News from AIGA
AIGA is the professional association for design. Our mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. Learn more about AIGA—or for questions about specific AIGA programs and events, see the press kit page or contact us. If you would like to have press releases and news alerts sent to you, sign up here.
AIGA communicates with the public through a variety of channels:
Recent press releases
How are design studios adapting for the future?
NEW YORK—June 6, 2013. To help designers and firms leverage new possibilities and address future challenges, AIGA has teamed up with Adobe to ask design leaders to envision how their studios will evolve over the next few years.
Designers see brighter demand for design
NEW YORK—May 14, 2013. AIGA’s Design
Leaders Confidence Index was unchanged for the first quarter of 2013,
at 101.62 compared to the previous quarter’s 101.72. While the aggregate number
is not statistically different, there is optimism in the details: responses
to specific questions within the survey suggest confidence that both the
general economy and the design economy are improving.
AIGA and Design Ignites Change join forces to support social innovation
NEW YORK—March 5, 2013. A new professional fellowship program developed by Design Ignites Change and AIGA aims to support social impact projects by providing seed funding and mentoring to creative professionals.
Design leaders optimistic about a growing design economy
NEW YORK—February 12, 2013. AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index inched upward in the fourth quarter of 2012, climbing from 100.51 to 101.72. Given the economic anxiety surrounding the Congressional ultimatum on the “fiscal cliff” this sustained level of confidence seems to bode well for designers.
Eight Designers Awarded the AIGA Medal for 2013
NEW YORK—February 5, 2013. A lifetime of achievement in design can take many forms. The 2013 recipients of the AIGA Medal, the highest honor of the design profession, represent the range of contributions designers make to clients, future generations and society at large—through inspiration, thoughtful critique, social impact and the education of future design leaders. This spring, AIGA will recognize eight designers with this prestigious award: John Bielenberg, William Drenttel and Jessica Helfand, Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere-Jones, Stefan Sagmeister, Lucille Tenazas, and Wolfgang Weingart.
Confidence in the design economy lifts slightly
NEW YORK—November 13,
2012. AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index strengthened
in the most recent quarter. For the third quarter of 2012, the index gained,
climbing from 94.92 to 100.51. Responses to this quarterly survey of more than 350 design
leaders demonstrate continuing optimism within the design profession. Since the
third quarter of 2009, the index has fluctuated in a range roughly between 90
and 105, after having dropped to 50 in the third quarter of 2008.
AIGA announces the results of its “Justified” competition
Jury selects 18 case studies to highlight design’s process and impact
NEW YORK—October 4, 2012. Today AIGA, the professional association for design, announced the results of “Justified”—a design competition for which entrants articulate the case for their work’s effectiveness. Eighteen case studies were selected from nearly 400 entries submitted by design firms, in-house design departments, design entrepreneurs and freelance designers.
AIGA celebrates the best book design in America
“50 Books/50 Covers” results announced with Design Observer and Designers & Books
NEW YORK—October 1, 2012. Throughout its nearly 100-year existence, AIGA has recognized excellence in graphic design. Many forms, formats and trends have been brought to the public through competitions, exhibitions, case studies and publications—an endeavor befitting of “the professional association for design,” whose mission includes demonstrating design’s power. One of the best-known competitions is “50 Books/50 Covers,” which showcases book design of the highest quality and impact.
2012 Salary Survey Indicates Areas of Growth
Annual AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries reveals trends in the industry
NEW YORK—September 25, 2012. The results of the 2012 AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries may come as no surprise to working communication designers: salaries have seen little movement. Yet there are areas of the design industry experiencing growth, and lessons to be learned from the data.
AIGA conference highlights designers’ role in creating social value
NEW YORK—September 13, 2012.
Social impact, sustainability, CSR, shared value—no matter what you
call it, the impact of business on society is a hot topic, and for good
reason. Consumers are demanding increased accountability, and businesses
are realizing that their long-term viability rests upon their ability
to serve the needs of stakeholders at every level. Next month in San
Francisco, “Gain: AIGA Design for Social Value Conference” is taking this conversation to center stage in the design world.
Confidence in the design economy slips slightly
NEW YORK—August 16, 2012. AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index weakened in the most recent quarter. For the second quarter of 2012, the index slipped from 104.15 to 94.92—a 9 percent drop but still in the range of the 17 most confident quarters since the index was started in 1995.
Worldstudio and AIGA award $46,000 in scholarships
NEW YORK—July 16, 2012.
Jonathan Torres mentors high school students in a YMCA Youth Institute.
