair of Tron cycles abruptly flaring out to terminate in a silver dot cul-de-sac. That technology probably took us to the moon and back, but for designers it provided an immediate visual language we relied on and abused right up ‘til the night we met pixels. Now in some karmic incarnation, the two trends bore an offspring with a perfect 50/50 genetic split.

Samsung committed to this trend with their Exynos mobile processor using a mark laid out like a pixel chessboard that softly melts together with a soldered bridge at every corner. Walk away from these marks without a sense of tech and you probably forgot to look. The checkered framework of these logos demonstrate an affinity for building linkage and pathways between entities. They express the idea of multiple elements coming together to create a greater good, but corner-connecting just enough to maintain modest autonomy all the while keeping their social distance in check.

DESIGN FIRM: ALEX TASS

DESIGN FIRM: ARTSIGMA

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

DESIGN FIRM: MASEJKEE

CLIENT: COINBASE

CLIENT: D UP

CLIENT: SAMSUNG

CLIENT: 3SF

BEVEL TIPS Each trend report manages to identify a shape or two that rapidly populate every designer’s kit of parts like words that enter the news cycle based on a sheet of talking points. Every pundit uses the phrase like it spontaneously leapt to their lips, and every designer uses the shape of the hour with the same impromptu reflex. The best I can do to identify the cause of this eruption is to look at the previous year’s trends and designers’ affinity for the use of canted parallelograms. Those previous shapes strongly resemble this year’s crop, but these shapes have approachable, organic curves.

For each rounded bend there is a counter corner that draws to a point like the tip of a leaf. No surprise that this shape has found its home in a number of marks that are eco-centric and hope to reflect the language of nature’s building blocks. Foliage, feathers, grain, cresting waves or any number of other receptive contoured forms. This shape stacks, reconfigures and pairs well with other soft shapes or blends with harsher geometrics to soften their effect. It serves as a refreshing addition on a number of stiff sans serif fonts, to add a wisp of nature and whimsy.

DESIGN FIRM: SMITH & DICTION CLIENT: KINDNESS.ORG

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DESIGN FIRM:

CLIENT: WELLROOT

CLIENT: LOVELAND PRODUCTS

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June 2020 Logolounge Impo_feb news play 6/11/20 12:02 PM Page 36

LOGOLOUNGE | THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT

PETRI DISH We’ve always thought of a petri dish as a fully contained eco-system that investigates bacteria and other phenomenon. Those clear dishes serve as our little round window into discovery of the unknown, while sealed to protect us from their content. Exactly like these logos. These micro views of a macro world are tightly cropped shots, often framed in a simple circle or square. That cropping purposefully focuses the consumer on just enough detail to extrapolate the rest of the story.

Swimming in these pools are right angles, arcs, points and curves — just enough to telegraph the actual contents as circles, squares, stars or whatever the visual totem happens to be. This places faith in the public’s participation and their deductive skills at ferreting out the intended message. Dana-Farber captures the arc of a D and the right angle of an F coming together to form a human with a focused venn diagram at the intersection. Investissement Quebec crops in on its proprietary Q just enough to show a profit chart with a sweeping upward trend. You have to appreciate an entity that avoids pure literal solutions in favor of placing faith in our ability to attain our own aha moment.

DESIGN FIRM: DESIGNSTUDIO

DESIGN FIRM: HA ROTH CONSULTING

CLIENT: THE COLLECTIVE

CLIENT: DANA-FARBER

DESIGN FIRM: ANGELO VITO

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

CLIENT: REWAY

CLIENT: INVESTISSEMENT QUEBEC

CANCER INSTITUTE

VARIABLE TYPE When evaluating the lift-off thrust of any trend, success is often measured between the born-on date and the rise to critical mass. If momentum doesn’t build, you’re doomed. On the other hand, popular trends tend to burn out overnight. We find variable type on a strong pace to have an influence on logo trends for some years once we figure out how to drive them. Just this last year, more designers embraced the basic bag of tricks generally reserved for demonstrating variable type capabilities. Diminishing or contorting type in a sequence of thick to thins or squat to tall, and even animating it as such, are eye candy but probably not the use the original developers of variable type had in mind. In fairness, these fonts weren’t created just for logo designers, but we tend to gladly appropriate shiny things.

Unfortunately, the only time variable type can be identified as such is when it’s shown in contrast or motion. Amsteldok, the WPP offices in Amsterdam, have really done an astonishing job of embracing regional and historic influence for their proprietary font, and have used the variable capabilities to create a highly flexible system. That system manages to hold together admirably, but also is designed to morph and gyrate. It works without appearing to be a slavish demonstration model.

DESIGN FIRM: VBAT

DESIGN FIRM: ORDER

DESIGN FIRM: ESIETE

DESIGN FIRM: UENO

CLIENT: AMSTELDOK

CLIENT: BASIC INCOME MATCH

CLIENT: BARCELONA

CLIENT: ESSENCE

DESIGN WEEK 2019

36 G D U S A

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June 2020 Logolounge Impo_feb news play 6/11/20 12:03 PM Page 38

LOGOLOUNGE | THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT

BLACKLETTER Hard to throw too much shade at a font that was Europe’s only choice from the 12th to the 17th century. Blackletter fonts never completely vanished and became the preferred text for Germany, which probably explains its recent resurgence with the vast array of microbrew pubs dotting corners across the globe. It’s never truly been out of mind, serving as the font of choice for nameplates on hundreds of newspapers worldwide. It even worked pretty well on your diploma and for Disneyland, but how did it make the jump to AC/DC and Snoop Dog? Now that’s some kind of flexibility!

Though it’s no friend of legibility, it will never be accused of lacking personality. That may be the reason it’s on every designer’s casting call as we investigate counter measures to the blandification of wordmarks crafted from soulless sans serif sameness. The slab and angled strokes have a sharp graphic appeal that allow for abundant customization and retooling. Plenty of Blackletter inspired fonts are popping up with a myriad of weights, in-lines, swashes, ornaments and other iterations. It’s a perfect mouthpiece for demonstrating a client’s heritage, and craftsmanship and expresses both with inspired drama.

DESIGN FIRM: YANDEX INHOUSE

DESIGN FIRM: JOHNNY XEROX

DESIGN FIRM: PENDA DESIGN

DESIGN FIRM: CODO

CLIENT: MUJICA GOTHIC

CLIENT: BUZZSAW BREWING CO.

CLIENT: PROST BREWING CO.

CLIENT: SLOY

iDROPS I like to imagine the conversations that take place in designer presentations I’m not privy to. After you’ve worked with enough clients you start to recognize some of the signs of client fatigue that lead a designer to give in on this thing or that. I picture the designer whose work has been stripped down to a company name in a lowercase bold sans serif. Dejected and brow beaten after numerous attempts to interject some color or life, the client finally concedes a spot of color on the dot. Of course, this is pure conjecture, not having seen the actual design briefs for said projects.

After seeing too many solutions like Dimple or Medallia using the color dotted i only, I have tried to show a broader range of applications under this umbrella that demonstrate some of the stronger conceptual thinking. Admittedly the lower case i is often cast as the person in the letterform with the dot serving as the head. Often a few extra colored dots on letters that don’t really call for one, help describe the family or a team. Uplight flopped their i and lit their bottom, while Mitto is just burning its i at both ends. Clever.

DESIGN FIRM: UNIVERSAL FAVORITE CLIENT: DIMPLE

38 G D U S A

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

CLIENT: SKILL SHARE

CLIENT: UPLIGHT

DESIGN FIRM: STUDIO SUNDAR LTD. CLIENT: FABULAR

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June 2020 Logolounge Impo_feb news play 6/11/20 12:03 PM Page 40

LOGOLOUNGE | THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT HANDOUT Take a look at this beautiful array of hands that are abundant this year. Dramatically different in illustration style, and beyond the hands themselves, there’s one distinct commonality: They all have something either hovering above them or we captured these elements in free fall. This may be symbolic of the magical essence of the relationship between the product and the user. Grant it, the bird has reason to hover but there is some kinda special levitation going on when a bottle not only rises out of the hand but GLOWS! When a hand appears as part of a logo, it’s often to represent a human experience that’s part of the brand assurance. I think these demonstrate a receptive attitude with palms up, open and at ease. These hands impart a new-age culture and are likely to be accepted in an artisan boutique or definitely in a business to consumer category. Handcrafted products seem to fit this genre, but more likely these are associated with an experience with an extraordinary promise. These marks tell enchanting stories and ask the consumer to both suspend belief and to believe at the very same time.

DESIGN FIRM: ZAC JACOBSON

DESIGN FIRM: BERETGRAPHICS

DESIGN FIRM: EUGENE MT

DESIGN FIRM: CHARLIE COOMBS

CLIENT: BAR GRAMERCY

CLIENT: FIVESTAR

CLIENT: PEACE BADGE

CLIENT: ALYSSA BULPETT

BRANDING AGENCY

BOLTS A symbol is only a representation of a thing or concept. We know a human heart looks nothing like the symbol we use to represent it. Nor does a star, or fire or a cloud. The ancient Greeks used a symbol for lightning that looks nothing like our modern-day interpretation. And our interpretation, looks nothing like the real thing. Even so, it was in abundant supply in this year’s crop of logos.

For millenniums, lightning was almost exclusively looked at as a weapon or punishment from the gods. They were in charge of it and could release it at will. We’d not really fathomed the idea of electricity so it’s not surprising that the idea of a bolt representing energy, illumination or a flash of brilliance is only a recent association. The Top Hat design used lightning as a small detail that’s a universal representation of action. I like to think that these phenomenon represent an inexplicably awesome event. Stick around and it may happen again.

