How Medalists are chosen
Each year, the AIGA Medal is
awarded to individuals in recognition of their distinguished
achievements, services or other contributions to the field of
design. The contribution may be in the practice of design,
teaching, writing or leadership of the profession.
Recommend a
Medalist
Do you have a colleague or mentor who has made a significant
impact on the practice of design in the United States? Nominate him
or her for the 2012 AIGA Medal!
To recommend a medalist, simply
with your nomination, along with a short
paragraph about why he or she should be considered.
Selection criteria and process
Awards committee and process
Each nomination for the AIGA Medal is reviewed by a committee
comprised of designers who have been active at the chapter or national
level and have demonstrated an interest both in AIGA and the
communications design profession. The Awards Committee selects
Medalists based on criteria listed below and submits their
recommendations, with justification, for consideration and ratification
by the national board of directors.
The 2012 Awards Committee is chaired by Antonio Alcalá, Studio A, AIGA DC, and also includes:
- Joe Cecere, Little & Company, AIGA Minnesota
- Pum Lefebure, Design Army, AIGA DC
- Kelly Stevens, Whole Foods Market, AIGA Austin
- Rick Valicenti, Thirst/3ST, AIGA Chicago
- David Williams, Morningstar, Inc., AIGA Chicago
- Ann Willoughby, Willoughby Design, AIGA Kansas City
Selection criteria
Medals will be awarded to individuals who have set standards of
excellence over a lifetime of work or have made individual contributions
to innovation within the practice of design. Individuals who are
honored may work in any country, but the contribution for which they are
honored should have had a significant impact on the practice of design
in the United States. The awards may honor designers posthumously.
The AIGA board of directors has issued the following standing instructions to the committee:
- More than one medal may be given each year,
particularly for honorees who are judged by the different criteria of
lifetime achievement versus innovation. Recommendation by the committee
for the awarding of several medals should not substitute for gaining the
committee’s solid consensus around a single honoree. The awarding of
several medals should not substitute for decisive selection of honorees
based on immutable contributions. Exceptional circumstances, such as the
recognition of a number of designers for lifetime achievement from an
older generation, may warrant multiple awards. The board has asked the
executive director to participate in the committee deliberations to
provide guidance on the criteria for multiple awards.
- The AIGA Medal is the most distinguished award given to designers. It is expected that it
will be given to an individual who has made his or her contribution to
design or visual communication as the profession is defined by the
majority of AIGA members. Although product designers,
photographers, architects and illustrators may make a contribution to
design through work in their own fields, each of these professions have
other prestigious awards available to them for their professional
achievements.
- The event used to award the medal will seek to increase
public awareness and understanding of the role of the designer, the
process of design, the value of design and the achievement of the
honored professional.
- The Medalists’ work will be published with a biographical essay and online gallery of images. If funding or sponsorship is available, a small show of the recipients’ work will be mounted in the gallery.
- AIGA believes the true potential of this marvelous profession
will be not be achieved until we can celebrate that excellence and
diversity have been joined. Every effort should be made by the
committee to identify designers who have achieved the highest standard
of excellence and have emerged from diverse backgrounds.
The board may augment the selections of the committee with additional honorees.