Laurie Haycock and Scott Makela

The distinguished AIGA Medal is awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements in the field of design.

Ed Fella (2007 AIGA Medalist) is an artist, educator and iconoclastic designer who dared to reshape contemporary typography and graphic design, largely by making visible the postmodern concept of deconstruction.

For an in-house designer, what is the secret to securing great relationships with clients? Business coach Rena DeLevie proposes a four-point contract for establishing and maintaining a productive alliance, outlining simple yet surprisingly effective strategies that designers can adopt and implement on a daily basis.

The founder of Local Projects weighs in on the mobile computing paradigm, the user experience perspective and what it means for the design studio of the future.

Design, like almost every industry, has been changed forever by technology, global access and social innovation. It’s time to interpret the evidence around us—there are lessons to be learned, and new types of talent required to thrive.

Web lessons from 2011, the Protester, buzzwords to avoid, HP’s new logo, pop stars’ personalities in percentages, Design Envy picks from Diana Hong, interviews galore, censoring the internet and extreme long-term planning—these are our stories of the week.