DESIGN FIRM: CALIBER CREATIVE, LLC CLIENT: REBEL TOAD

40 G D U S A

DESIGN FIRM: TM CREATIVE CLIENT: SPARK

DESIGN FIRM: EUGENE MT

DESIGN FIRM:

CLIENT: GRIDBID

SMALL HAT STUDIO, LLC CLIENT: TOP HAT MOTORS

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June 2020 Logolounge Impo_feb news play 6/11/20 12:04 PM Page 42

LOGOLOUNGE | THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT

TWINKLE Those that follow this report annually may recall a few years back we identified the expanded use of four-pointed stars to which we assigned the name Sparkle. At the time, this group was fledgling, but typically appeared as a non-aligned star avoiding jingoistic or religious connotations with more points. Four points was enough to get the idea across with minimal detail making it ideal for logo design. Much like many of the logos from those “Sparkle” stars were primarily used in a space-filler mode to add some magical charm to an illustrative mark with a capricious attitude.

We evolve and so do the trends. That planting of seeds a few years back not only sprouted a healthy set of legs this year, it’s grown into an Olympic sprinter. Leman Jewelry laid claim for the center stroke on their letter E, where every stone has that glint. This trend has pressed forward to the obvious, which is creating a star as the negative space at the convergence of four curves. For a client, this builds a good story of coming together to create a brilliant solution or a star from many. Remove any one of the pieces and the achievement vanishes.

DESIGN FIRM:

DESIGN FIRM: PENDA DESIGN

DESIGN FIRM: M – N ASSOCIATES

DESIGN FIRM: MILAD DESIGN

KONSTANTIN RESHETNIKOV

CLIENT: ABSTRACT STARS

CLIENT: LEMAN JEWELRY

CLIENT: K MONOGRAM

CLIENT: GREEN FARM

CORNERED As designers, I cheer on any of our ilk that creates a product so engaging that the public becomes inextricably involved in it. I mean isn’t that one of our ultimate goals—to captivate the public and create a symbol that can’t be ignored? Optical illusions often do that as do single perspective murals that shift appearance with our vantage point. We’re readily mesmerized by the sidewalk artist that create such illusions as making it appear there’s a waterfall or a gaping canyon in the middle of a plaza that’s no more that a deceptively realistic rendering.

I believe designers understand that there are many triggers for consumer engagement and deceptive dimension is one of them. Anytime we can extend that mental participation in what we design for our clients, we are creating neural links with their brand. We refer to these as “Cornered” because each has manufactured the illusion of space by wrapping their design around an artificial reality. These all reside on a flat plain of white that gives no hint of dimension, but that can serve as the perfect canvas for these to dimensionally exist in undefined space.

DESIGN FIRM: ADORAMA

DESIGN FIRM: PRAGMATIKA

CLIENT: PRINTIQUE

CLIENT: HOLE

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DESIGN FIRM: ARI KARNOVSKI DESIGN ATELIER CLIENT: KKC

DESIGN FIRM: RICK BYRNE CLIENT: UNITY 3D

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Apple Inc. has multiple openings for the following in Cupertino, California: Graphic Designer (REQ#4027396) Dvlp & dsgn the aesthtcs, vsual dsgn & layout of prdct artwrk, cmpnent dsgn, mrktng mtrials & packgng to enhnce prdct imge.

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June 2020 Logolounge Impo_feb news play 6/11/20 12:04 PM Page 44

LOGOLOUNGE | THE 2020 LOGO TREND REPORT LETTER ILLUSIONS There are those things in life that can make us feel uncomfortable or on edge, but that captivate us nonetheless. It’s the old theory of a train wreck and not being able to look away. We may fain an objecting posture, but inside we want to take it in, secretly wishing we could stare at the scene like we’d paid full price at the freak show to watch the contortionist writhe. Feeding the public’s mind with the unexpected or seemingly impossible is not just a way of creating disruption; it’s also the way of communicating a promise, achieving the impossible or scouting a pathway to the unobtainable.

Virile strains of these marks have cropped up this cycle, with many using letterforms as a mnemonic reminder of the entities name. As if lifted from the pages of a book on optical illusions, these marks range from linear outlines like you’d find with DIY instructions, to the fully illustrated with gradients, shadows and spectral light pings. The use of graphic illusion is nothing new, but the abundance this year hints at a rediscovery of miraculous problem-solving skills and a unique perspective — or possibly the ability to teach your customers how to achieve the same.

And when you can’t quite explain a client’s complicated process, laying claim to a little bit of magic is a great fall-back explanation.

DESIGN FIRM:

DESIGN FIRM: COLEY PORTER BELL

MIHAL DOLGANIUC DESIGN

CLIENT: NEPHILA CAPITAL

DESIGN FIRM: BAY TEK ENTERTAINMENT

DESIGN FIRM: PRAGMATIKA CLIENT: FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR

CLIENT: THE VILLAGE COMPANIES

CLIENT: V A LOGO

CHISELED SHADOW Demonstrating dimensionality of form is a foundational way of shifting a flat image from 2nd, to at least 3rd gear. Finding that hybrid between committing to gradient tone and graphic surfaces that imbue reality and a simple vector outline really only offers up a handful of tricks. Shadow has long been a staple of the designer to convey space in a flat graphic. They are less about the absence of light than they are about defining a light source. Harsh shadows on these marks can help to communicate a client’s desire to be under the focus of a spotlight and open for complete inspection with nothing to hide.

What differentiate this group from other shadow marks are the 45-degree angular cuts that would ordinarily be cast if the surface it appears on is a separate plain angling away. This is modestly troublesome in trying to actually model the realism of the light conditions. I’m convinced these designs are less about crafting reality than they are about creating a dramatic fictional dimension, embellished by stark shadows with flexible rules. The mass appearance of this effect is mostly played out on sans serif letterforms and tends to hearken to the angled effect of a serif, excised from the letters in a chiseled dimensional form.

DESIGN FIRM: COLONY

DESIGN FIRM: RENTSCH DESIGN

DESIGN FIRM: UNKNOWN

DESIGN FIRM: DANIEL ROTTER

CLIENT: DAILY HIVE

CLIENT: BENT HANSEN

CLIENT: TUDN

CLIENT: TWOREACH

44 G D U S A

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WWW.GDUSA.COM EVENTS PRODUCTS

June 2020 Print Survey Impo_SEPT 07 People 6/11/20 12:45 PM Page 46

| GDUSA POLL |

RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY

BY GORDON KAYE

SPONSORED BY VERSO CORPORATION Keep calm and carry on. Turn wounds into wisdom. Necessity is the mother of invention. Old ways will not open new doors. Pick your metaphor or idiom: designers are reflecting a surprisingly positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity. That is the fundamental and sometimes uplifting finding of our May 2020 poll of creative professionals as they cope with, adapt to, and gingerly emerge from the pandemic pause.

We asked our readers about how they are grappling with the present challenges, early lessons learned, bright spots in a dark time, and how hopeful they feel about the future of the creative business. And since, under normal circumstances, this edition of GDUSA would focus on our 57th annual print and paper survey, we also explored how the role of print may be impacted. There are no numbers to report, just smart and heartfelt comments. There are many more comments, and you can read them all on gdusa.com.

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June 2020 Print Survey Impo_SEPT 07 People 6/11/20 12:46 PM Page 47

HERE ARE THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS:

TAKEAWAY #1

ADAPTING NIMBLY TO THE CHALLENGE The vast majority of designers have continued to execute client projects even during the height of the crisis, mostly by setting up home offices. Those who have made the transition to remote working say they are adapting quickly and even nimbly to the challenges, and are focused on enhancing the experience with more infrastructure, closer collaboration and, most of all, more robust communications. That is not to say that everyone is unscathed. Some have been sidelined or seen projects delayed or defunded, and have had to be extremely resourceful to keep work flowing or motivated to use the downtime productively.

SELECTED COMMENTS: We’re continuing to work. Adapting to a new way of working is truly what it means to be creative. Communication is more important than ever, and design is a reflection of that. We had a jump start on being prepared for this challenge because we are always seeking ways to improve processes and communication.

My work continues but everything is done remotely. Our firm is doing more cold calling and offering smaller design packages to help support other businesses who are trying hard to adapt the crisis or are simply working with smaller budgets.

I work in a creative department for a company in the healthcare industry. We were already well equipped to work remotely with laptops and VPN policies in place. The only shift has been with the video team; we now help people manage recording video and audio, and we’re investing more in our podcasts and webinars.

All face-to-face events have been postponed so that work has disappeared, but research on COVID has filled it’s place.

Work has continued. I use a lot of video conferencing technology (Webex, Zoom, Go To Meeting) and a lot more shipping of physical samples.

I have continued to work. I have been working remotely from home since 2014, with the exception of traveling into the office once a week. That no longer happens. The biggest challenge is making time during the day to complete my work and also to homeschool my son. After the first week or two we developed a good routine, so that we could each accomplish our daily goals.

We are working though the entire team is now remote and at home.

There have been no major changes in our creative practices.

I’ve been working from home for years. Our company was already positioned for remote work. The biggest adaptation is staying in contact with each other. Email can be so impersonal, so we’ve encouraged turning on the video feature more often and we speak more frequently by phone.

We are all working from home offices, the change was rather seamless. Our work has slowed down and opportunities to develop new business are limited.

I am freelance. I had projects lined up and this hit just as we were finalizing the contracts. My clients, current and prospective, can’t afford to pay or wont until they have more confidence in their own finances. I have decided to use the time to update my website, and to generally upgrade my facilities and capabilities.

We noticed a drop off with some clients depending on their industry. We have picked up more print-related client work, specifically packaging. So we are concentrating more on package design and print production, areas in which we have valuable experience.

I still have a couple of clients sending me small projects.

Recently, I started to look for opportunities through platforms like Upwork. I’ve been freelancing for the past 8 years so there hasn’t been much change in the way I work, but it is definitely more challenging to find new opportunities.

Brought work computer home, with all its corporate firewalls, etc., and have not missed a beat.

