Meet AIGA’s 2018 Medalists, representing the vibrant spectrum of design excellence

NEW YORK—Since 1920, AIGA has awarded the AIGA Medal, one of the highest distinctions in the field, to designers whose influence, careers, and bodies of work represent exemplary and unique stories of dedication to craft, career growth, and the tightly woven fabric of design, technology, culture, and society.  

The slate of 2018 Medalists, announced today, is one of the most multifaceted ones in AIGA’s 105 year-old history. “Together, these five designers paint a vibrant picture of design’s past, present, and future,” said Andrew Blauvelt, chair of this year’s Medalist Committee and director of the Cranbrook Art Museum.

AIGA’s 2018 Medalists are:

Aaron Douglas
Honored posthumously, Aaron Douglas, graphic designer, artist, and educator is recognized for pioneering a visual language that authentically celebrated black experience during the Harlem Renaissance. He founded the art department at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee and taught visual art classes there until his retirement in 1966. Douglas is known as a prominent leader in modern African-American art whose work influenced artists for years to come.

Arem Duplessis
Arem is recognized for his extraordinary work as a creative director whose integrated visual communications consistently and eloquently shape stories across multiple platforms, from The New York Times Magazine, where he served as design director and led a department that was named 'Design Team of The Year' by The Art Directors Club for three consecutive years, to Apple, where he currently serves as a creative director within its Worldwide Marketing department. 

Karin Fong
Karin is recognized for her groundbreaking work and mastery in the field of visual storytelling as a director and motion designer for more than 20 years. She has helmed iconic projects in film, television, gaming, and advertising. Her work in main title design, such as Boardwalk Empire, Terminator: Salvation, Charlotte’s Web, and Rubicon, has earned her five nominations and an Emmy. She continues her work as a founding member at Imaginary Forces.

Susan Kare
Susan is recognized for her bold and intelligent design of icons for the early Macintosh computers that defined the Apple user experience and set the industry standard with memorable wit and humanity. She began her career as one of the original Macintosh group employees at Apple, and then NeXT. Since then, Susan has designed thousands of icons and graphics for hundreds of companies including Microsoft, IBM, and Facebook. She currently works as creative director at Pinterest and designs fine art icon prints at kareprints.com.

Victor Moscoso
Victor is recognized for originating an enduring graphic style instrumental in defining both Underground Comix and the psychedelic rock posters of the 1960s, and their indelible impact on American culture. Though his poster style is synonymous with the Summer of Love, he continues to create comics, as well as poster work for artists like the Grateful Dead and Herbie Hancock.

Julie Anixter, AIGA’s executive director, said, “The 2018 Medalists show how much impact designers make on culture. Each of these designers exemplifies what is possible when you don’t stop being curious, being relentless in pursuit of a vision, being socially conscious, being agile and interdisciplinary in their work. Each one represents the continuous pursuit of mastery. We are thrilled to help bring even greater public attention and recognition to their work, which the amazing films by Dress Code help us do.”

About Dress Code

Dress Code is a New York-based film production company founded by Andre Andreev and Dan Covert. They have produced over 50 short films on AIGA Medalists, including five new films on each of the 2018 winners. Follow @DressCodeNY on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.