My company has kept a few of us on. Work has certainly changed. I work from home and the type of work we do is different. We used to focus more on print media, but everything we do now is digital. I took a few resources from the office to help: a large monitor, a wireless keyboard, a mouse and a standing desk. We also had to integrate a communication platform to help everyone stay connected.

I am working from home full time. My husband is also working from home and we are balancing the care of our 3 month old baby between meetings. I have my ‘office’ set up in our dining room. The most challenging piece has been connecting with my team. I find that small things take much longer.

Because so much of my business is design and advertising for events, it has come to a grinding halt once ‘social distancing’ took hold.

I tell people that I have worked from home for about 30 years, so it would appear that nothing really has changed for me.

Except one big thing: I have no work

G D U S A 47

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June 2020 Print Survey Impo_SEPT 07 People 6/11/20 12:46 PM Page 50

MESSAGE FROM THE SPONSOR | VERSO CORPORATION WE ARE WITH YOU

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June 2020 Print Survey Impo_SEPT 07 People 6/11/20 12:47 PM Page 51

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THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF GDUSA IS PRINTED ON INFLUENCE® GLOSS, 60 LB. TEXT FROM VERSO.

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GDUSA POLL

TAKEAWAY #2

EMBRACING REMOTE WORKING The vast majority of designers expect that the pandemic pause will permanently change where and how — and perhaps why — they work. In particular, they believe that more flexible work arrangements, including working-from-home, will become the norm.

Will the traditional office disappear? Not likely, but it will play a different role and with a different configuration. All that said, as you will see, a vocal minority hope traditional in-office routines will return.

SELECTED COMMENTS: Things will probably change. We are only allowed to work from home once a week. I suspect the policy will be more flexible after this, because we've demonstrated, via time tracking and otherwise, that we don’t lose productivity by working remotely.

Great to see many adapt online tools and streamlined job processes. I hope this experience will ease the resistance to change/technology integration.

We're an in-house agency and the company has remained productive working in this manner. Time will tell, but we’re getting a sense that the Executive Leadership Team now realizes that we're very productive working remotely.

My company is quite large and it has already become clear during the crisis that we are capable of working well remotely.

There has been talk of giving us more flexibility to choose how and where each of us work moving forward.

This experience has shown me that much of what I do — teaching, advising, and attending meetings — can be done remotely.

Our company head and upper management are coming to realize that people can actually be productive working remotely.

In the past, many were skeptical and did not trust the staff.

I don’t see any reason to go back to renting office space.

Clients seem fine working with us by email, zoom and telephone. How to find new clients is more difficult; I don't think we have the answers to that yet.

Change will not be all that dramatic. But some things will change. I doubt that I will go back right away to a physical office building. We are happier (and maybe even more productive!) working from our homes. We do need time together to collaborate and I do miss meeting clients in their offices to get a feel for who they are and what they need, but we are likely to have a LOT less in-person meetings moving forward.

I hope to build my freelance business and continue to work remotely.

I actually appreciate being in the office more. Prior to this, we were discouraged from working from home. This proves it is possible and it will become easier. However I like going to an office because it is a lot more difficult to collaborate and work with clients working from home.

Work from home will become more accepted and common. I see virtual business meetings becoming the norm.

I was already working remotely. But in the longer term, this will have a large impact on how my co-workers and I work together, especially how we handle file and project management systems going forward.

Mixed feelings. Working as a collaborative team requires eye-to-ye contact and contributes to the exchange of ideas and the creation of new approaches.

We might meet less in person with clients and meet more on video chat. I can’t wait to return to the office to work together again.

I find I am relying more on my manager for advice and feedback on projects. I am also asking more questions especially about imagery.

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June 2020 Print Survey Impo_SEPT 07 People 6/11/20 12:47 PM Page 53

TAKEAWAY #3

HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE Designers are hopeful, even confident, about the long term value and viability of the graphic design business. They see, perhaps more clearly than ever, that graphic design can be a vital tool in helping to rebuild, renew and reshape companies, brands, organizations, communities, the health system, the economy and, in the broadest sense, social trust and the social contract.

SELECTED COMMENTS: I'm hopeful. This is a hard time for every industry. Post-crisis most businesses will need tools to reinvent themselves and we as graphic designers will be crucial in that process.

I am hopeful. People engage with brands and content that they like. A designer, a marketer, a communications expert — these are the people who make that happen. This pandemic has brought to light a lot of the value that designers and marketers bring to the table.

I am hopeful that people are seeing how important creative messaging is during a time like this and in the future.

I truly believe that once the virus and the fear subside we will return to the great economy that we were enjoying.

I am very optimistic and hopeful. We are always grateful to our clients and for their trust in working with us, and this philosophy will never change. Creatives who understand how they can adapt and pivot to serve their audience now, particularly with regard to physical distancing, are the ones who will survive.

It’s a little early, even unseemingly, to talk about opportunities.

But I believe that the graphic designers are uniquely suited in skills, talent and temperament to help advance the recovery.

This ultimately will be beneficial to my business but every organization will be impacted differently.

We have been very fortunate to maintain and even grow our business. We have been proactive during this time — just being there for whatever our clients need, even if it is not project based but just community based.

I have been just as busy during this work from home time, so I feel confident about my company.

I am hopeful for the creative business. We are crucial to communication. Look at all the commercials right now that are helping companies and brands to stay relevant. I work in-house at a medical company so we’ve been busy.

The pandemic has increased the need for design and collateral materials. In-person conversations often are impossible and we have to communicate in different ways at different times.

Well-designed materials help with that. Brand awareness is also paramount because you can’t communicate to an audience that isn’t there. Building the brand has become more important in the eyes of business leaders.

I foresee a decline in job opportunities. Standardized design results created by do-it-yourself computer programs and online companies have become a norm. Dollars are saved but creativity is lost. My business has shrunk to the point where I now do primarily specialized scientific illustrations along with general design work for long-term customers.

I’d love to be optimistic, but this is a game changer. Hopefully businesses will eventually adjust and start spending money again on their marketing efforts.

The creative community, like most industries, has a hole to dig out of. I believe we have the tools to do it and that, a year from now, we’ll be better off than ever. Pessimism has never won a battle and that is what we are in.

It's hard to say what will happen. We are just trying to stay afloat until business picks up again.

Among our Creative Services Department of approximately 30 people, one person was laid off and one furloughed. We fared rather well because the company overall lost 10% to lay-offs and furloughs. We do think there will be an even greater shift to digital media going forward, although we're still receiving many print project requests as well.

Our inhouse design group has continued to work and do it well.

It can be done.

My biggest concern is that the things I design for are eventrelated — invitations, posters, etc. — and these may be impacted for a while. In general, I think the creative and design business can adapt and thrive.

My company was well-positioned for fast changes and has relied heavily on the marketing department to communicate changes and updates to our clients.

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GDUSA POLL

TAKEAWAY #4

BRIGHT SPOTS IN THE DARKNESS Are there bright spots in this dark time? Out of the crucible can emerge a truer sense of self, a purity of purpose, and a clearer sense of priorities. Many readers report a greater appreciation of family and friends; the desire for a healthier and less stressful work-life balance; a revived passion for creativity and for their chosen profession; an increased understanding of the value of collaboration and community; a commitment to work with socially responsible clients and projects; an aspiration to do better and be better.

SELECTED COMMENTS: The brightest spot for me is getting to spend more time with family. Overall, there’s an appreciation for the ability to be more flexible when and where to work. Professionally, people seem to be more efficient. We’re able to get answers more quickly, spend less time in meetings, cut to the chase quickly.

Also, we have some natural introverts that have really excelled while working from home!

The bright spot is definitely the kick in the butt to start my own business. I have been much more inspired by that and feel more calm and happy. My priorities have shifted to pursuing my own business.

Clients are being remarkably understanding and flexible. We are seeing and seeking innovative ways to offer our skills to help the business community. I personally value work-life balance even more. My long term goal is to reduce my work hours so that I have more time to rest, and appreciate family and friends.

Personally, it’s been great to be home with my family more and to spend extra time with my two year old. It has put work-home life into perspective and i'm hoping it stays that way. Family first, always.

I have a better and fuller appreciation of what I have in my life.

My employer sent food delivery credits and Amazon credits to all employees to purchase needed supplies to work from home.

Seeing how my company has stepped up during this time makes me proud.

There have been quite a few bright spots, I have taken the time to learn new programs and expand and update my skills and abilities as a designer. I think these decisions have refueled my passion for design. I also got a new puppy :) Yes! I have spent much of my time reviewing award books and programs, and finding inspiration in great creative works, both old and new. I am even in the midst of possibly developing a course on the Fundamentals of Creativity, something I feel needs to be revived and taught academically.

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This experience made me realize that I am very fortunate to be doing what I do and also that I can fine tune my time management skills. It has made me a more present parent and I will strive for that balance moving forward.

We have seen a lot of success in our brand and connecting with consumers based on our quick reaction and connection with the audience. Being supportive and community-building has had a positive impact on our audience and increased our reach. Work life balance is more difficult now than before.

It’s harder to walk away from the ‘office’ and not just log in for a second to handle something. There is less of a line. It’s also hard when your job is supporting and communicating important information. You feel an obligation to the job that sometimes overpowers the balance.

I find I am just as busy personally and professionally as ever.

I’d like to have more personal time in the future, but that's not going to happen unless I make it.

During this crisis, I have had more personal discussions with co-workers, and have had deeper insight into thier personal lives. This has linked us together and made us stronger. Each morning, we have group video huddles so everyone is on the same page as to what each person is working on and the priorities for the day. There is also usually a fun question of the day at each of the huddles. We have also had a couple virtual Friday Happy Hours.

Hmm... having my husband at home on a full-time basis has been wonderful AND challenging. I have noticed that our team is taking more time to check in with each other since we've been sheltering in place, to talk more about our current personal challenges.

I had a baby in January, and started a new job on March 16, the day the quarantine began. I have found that working from home with an infant is unbelievably challenging. It is also an enormous blessing to be able to share in all her milestones.

We think she is going to start rolling over on her own this week.

And we couldn't be more excited to be there to see it.

I'm really happy to be able to work from home full-time. It removes a lot of stress from my day.

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TAKEAWAY #5

PRINT MEANS HUMAN CONNECTION Under normal circumstances, this would be the week we would conduct our 57th annual Print + Paper Reader Survey. Hence, we included a query into the role of print in a post-pandemic world. It may seem counterintuitive, given the ascendance of virtual meetings and digital workflow, but respondents affirm their love and respect the traditional strengths of print — permanence, touch, connection, credibility, authenticity. They see those factors enduring and remaining relevant despite the disruptions wrought by the pandemic. Interestingly, a surprising number of respondents believe that, once the coronavirus crisis recedes, traditional modes and materials will have a renaissance in response to, as one person put it, the flood of digital messaging and the current “tactile drought.” Or as Kevin Kernan and Allan Espiritu of Philadelphia’s GDLOFT put it: “We believe the pandemic has changed the role/power of print. Prior to the pandemic, we believe print had already gained traction with audiences, with its ability to cut through the digital clutter, by appealing to our human senses. Now, we believe print has reached a tipping point because people are craving interaction, people want their humanity back.”

SELECTED COMMENTS: I come from a strong print background. While print can be more expensive to produce, there is a certain authenticity and trust in receiving a printed piece of collateral than seeing a digital ad. Digital is too easy for scammers to take advantage of.

Non-profits especially should rely on print. I would trust a donation envelope, accompanied with collateral, received in the mail versus a digital campaign. Both work nicely hand in hand, though. I strongly recommend print for clients if they can afford it.

Print will be highly valued when this crisis ends. We are having a sort of tactile drought. The human element will be most meaningful, and includes both print and more. We are mailing products and giveaways to our audience, and it is making a large difference. They are very excited to receive something new, something that makes them feel connected to someplace/ someone/something else.

Right now nothing is normal. When this pandemic is over people will crave the traditional. Even more so than they did before the pandemic.

We will be doing more print when this is over. People need a break from all this digital content. I know I do.

I think everything that helps us connect with others will be valued more. Print can be a good approach to getting people out of their devices. We’re doing a lot of digital stuff now to promote our client’ businesses but when this is all over, I see print and packaging coming back.

That’s a great question! I believe print materials will always be around and it depends on the project and the client. We have many clients that I do not believe will be able to eliminate their traditional print materials. But I must say that during this pandemic, a lot of our clients have had to solely rely on social and digital media to get their messaging across.

Print still holds its value. Print will be more valued.

Much more value! People will want a respite from screens.

There will be an expanded focus on digital platforms going forward, but that evolution was already happening before the pandemic. We still have many requests for physical pieces, such as product brochures, product sample pieces, tradeshow graphics, and POP signage for Big Box stores. I don’t think print will be going away any time soon.

We are still planning to do print promotions as long as we can get the correct home addresses for our contacts. Direct mail should take off again since more people are in their homes.

I love and will always do print along with digital design. Digital is a companion to print, and I would caution against becoming entirely digital. There is something to be said about offering a brochure or business card to clients. That personal touch and interaction cannot be replaced. Likewise digital books and magazines are never a substitute for the smell and feel of print.

We plan on doing less printing in the next year. When we use print, it will be more targeted when we do print and made more impactful with high end techniques.

Print will easily be more valued in the aftermath. Hands down we have had a spike in volume in print-related projects. Food and beverage and pet products still need packaging and some have more demand than before so if they go up so do we.

I've always been pro-print even when the industry is going more digital. I hope more see the value of it, but who knows?

There are definitely benefits to digital communication, but there is so much of it and it is so in your face, there is still a need for all the benefits that print brings. Touch, smell, the stimulation of the senses. Credibility is a big thing for me; there’s more credibility in print.

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2020 web awards_SEPT 07 People 6/11/20 12:07 PM Page 56

| 2020 |

WEB DESIGN AWARDS THE BEST IN WEB, DIGITAL + UX DESIGN Our 20th annual showcase of the power of design to enhance online communications and experiences. The outstanding work included here has been created by design firms, ad agencies, inhouse departments and more, and encompasses, website, microsites, apps, online advertising, social media, video and UX/UI Design. You can view this showcase, selected from more than 2,000 entries, in both print, in our digital edition, and on our website at gdusa.com. This competition began near the apex of the coronavirus crisis and ended during the George Floyd demonstrations and ancillary disruptions; that it is among the largest showcases of online design we have recorded says something about the resilience, ingenuity and forward looking nature of designers — and our species in general.

SPONSORED BY THE CREATIVE GROUP THE CREATIVE GROUP is the long-time exclusive sponsor of the GDUSA Web Design Awards – The Best In Web, Digital + UX Design. TCG is a specialized staffing firm that connects interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations talent with a variety of firms. A division of Robert Half, TCG offers flexible solutions to meet companies’ project on a freelance, contract-to-hire and full-time basis on-site and off-site needs. The company is also extremely generous to the creative and business communities with high-quality and insightful advice and research. (See, e.g., Executive Director Diane Domeyer’s “10 Job Search Tips For Creatives” in this print edition and “Closing The Gap: Nurturing Creativity In A Remote Workforce” at gdusa.com/category/career.) Unlike other creative staffing agencies, The Creative Group offers staffing solutions and highly regarded consulting experience under one roof to help you deliver world-class customer experiences. With offices located in major markets across the U.S. and Canada, TCG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Learn more at RobertHalf.com/Creative Group

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FIRMS REPRESENTED 2 Fish Company, LLC

58

KUDOS Design Collaboratory

701 Creative

58

Langton Creative Group

80east Design

83, 85

68, 69 69

Leibowitz Branding & Design

69, 70

AARP Publications

86

Linh Dao

90

Affinity Creative Group

58

Lippincott

70

Alight Solutions

87

Litehouse Design Team

70

American Health Law Association In-house Team

59

Mangold Design

Asurion Auburn University, School of Industrial + Graphic Design

87

Marine Lane

91

Metropolis Branding

72

Bartlett Brands

59

MiHyun Kim

72

Big Pivot Partners

59

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design/Amanda Levin 92

BlueModus and Beekeeper Group

59

MOD-Lab

72

Bolder & Co. Creative Studios

60

Modera, Inc. and Word & Brown Companies

88

Cepheid

60

National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

Christiansen Creative

71, 88 71

Mermaid, Inc.

83, 90

71, 72

73

Neff

73, 88 73, 86

CommCreative

60

Objectively P.B.C.

CommDesign

60

Open Door Design Studio (ODDS)

88

Concordia University St. Paul

91

Paradigm Marketing and Design

73

Creating Digital

61

Piaggio Fast Forward

2 Fish Company, LLC

61

Pixel Parlor

Dead Horse Branding

61

Principle & KUDOS Design Collaboratory

Decker Design Drexel University, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

62

QNY Creative

75

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

82

Rule29

75

Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)

92

Eight Moon™

91 62, 63

Elements, LLC

63

Elevate Healthcare

63

Ellen Bruss Design

63

Emily Rich Design, Inc.

64

Eunice Choi Design

64

fromAtoB

82

Gaslight

90

GCMD

64

Gladiator Consulting

65

Horizontal Digital

65

Ideas On Purpose

65, 66

IM Graphics | Digital Storyline

66, 67

Jarrod Michael Studios

67

JK Design/jkdesign.com

67

John Townsend Graphic Design

68

Julia Holenstein

85

JW Creative

68

KBI Design Group

68

Kennesaw State University/School of Art

92

Schipper Design

74, 82 74 74, 75

76, 86, 89

Smith Design

76

Structure Tone Organization

83

Structure Tone Organization & Multi-Media Solutions 76 Studio 165+ | Ball State University School of Art

93

Studio DBJ and The ADVNT Society

85

Test Monki The Walker Group

77, 84 77

Traina Design

78

Truly Creative

78, 79

University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration

79

Visible Logic

79

Vortex Business Solutions

79, 80

Weller Smith Design

80

Word & Brown Companies

84

Word & Brown General Agency Wyant Simboli Group

80, 81 81

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: 2 Fish Company, LLC, Zeeland MI Client: Southwest Michigan First Title: First and 42 Website Creative Director: Scott Millen Art Directors: Adam Rossi, Martin Schoenborn Web Developer: Hacker Supreme Project Manager: Matt Kuczynski

Design Firm: 701 Creative, Philadelphia PA Client: Creative Benefits Title: Creative Benefits Website Designer: Sal Trovato Programmer: Snyder Online Marketing

Design Firm: Affinity Creative Group, Mare Island CA Title: Coffee Fuels Creativity Creative Director: Affinity Creative Group Art Director: Affinity Creative Group Designer: Affinity Creative Group Web Devloper: Affinity Creative Group Videographer: Affinity Creative Group

Design Firm: Affinity Creative Group, Mare Island CA Client: C. Mondavi & Family Title: Charles Krug – An Iconic Napa Valley Winery Art Director: Affinity Creative Group Designer: Affinity Creative Group Photographer: Affinity Creative Group Videographer: Affinity Creative Group

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Design Firm: Bartlett Brands, San Francisco CA Client: Styleseat Title: Styleseat Mobile Web Site Creative Director: Rebecca Bartlett Art Director: Lauren Golik Designers: Carolina Pistone, Luisa Betancourt Copywriter: Desiree Marr

Design Firm: Bartlett Brands, San Francisco CA Client: Fastify Title: Fastify Web Site Creative Director: Rebecca Bartlett Art Director: Lauren Golik Designer: Carolina Pistone Copywriter: Kimberly Brizzolara

Design Firm: Big Pivot Partners, Dana Point CA Client: AFLAC Incorporated Title: Environmental, Social and Governance Reporting (ESG) Hub Creative Director: Jason Lein Art Director: Jason Lein Designer: Jason Lein Programmer: Joel Kuehn Web Developer: Joel Kuehn

Design Firm: BlueModus and Beekeeper Group, Washington DC Client: American Health Law Association Title: American Health Law Association Website Creative Director: Anne Wofford (BlueModus) Designers: Eric Boyer (BlueModus), Melanie Lyons, Stephanie Morales (Beekeeper Group) Programmer: Aaron Brosey (BlueModus) Web Devloper: Josh Gray (BlueModus) Copywriter: Beekeeper Group Director of Client Services: Brandon Hess (BlueModus) Project Manager: Katie Tabler (BlueModus) American Health Law Association In-house Team - Creative Director: Mary Boutsikaris Designer: Jen Smith Marketing Director: Stefan Bradham

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Bolder & Co. Creative Studios, Urbana Ohio Client: Lichtman Law Title: Lichtman Law Website Creative Director: Ken Kowalski Copywriter: Allison Iwaszkiewcz

Design Firm: Cepheid MarCom Team, Sunnyvale CA Title: Cepheid Corporate Website Creative Director: Jared Tipton Art Director: Bijal Patel Designer: Jeff Nielson Copywriter: Corrie Kaufman Rose

Design Firm: CommCreative, Framingham MA Client: Beyond Identity Title: Beyond Identity Website Submission Web Devloper: William Bowles Photographer: Len Rubenstein Copywriter: George Koukkos Executive Creative Director: George Koukkos Associate Creative Director: Meg Gallimore Associate Creative Director/Interactive: Matt Fontaine Account Supervisor: Brenna Dobbins Project Manager: Stephanie McAuliffe Director of Creative Operations: Carolyn Reed Agency Partner: Joanna Bittle Digital Project Manager: Courtney Railng

Design Firm: CommDesign, Montreal, Queubec Canada Client: Remedium AI Title: Remedium AI Website Art Director: Ruth Rotem Designers: Ruth Rotem, Leo Hubermann Programmer: Leo Hubermann

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Design Firm: Creating Digital, Garfield NJ Client: CIFC Asset Management Title: Website Design Creative Director: Justin Miskowski Web Developer: Ubaid Ullah Project Manager: Brian Essig

Design Firm: Creating Digital, Garfield NJ Client: RE/MAX First Choice Realty Title: Website Design Creative Director: Justin Miskowski Web Developer: Ubaid Ullah Project Manager: Brian Essig

Design Firm: Crisp Design, Cypress TX Client: Falstaff Brewing Company Title: Falstaff Brewing Company Website Creative Director: Justice Crisp Art Director: Justice Crisp Designer:Justice Crisp Web Developer: Justice Crisp Copywriter: Justice Crisp

Design Firm: Dead Horse Branding, Brentwood TN Client: Baha Men Title: Baha Men Website Creative Director: Rick Caballo Art Director: Rick Caballo Designer: Rick Caballo Copywriter: Rick Caballo

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Decker Design, New York NY Client: Lankler Siffert Wohl LLP Title: Lankler Siffert Wohl Website Creative Director: Lynda Decker Art Director: Lynda Decker Designer: Kelly Bryan Web Developer: Manyfold

Design Firm: Decker Design, New York NY Client: Mutual of America Title: 2019 Annual Report Website Creative Director: Lynda Decker Art Director: Lynda Decker Designer: Susanne Adrian Web Developer: Manyfold Photographer: John Madere

Design Firm: Decker Design, New York NY Client: Walden Macht & Haran LLP Title: Walden Macht & Haran Website Creative Director: Lynda Decker Art Director: Lynda Decker Designer: Kelly Bryan Web Developer: Manyfold

Design Firm: Eight Moon™, Minneapolis MN Client: Larson • King, LLP Title: Website Design Creative Director: Megan Junius Designers: Stephanie Manternach, Maddi Wittenberg Project Coordinator: Madison Kowalski

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Design Firm: Eight Moon™, Minneapolis MN Client: St. Thomas More Catholic School Title: Website Design Creative Director: Megan Junius Designer: Stephanie Manternach

Design Firm: Elements, LLC, Branford CT Client: Caldwell & Walsh Building Construction Title: Caldwell & Walsh Website Creative Director: Amy Graver Art Director: Amy Graver Designer: Kathryn Erb Web Developer: Philip Smith Photographers: Kevin Chu + Jessica Paul, LLC

Design Firm: Elevate Healthcare, Blue Bell PA Client: Alexza Pharmaceuticals Title: Unleash The Speed Senior Graphic Designer: Drew LeVan, Sr. Associate Creative Director: Paul Wesemann Chief Creative Officer: Barry Schmader Practice Lead, Client Delivery: Erin Hlivia

Design Firm: Ellen Bruss Design, Denver CO Client: Continuum Partners Title: Produce LA Creative Director: Ellen Bruss Art Director: Ken Garcia Designer: Nick Marranzino Programmer: Agency Fifty3 Web Developer: Agency Fifty3 Copywriter: Ken Garcia

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Emily Rich Design, Inc., West Hills CA Title: Website Design Creative Director: Emily Rich Designer: Emily Rich Copywriter: Bonnie Samotin

Design Firm: Eunice Choi Design, Booklyn NY Title: Paws Natural Website Rebranding Creative Director: Ji Sun (Eunice) Choi Art Director: Ji Sun (Eunice) Choi Illustrator: Ji Sun (Eunice) Choi

Design Firm: GCMD, Portland OR Client: Mercy Medical Angels Title: Mercy Medical Angels Rebrand and Relaunch Creative Director: Alexandra Heseltine Designer: Alexandra Heseltine Web Devloper: GCMD Copywriter: GCMD

Design Firm: GCMD, Portland OR Title: GCMD Relaunch Creative Director: Alexandra Heseltine Designer: Alexandra Heseltine Web Developer: GCMD Copywriter: GCMD Video Editing: Tyler Davis

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Design Firm: Gladiator Consulting, Austin TX Client: Exodus Intelligence Title: Exodus Intelligence Brand Refresh and Web Design Art Director: Nakevia Miller Designer: Denver Johnston Copywriter: Katharine Cline

Design Firm: Gladiator Consulting, Austin TX Client: EEA Consulting Engineers Title: EEA Brand Refresh and Web Design Art Director: Nakevia Miller Designer: Denver Johnston Copywriter: Katharine Cline

Design Firm: Horizontal Digital, Saint Louis Park MN Client: Formica Title: Formica Global Website Creative Director: TJ Shaffer Designer: Joe Laporte Web Devloper: Kiran Patil Photographer: Formica Copywriter: Formica UX Design Lead: Kari Sivula Senior Tech Lead: Phani Abburi Client & Digital Strategy: Jordan Dietrich Senior Web Developer: Khushboo Sorthiya

Design Firm: Ideas On Purpose, New York NY Client: Stanley Black & Decker Title: 2019 Year In Review Website Creative Director: John Connolly Designer: Victoria Le Project Manager: Paula Knevitt

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Ideas On Purpose, New York NY Client: AGCO Corporation Title: 2019 Annual Report Website Creative Director: Darren Namaye Senior Designer: Kyle Telman Lead Developer: Codrin Paval Digital Implementation and Quality Specialist: Jonathan Alland

Design Firm: Ideas On Purpose, New York NY Client: Tradeweb Title: 2019 Annual Report Website Creative Director: John Connolly Designer: James Kwak Web Developer: Codrin Pavel Project Manager: Paula Knevitt

Design Firm: IM Graphics | Digital Storyline, Coral Springs FL Client: Urban League of Palm Beach County Title: Website Design Creative Director: Leon Fooksman Art Director: Randy Braunstein Designer: Randy Braunstein Copywriter: Leon Fooksman

Design Firm: IM Graphics | Digital Storyline, Coral SpringsFL Client: Community Health Center of West Palm Beach Title: Website Design Creative Director: Leon Fooksman Art Director: Randy Braunstein Designer: Randy Braunstein Copywriter: Leon Fooksman

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Design Firm: IMAGE: Global Vision, Honolulu HI Client: The Viewpoint Collection Title: Website Design Creative Director: Regina Rubino Designers: Regina Rubino, Christy Thrasher Web Developer: Kerry Geiger Copywriter: Desiree Carson

Design Firm: IMAGE: Global Vision, Honolulu HI Client: Simeone Deary Design Group Title: Website Design Creative Director: Regina Rubino Designers: Regina Rubino, Christy Thrasher Web Developer: Kerry Geiger

Design Firm: Jarrod Michael Studios, Holbrook NY Client: Feist Machine Service Title: Website Design Creative Director: Jarrod Gordon

Design Firm: JK Design/jkdesign.com, Hillsborough NJ Client: MetroPro Title: MetroPro Rebranded Website Creative Director: Christopher Holewski Designer: Amanda Crossen Web Devloper: Lance Miller Copywriter: Chris Milan

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: John Townsend Graphic Design, Kalamazoo MI Client: Shupp Artists Management Title: Shupp Artists Website Creative Director: John Townsend Art Director: John Townsend Designer: John Townsend

Design Firm: JW Creative, Kansas City MO Client: The Screen Dude Title: The Screen Dude Website Redesign Creative Director: Jillean Williams Designer: Jillean Williams Web Developer: Jillean Williams Photographer: Jillean Williams

Design Firm: KBI Design Group, New York NY Client: Kim Brown-Irvis Title: Photography + Design Creative Director: Kim Brown-Irvis Art Director: Kim Brown-Irvis Designer: Kim Brown-Irvis Photographer: Kim Brown-Irvis Copywriter: Kim Brown-Irvis

Design Firm: KUDOS Design Collaboratory, New York NY Client: AIA Brooklyn Title: Branding and Website Creative Director: John Kudos Designers: Sumit Paul, Ashley Wu Web Developers: Sumit Paul, Chris Manlapid

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Design Firm: KUDOS Design Collaboratory, New York NY Client: Dorothy Tapper Goldman Foundation Title: Colonist Citizens Constitutions Website Creative Director: John Kudos Designers: Sumit Paul, Ashley Wu, Owen Febiandi, Melody Wang Web Developer: Chris Manlapid Photographer: Ardon Bar-Hama Copywriter: Elisabeth Hahn

Design Firm: KUDOS Design Collaboratory, New York NY Client: Miko McGinty Inc. Title: Miko McGinty Website Creative Director: John Kudos Designer: Sumit Paul Web Developer: Sumit Paul

Design Firm: Langton Creative Group, New York NY Title: Manhattan Cardiovascular Associates Website Art Director: David Langton Designers: Jim Keller, Janet Giampietro Production Designer: Zaira Ramos Content Editor: Alex Rose Web Strategist/Developer: Michael Sutula

Design Firm: Leibowitz Branding & Design, New York NY Client: Keebeck Wealth Management Title: Company Website Creative Director: Jason Wheeler Art Director: Si Ping Lim Designer: Batool Akbar Programmer: Marc Bugayong Web Developer: Melton Sharpe Copywriter: Kevin Windorf

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Leibowitz Branding & Design, New York NY Client: Wasatch Global Investors Title: Company Website Creative Director: Jason Wheeler Art Director: Gerald Morin Designer: Batool Akbar Programmer: Marc Bugayong Web Developer: Melton Sharpe Photographer: Kevin Winzeler Copywriter: Matson Lehtinen

Design Firm: Lippincott, New York NY Title: Go-To Brands Art Directors: Emiko Osaka, Myung Jin Lee, Bo Hwang Senior Partner, Design: Bill Darling Partner, Design: Bethany Lesko Partner, Design: Daniel Johnston Programmers: Fusionary Media: Steve Lewis, Karl Swedberg: Area 17 Photographer: Andreas Wannerstedt Chief Strategy Officer: Simon Glynn Senior Partner, Brand Strategy: David Mayer. Chief Marketing Officer: Heather Stern Partner, Innovation: Dan Clay Partner, Brand Strategy: David Pianin Brand Voice: Westey Tibbs Marketing: Rachel Robison

Design Firm: Litehouse Design Team, Sandpoint ID Client: Litehouse, Inc. Title: Litehouse Foodservice Website Art Director: Lindsey Kuhn Designer: Lindsey Kuhn Photographer: Lindsey Kuhn

Design Firm: Litehouse Design Team, Sandpoint ID Client: Litehouse, Inc. Title: Green Garden Website Creative Director: Kathy Weisz Art Director: Amber Sirk Designer: Amber Sirk

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Design Firm: Mangold Design, Napa CA Client: Building Healthy Online Communities Title: COVID-19 Notification Website Creative Director: Annabel Mangold Designer: Annabel Mangold Web Developer: Christie Wood

Design Firm: Marine Lane, New York NY Client: Scientific Bioprocessing Title: Scientific Bioprocessing Website Creative Director: Hannah Hillier Designers: Adrienne Hugh, Sam Bruchez, Adrianna Kusmiercyzk, Amber Lin Web Devloper: Keybridge Web Photographer: Megan McGreevy Illustrator: Adrienne Hugh Copywriter: Margie Fox Project Manager: Anna Visintainer

Design Firm: Marine Lane, New York NY Client: mr pete’s Title: mr pete’s website Creative Director: Hannah Hillier Art Director: Alison Golcher Stone Designers: Alison Golcher Stone, Adrianna Kusmiercyzk Programmer: Alison Golcher Stone Photographer: Jackie Segedin Copywriter: Hannah Hillier

Design Firm: Mermaid, Inc., New York NY Client: The Glass House Title: The Glass House Website Creative Director: Sharon McLaughlin Web Devloper: Bart McLaughlin Marketing Director: Lauren Calabria

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Mermaid, Inc., New York NY Client: FoodHub 84 Title: Food Hub 84 Website Creative Director: Sharon McLaughlin Web Developer: Bart McLaughlin Marketing Director: Lauren Calabria

Design Firm: MiHyun Kim, Arlington TX Client: The Landscape for Humanity (L4H) Title: Landscape For Humanity Website Design Designers: MiHyun Kim, Isaiah Guzman Web Developers: MiHyun Kim, Isaiah Guzman Illustrators: Emma Hershey, Hana Kettkerer L4H Project Investigator: Yekang Ko

Design Firm: Metropolis Branding, Charlotte NC Client: Gerrard Builders Title: Gerrard Builders Website/Gerrardbuilders.com Creative Director: Denise Lorraine Davis Designer: Denise Lorraine Davis Programmer: Sohel Rana Copywriter: Denise Lorraine Davis

Design Firm: MOD-Lab, Brooklyn NY Client: EmbraceRace Title: EmbraceRace Website Creative Director: Michelle Perreault Designer: Michelle Perreault Web Devlopers: Seth Giammanco, Adam Chlan Strategy: Seth Giammanco

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Design Firm: National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Washington DC Title: Comprehensive Website Redevelopment

Design Firm: Neff, Philadelphia PA Title: Neff Website Redesign Creative Director: Adam Englehart Designers: Emily McElwain-Siems, Ryan Mohl, Jodi Bosin, Mark Hoffman Web Devlopers: Demetrius Burgess, Roman Semchuk

Design Firm: Objectively P.B.C., Brooklyn NY Client: Reiss Center on Law and Security Title: War Powers Resolution Reporting Project Programmer: Christopher Wong Photographer: Denny Tek, Ena Bek Author and Lead Researcher: Dr. Tess Bridgeman

Design Firm: Paradigm Marketing and Design, Mount Tabor NJ Client: Tac Ops Title: Tac Ops Website Designer: Casey Masterson Web Developer: Michael Scorcia Project Manager: Kristen Carter

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Piaggio Fast Forward, Charlestown MA Title: Gita Website/ mygita.com Creative Director: Greg Lynn Art Director: Imaginary Forces Designer: Ludo Cestarelli Programmer: Lee Scanlan Web Developer: Nicholas Balboni Photographer: Dan Kanes Illustrator: Max King Reice Copywriter: Dieter Reuther UX Designer: Jerry Ding

Design Firm: Pixel Parlor, Philadelphia PA Client: SCAPE Title: Chattahoochee RiverLands Website Creative Director: Andrew Nicholas Art Director: Lou Stuber Web Developer: Bad Math

Design Firm: Pixel Parlor, Philadelphia PA Client: NKCDC (New Kensington Community Development Corporation) Title: NKCDC Website Creative Director: Andrew Nicholas Art Director: Lou Stuber Web Developer: Think Thirty Three

Design Firm: Principle & KUDOS Design Collaboratory, New York NY Client: Goode Company Title: Goode Company Website Creative Director: Allyson Lack Designer:Elizabeth Kelley Web Developers: Chris Manlapid, Sumit Paul Photographers: Jody Horton, Terry Vine Illustrator: Mike Guillory Copywriters: Erin O’Connor, Taylor Tokarz

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Design Firm: Principle & KUDOS Design Collaboratory, New York NY Client: Goodsmith Title: Goodsmith Website Creative Director: Allyson Lack Designer: Jackson Mahlke Web Developer: Chris Manlapid Illustrator: Jackson Mahlke Copywriter: Taylor Tokarz Videographer: Bailey Hart

Design Firm: QNY Creative, New York NY Client: Principe Foods Title: Principe Website Creative Director: Ezio Burani Art Directors: Dan King, Ana Camero Web Devloper: Edison Jimenez Copywriter: Valentina Robotti Strategy Director: Anna Urban

Design Firm: Rule29, Geneva IL Client: The Mind & More Title: Website Design Creative Director: Justin Ahrens Designer: Katy Dondzila Web Developer: Inside Out Copywriter: Joy Reschke

Design Firm: Rule29, Geneva IL Client: Sunday Strong Title: Website Design Creative Director: Justin Ahrens Designer: Zach Amato Web Developer: Inside Out Copywriter: Joy Reschke

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Schipper Design, San Juan Bautista CA Client: MedTech Women Title: MedTech Women Website Creative Director: Kathy Schipper Designer: Diane McGirr Web Developer: Chee Studio Account Manager: Tina Benich Strategic Partner: SPRIG Consulting

Design Firm: Smith Design, Morristown NJ Client: Castle Brands Title: Brady’s Irish Cream Website Design Creative Director: Jane Sayer Designer: Jamie Basile Web Developer: Nicole Guzman Photographer: Ken Kiger Copywriter: Charlie Hack Stylist: Grace Peluso

Design Firm: Smith Design, Morristown NJ Client: FrieslandCampina Title: A Dutch Masterpiece Website Design Creative Director: Jenna Smith Designers: Jamie Basile, Lexi Heaney Web Developer: Nicole Guzman Photographer: Ken Kiger Stylist: Grace Peluso

Design Firm: Structure Tone Organization & Multi-Media Solutions, New York NY Title: Website Enhancements Creative Directors: Yu-ying Zaleon, Adrian Grezda Art Director: Sarah Lembo Programmers: Naresh Kumar Narendran, Dallas Taylor Photographer: Structure Tone Copywriter: Alison Smith Project Managers: Marisa Maguire, Rebecca Leonardis, Zyanya Chan

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Design Firm: Test Monki, The Woodlands TX Client: Happy Healthy Teeth Title: Happy Healthy Teeth Website Creative Director: Suzy Simmons Art Director: Sarah Wright Designer: Sarah Wright Programmer: Sarah Wright Web Developer: Sarah Wright

Design Firm: The Walker Group, Farmington CT Client: The Nutmeg Conservatory Title: The Nutmeg Conservatory Website Design Art Director: Nicole Joanna Pierzchalski Web Developer: Nicole Joanna Pierzchalski Director, Digital Marketing: Jeffrey M. Williams

Design Firm: The Walker Group, Farmington CT Client: CJR Consulting Title: CRJ Consulting Website Design Art Director: Nicole Joanna Pierzchalski Web Developer: Nicole Joanna Pierzchalski Director, Digital Marketing: Jeffrey M. Williams

Design Firm: The Walker Group, Farmington CT Title: The Walker Group Website Design Art Director: Nicole Joanna Pierzchalski Web Developer: Nicole Joanna Pierzchalski Director, Digital Marketing: Jeffrey M. Williams

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Traina Design, San Diego CA Client: Kinective Fitness Club Title: Kinective Fitness Club Website Creative Director: Mark Gallo Designer: Colt Solano Web Developer: John Dang Account Manager: Christine Trezise

Design Firm: Traina Design, San Diego CA Client: Brooklyn Brewery Title: Brooklyn Brewery Website Creative Director: Mark Gallo Designer: Leo Rabelo Web Developers: Cory Dobson, Brian Anarell Account Director: Kristi Jones

Design Firm: Traina Design, San Diego CA Client: Buck Institute Title: Buck Institute Website Creative Director: David Traina Designer: Leo Rabelo Web Developer: Jason de Jesus Senior Account Manager: Jeselyn Lawrence

Design Firm: Truly Creative, Penngrove CA Client: Alex’s Awesome Sourdough Title: Alex’s Awesome Sourdough Website Creative Director: Carrie Dufour Designer: Emma Williams Programmer: Chris Grim

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Design Firm: Truly Creative, Penngrove CA Client: Cal Ranch Title: Cal Ranch Website Creative Director: Carrie Dufour Designer: Natalie DeGolia Programmer: Chris Grim

Design Firm: Visible Logic, Portland ME Client: DAVO Technologies Title: DAVO Sales Tax Website Creative Director: Emily Brackett Designer: Kyle Erwin Web Developer: DeAnne Curran Copywriter: Brian Fudge

Design Firm: University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration Marketing Team, Pittsburgh PA Client: University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration Title: Pitt Business Backstory Creative Director: RJ Thompson Designer: RJ Thompson Programmer: RJ Thompson Web Devloper: RJ Thompson Copywriters: Erin Noonan, Kenzie Sprague, Derek McDonald Contributors: Adam White, Amanda Mroz, Arianna Choing, Connor Murray, Damon Singleton, Elise Molinaro, Erin Shriber, Hannah Swoish, Isabel Brownlee, Jack Keeler, Katherin McAssey, Madeleine McElligott, Maggie Moses, Olivia Drohan, Shelby Stocker, Torrey Trahanovsky

Design Firm: Vortex Business Solutions, Iowa City IA Client: Virtue Medicine Janeta Tansey MD, PhD Title: Virtue Medicine Website Creative Director: Jonathan David Sabin Art Director: Molly Martin Reeser Designer: Molly Martin Reeser Programmer: Cody Bontrager Web Developer: Cody Bontrager Copywriter: Janeta Tansey MD, PhD

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | WEBSITES

Design Firm: Vortex Business Solutions, Iowa City IA Client: Lucy Mara Title: Lucy Mara Website Creative Director: Jonathan David Sabin Art Director: Molly Martin Reeser Designer: Molly Martin Reeser Programmer: Cody Bontrager Web Developer: Cody Bontrager Illustrator: Lucy Mara Copywriter: Ruth Paarmann

Design Firm: Weller Smith Design, Valley Stream NY Client: Plays Well with Butter Title: Branding and Web Design Designer: LeAnna Weller Smith Web Developer: Lisa Butler Digital Strategy: Sarah Weller

Design Firm: Weller Smith Design, Valley Stream NY Client: Rita Hyland Title: Branding and Web Design Designer: LeAnna Weller Smith Web Developer: Kathleen Scatigno

Design Firm: Word & Brown General Agency, Orange CA Client: 2020 Week of Webinars Microsite Designer: Hugo Miramontes Studio Director: Homer Villegas Marketing Director: Missy Bynon Front-End Developer: Jarrell Walker Senior Marketing Traffic Administrator: Heather Jung Digital Marketing Director: Kalup Alexander Senior Copywriter: Alex Strautman Executive VP, Marketing: Polly Neves

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Design Firm: Word & Brown General Agency, Orange CA Client: COVID-19 Response Forum Microsite Marketing Director: Missy Bynon Digital Marketing Director: Kalup Alexander Front-End Developer: Jarrell Walker Senior Marketing Traffic Administrator: Heather Jung. Executive VP, Marketing: Polly Neves

Design Firm: Wyant Simboli Group, Norwalk CT Client: Gemini Therapeutics Title: Corporate Website Creative Director: Julia Wyant Art Director: Gareth Mitchell Designer: Gareth Mitchell Programmer: Gareth Mitchell Web Developers: Gareth Mitchell, Wyant Simboli Group Photographer: Marc Prescott Illustrator: Gareth Mitchell

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | APPS

Design Firm: fromAtoB, San Francisco CA Title: Travel Your Way Application Designers: Salteanat Tashibayeva, Raviv Mordoch Web Developers: A. Antonov, M. Dybarskyi, T. Ozturk Copywriter: Denisa Kostolanyiova Marketing Department: Emma Young

Design Firm: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Fairport NY Title: Ex-Out Creativity Handbook Mobile App Creative Directors: Hye-Jin Nae, Miguel Cardona Art Director: Casey Kincheloe (Beekeeper Group) Designers: Luka Schulz, Sarah Danseglio, Stephanie Liu, Vanasa Liu, Senjal Pandharpatte, Will McCloskey, Haena Lee Programmer: Jon Potter Web Developer: Miguel Cardona

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Design Firm: Piaggio Fast Forward, Charlestown MA Title: Gita Website/mygita.com Creative Director: Greg Lynn Art Director: Imaginary Forces Designer: Ludo Cestarelli Programmer: Lee Scanlan Web Developer: Nicholas Balboni Photographer: Dan Kanes Illustrator: Max King Reice Copywriter: Dieter Reuther UX Designer: Jerry Ding

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | SOCIAL MEDIA

Design Firm: 80east Design, Poughkeepsie NY Title: Just Your Type Posts for Facebook and Instagram Creative Director: Trevor Messersmith Designer: Trevor Messersmith Illustrator: Trevor Messersmith

Design Firm: Christiansen Creative, Hudson WI Client: Bellis Title: Bellis Blast Creative Director: Tricia Christiansen Designer: Abby Hill

Design Firm: Christiansen Creative, Hudson WI Client: Minnesota Math & Reading, Inc. Title: Be More Minnesota Creative Director: Tricia Christiansen Designer: Abby Hill

Design Firm: Structure Tone Organization, New York NY Title: Structure Tone Social Media Art Director: Sarah Lembo Copywriters: Alison Smith, Breanna Ahern Social Managers: Marisa Maguire, Robert Holloway

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | SOCIAL MEDIA

Design Firm: Test Monki, The Woodlands TX Client: Evergrins Pediatric Dentist + Ortho Title: Evergrins Holiday Social Media Creative Director: Suzy Simmons Designers:Sarah Wright, Justice Crisp, Gaby Quintana Illustrator: Sarah Wright

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Design Firm: The Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: Social Media Outreach Studio Director: Homer Villegas Senior Copywriter: Alex Strautman Executive VP, Marketing: Polly Neves

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | ADVERTISING + PROMOTION

Design Firm: 80east Design, PoughkeepsieNY Client: Ruthie Davis Title: Get Cozy, Stay Chic Advertising Campaign Creative Director: Trevor Messersmith Designer: Trevor Messersmith Illustrator: Trevor Messersmith

Design Firm: Julia Holenstein, Pleasant Hill CA Title: JanSport June 2019 Home Page and Email Art Director: Julia Holenstein Designer: Julia Holenstein Photographer: Sandbox Studios Copywriter: Julia Holenstein

Design Firm: Studio DBJ and The ADVNT Society, Northridge CA Client: Epic Reads Title: LoveBoat, Taipei: From Book Pages to Instagram Pages Art Director: The ADVNT Society Designers: Studio DBJ, The ADVNT Society Illustrator: Studio DBJ

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | PUBLICATIONS + PERIODICALS

Design Firm: AARP Publications, Washington D.C. Client: AARP Title: Disrupt Aging Newsletter Photographer: Design Director: Todd Albertson Senior Deputy Art Director: Dian Holton Deputy Photo Director: Caitlin DeFlaviis Photo Editor: Katrina Zook Editor: Shelley Emling Editor: Shelley Emling

Design Firm: AARP Publications, Washington D.C. Client: AARP Title: Sisters Newsletter from AARP Photographer: Senior Deputy Art Director: Dian Holton Deputy Photo Director: Caitlin DeFlaviis

Design Firm: Objectively P.B.C., Brooklyn NY Client: Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Title: The Trolls Are Organized and Everyone’s A Target Programmer: Christopher Wong

Design Firm: Schipper Design, San Juan Bautista CA Client: 49ers Museum Title: 49ers STEAM Digital Playbook Creative Directors: Kathy Schipper, Zack Shubkagel Rovella Designer: Cheryl Lovejoy Account Manager: Emily Deleissegues

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | VIDEO, ANIMATION + MOTION

Design Firm: Alight Solutions, Lincolnshire IL Client: PepsiCo Title: Castlight Launch Video Creative Director/Client Lead: Jill Rafkin Art Directors/Designers: Victoria Cook, Cristine Giannotti Web Developer: Michael Spencer Copywriter: Maureen Corrigan Project Manager: Kristin Peacock Production Editor: Randall Van Vynckt

Design Firm: Asurion, Bridgewater NJ Client: Home+ Title: Training Videos Creative Director: John Elter Art Director: Bonnie Sager Designer: Ji Ye Chung Copywriter: Matthew Nanes Video Production: Brainstorm Digital Marketing Managers: Matt Russo, Scott Schuette

Design Firm: Asurion, Bridgewater NJ Client: Cricket Title: Cricket Protect myPhotoVault App Video Creative Director: John Elter Art Director: Yahui Chang Designer: Ji Ye Chung Copywriter: Brady Darity Project Manager: Saundra Ellis Marketing Manager: Blane Donahue

Design Firm: Asurion, Bridgewater NJ Client: Verizon Title: Asurion | Verizon, Total Protection Plan Creative Director: John Elter Art Director: Davide Allegra Copywriter: Michael Melone Video Production: Table of Content Marketing Manager: Chris Weigle Project Manager: Michael Higginbotham

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | VIDEO, ANIMATION + MOTION

Design Firm: Mangold Design, Napa CA Client: Rajkumari Neogy Title: Emotive Website Design Creative Director: Annabel Mangold Designer: Annabel Mangold Web Devloper: Christie Wood Photographer: Artem Nazarov

Design Firm: Modera, Inc. and Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: CHOICE Administrators/CaliforniaChoice Title: California Different Video Creative Directors: Polly Neves, Word & Brown Companies Art Director: Modera, Inc. Marketing Manager: Rikki Nedelkow Marketing Administrator: Noe Villasenor

Design Firm: Neff, Philadelphia PA Client: Make The World Better (MTWB) Title: Short Documentary Creative Director: Adam Englehart Art Director: Luke Plata

Design Firm: Open Door Design Studio (ODDS), Muncie IN Client: American Advertising Federation East Cental Indiana (AAFECI) Creative Director: Shantanu Suman Designer: Shantanu Suman

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Design Firm: Schipper Design, San Juan Bautista CA Client: ClearPoint Neuro Title: ClearPoint Neuro NASDAQ Video Creative Director: Zack Shubkagel Rovella Designer: Cheryl Lovejoy Account Manager: Emily Deleissegues Strategic Partner: SPRIG Consulting

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | UX/UI

Design Firm: Christiansen Creative, Hudson WI Client: Brainer Title: Brainier LMS Creative Director: Tricia Christiansen Designer: Sara Erlandson Web Developer: Bjorn Hagstrom

Design Firm: Gaslight, Cincinnati OH Client: Chegg Title: Return on Education Designers: Katie Pohlman, Kati Best, Ryan Arthur Web Developers: Jeremy Kahne, Chris Anderson

Design Firm: Gaslight, Cincinnati OH Client: AMEND Title: Batched.io Designers: Lauren Lauzau, Beau Heubach, Patience Woolridge Web Devleoper: Bill Barnett Branding: Malik Media

Design Firm: Linh Dao, Old Bridge NJ Title: Immigration Documentations Application Creative Director: Linh Dao Art Director: Linh Dao Designer: Linh Dao

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | STUDENTS

Design School: Auburn University, School of Industrial + Graphic Design, Auburn AL Title: Deus Ex Machina Website Redesign Designer: Jackson Durkee Professor: Courtney Windham

Design School: Concordia University St. Paul, Woodbury MN Title: Stride Designer: Fuechee Thao Web Developer: Fuechee Thao Illustrator: Fuechee Thao Copywriter: Fuechee Thao Professor: John DuFresne

Design School: Drexel University, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Graphic Design Program, Philadelphia PA Title: Network Website Designer: Matthew Barnett Programmer: Matthew Barnett Instructor: Mark Willie

Design School: Drexel University, Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Graphic Design Program, Philadelphia PA Title: NDEO Website Redesign Designer: An Bui Programmer: An Bui Instructor: Josh Gdovin

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AMERICAN WEB DESIGN AWARDS | STUDENTS

Design Firm: Lauren Spratt, Kennesaw GA Client: Kennesaw State University/School of Art and Design Title: Redesign of Sketch Restaurant Website Art Director: Lauren Spratt Designer: Lauren Spratt Faculty: Kristine Kim (Hwang)

Design Firm: Megan D’Errico, Kennesaw GA Client: Kennesaw State University/School of Art and Design Title: National Park Service Website Redesign Creative Director: Megan D’Errico Art Director: Megan D’Errico Designer: Megan D’Errico Faculty: Kristine Kim (Hwang)

Design School: Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design/Amanda Levin, Lisle IL Title: Co - The Together App Designer: Amanda Levinaite Illustrator: Amanda Levinaite Copywriter: Amanda Levinaite Professors: Nicole Hauch, Adam Setala

Design School: Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Herndon VA Title: Embrace App Created by: Christa Morrone, Emily Ip, Inika Shetty, Cherie Chen, Isha Ray

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Design School: Studio 165+ | Ball State University School of Art, Muncie IN Client: Queer Chocolatier Title: Fresh Free Coffee Animation Designers: Sylvia Marbach, Nikki Abel, Ashley Allegretti, Mariah Drake, Kate Hamilton, Cameo Smith Photographer: Nikki Abel Illustrator and Animator: Sylvia Marbach Faculty: Shantanu Suman

Design School: Studio 165+ | Ball State University School of Art, Muncie IN Client: Building Better Neighborhoods Title: Whitely Community Design and Programs Designers: Samantha Robbins, Valerie Francis, Angle Winchester, Ashlyn Sterling, Katie Strader, Hanna Boggs Animator: Joel Hall Faculty: Shantanu Suman

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10 JOB SEARCH TIPS FOR CREATIVES

BY DIANE DOMEYER

The impacts of COVID-19 have created career challenges for many creative

HERE ARE 10 WAYS CREATIVES CAN CREATE NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:

professionals. So, is now a good time to

1. Emphasize Your Digital Presence

be looking for a job? This might sound

From LinkedIn to your digital portfolio, your online profiles

counterintuitive, but yes, it absolutely is.

qualifications or aspects of your work history that might catch

should be professional, current and consistent. Highlight the eye of an employer in today’s market — having extensive

The recruitment landscape has shifted, but companies are

experience working remotely or collaborating with dispersed

still hiring. Prior to the pandemic, there were skills shortages

teams, for example.

in several creative areas. Many hiring managers are now looking at this as an opportunity to seek talent previously

2. Show Off Your Soft Skills

unavailable. Others have seen an increase in their team’s

While employers have long known the value of soft skills,

workload based on industry or business shifts and are con-

it’s at times like these that qualities such as resilience, self-

sidering hiring. Stay positive and tailor your job-hunting

motivation and a problem-solving mindset can set you apart.

strategies to the current situation.

Previous research from The Creative Group shows that 55% of creative and marketing managers see the demand for soft skills increasing, with an emphasis on strategic thinking, leadership and communication. Make sure these traits come across in your online profiles, as well as in any conversations you have with potential employers.

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Be sure to back it up with evidence. Blandly stating, “I’m a

make sure it goes smoothly. Find a quiet room with a work-

great communicator,” suggests you’re anything but. Provide

appropriate background, test your webcam and audio, and

examples, such as a punchy summary of how you recently set

practice looking into the camera when you speak.

up a Slack channel to collaborate with other remote workers.

As with any interview, dress the part, promptly join the meet3. Go Back To School Have more time on your hands? Use it to hone your skills and bolster your qualifications. Online learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy are offering many courses either free or for a reduced rate — so if you want to master social

ing and do your best to avoid distractions. Demonstrating you can uphold your professional demeanor and communicate persuasively from a remote location could give you an edge over less prepared or less tech-savvy competitors.

8. Keep In Touch

media ad design or Adobe Lightroom, now’s your chance.

Not only will you be making yourself more employable, but you might also make some useful connections among your instructors and fellow students.

Stay connected with the hiring manager throughout the recruitment process — and follow up with a well-crafted thank-you email and LinkedIn connection. Ask what you can expect for next steps, and if you haven’t heard anything by

4. Grow Your Networks

that time, reach out via phone and email. Furthermore, if you come across news about the company or content relevant to

In-person events will likely be canceled for a while, but it’s

a previous discussion with the hiring manager, you can use

more important than ever to expand your professional network.

that as a reason to touch base.

Some conferences have gone virtual, and social media platforms are a great way to connect with industry leaders, former colleagues, school friends and prospective employers. Vocational groups and Slack communities can introduce you to others in your field. Invite your contacts to meet for a virtual coffee. It could result in a lead.

5. Increase Your Exposure Virtual conferences, webinars and forum discussions are chances to share interesting news and gain industry knowledge.

Stay digitally active by attending online events, liking and commenting on posts, connecting with speakers, responding promptly to questions, and contributing relevant articles or infographics that demonstrate your expertise.

6. Create Some Good Karma

9. Ask For Help Reach out to your network and inquire about work opportunities or career guidance. Most people will be sympathetic to your circumstances and offer help if they can. Share your situation socially to cast your net as wide as possible.

10. Keep Your Passion Alive A creative career takes talent, hard work and dedication.

Remind yourself why you love your job by asking your clients for feedback on your work. Speaking to a satisfied customer boosts your confidence, and any endorsements can be added to your online portfolio, with permission. Feedback can also identify areas for improvement.

Job-hunting is tough, but especially with the effects of a global

During the pandemic, many creatives have used their skills

pandemic still hanging over the business world. Tenacious

for the greater good by contributing to causes through design,

creatives who continue to build relationships, share ideas and

like creating informative animations and images of support

improve their skills are ideally positioned for career success

to share online. Not only is this an effective way to spread

now and in the future.

a valuable message, but it might also help you get noticed.

7. Be Camera Ready

DIANE DOMEYER is Executive Director of The Creative Group, a

Most employers and recruiters have quickly pivoted to video

specialized staffing service placing

interviewing, and they may not always schedule these meet-

interactive, design, marketing, advertising

ings in advance. Whether you’re invited to a video interview

and public relations professionals with

that day or the following week, do everything you can to

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