Ajani Takahashi Lofton strives to fight against selfishness and
prejudice through graphic novels. And Kyle Lopes aims to serve as a role
model for fellow art and design students by leading his school’s Latino
and Asian alliances. These talented and dedicated students are among
the 24 worthy recipients of 2012/2013 Worldstudio AIGA Scholarships,
awarded each year to college students studying art and design in the
United States who also demonstrate a commitment to social
responsibility.
Six national design leaders join the AIGA board of directors
NEW YORK—July 2, 2012. This month, six designers join the national board of director for AIGA, the professional association for design, having been nominated following a national search and elected by a vote of AIGA's professional members.
AIGA and Aquent provide designers with career development opportunities
NEW YORK—June 18, 2012. AIGA, the professional association for design, and Aquent, global staffing organization dedicated to creative, marketing and digital roles for Fortune 1000 organizations, today announced a formal partnership that will provide designers with new professional development opportunities.
Design leaders maintain confidence in the design economy's growth
NEW YORK—May 14, 2012. AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index rose again in the first quarter of 2012, rising from 100.71 to 104.15—the second highest level of confidence since AIGA began monitoring confidence in 2005.
NEA Awards Two Grants to AIGA
NEW YORK—April 27, 2012. This week the National Endowment
for the Arts (NEA) announced the results of its August 2011 deadline,
which included support towards the development of a National Design and
Social Impact Mentorship Program and 100 Years of Design in America, a series of educational videos about accomplished designers.
AIGA and Design Observer partner on “50 Books/50 Covers
NEW YORK—February 17, 2012. Today AIGA, the professional association for design, announced a partnership with Design Observer to sustain the legacy of its signature competition, “50 Books/50
Covers,” while reaching new audiences for participation and the
celebration of book design. Design Observer will expand its support of
this renowned AIGA competition through a partnership with Designers & Books,
a website showcasing books that esteemed members of the design community identify as personally important, meaningful and formative.
AIGA to honor four design visionaries this April
NEW YORK—February 8,
2012. AIGA is awarding Ralph Caplan, Elaine Lustig Cohen, Armin
Hofmann and Robert Vogele with the highest honor of the design
profession, the AIGA Medal. Each will be presented with the award at Bright Lights: The AIGA Awards on April 19 in New York.
Exhibition celebrates book and book cover design: AIGA’s “50 Books/50 Covers” selections showcase design of 2010 from around the world
NEW
YORK—December 8, 2011. Book lovers, take note: Beginning today,
visitors to the AIGA National Design Center in New York will be treated
to a show celebrating the most effective book and book cover designs
from 2010. The free exhibit showcases the results of AIGA’s “50 Books/50 Covers” competition, exemplifying the best in current book design and production.
Designers express declining optimism toward economy, though still cautiously optimistic
NEW YORK—November 17, 2011. AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index continued to drop in the most recent quarter. For the third quarter of 2011, the index slipped from 92.27 to 86.63—the lowest measure since the second quarter of 2009. Designers’ confidence had escaped the post-recession trough for fifteen months but appears to be headed downward again.
AIGA’s new case study competition helps demonstrate the value of design
NEW YORK—November 15, 2011. How do we measure the success of design’s
impact? And more importantly, how can designers be equipped to describe
the effectiveness of communication design? This year AIGA challenged
designers to answer these questions by entering “Making the Case,” a
competition awarding honors to case studies that demonstrate the value
of design in a clear, compelling and accessible way.
AIGA launches Design for Good to harness creative talent for social good
NEW YORK—October 27, 2011. AIGA, the professional association for design, is launching the Design for Good initiative to connect and amplify the pro bono efforts of designers, firms, students and chapters across the country—and in turn, inspire more involvement.
Designers gather in Phoenix to address shifts in the design profession
NEW YORK—October 6, 2011. What is the role of design in a rapidly shifting world? Next week hundreds of professional designers, educators and design students will gather to address this very question at the AIGA Design Conference, taking place in Phoenix from October 13–16. The theme of this year’s conference is “Pivot,” focusing on how design and designers are shifting to address changes in society, the economy and culture.
A showcase of effective design to premiere at the AIGA National Design Center
NEW YORK—September 13, 2011. A special exhibition in New York will
ask visitors to consider an important question: How can design be more
than just a
beautiful exterior? At the AIGA National Design Center and in the AIGA
Design Archives online, the much anticipated “365 | Design
Effectiveness” exhibition will showcase award-winning work that
successfully
pairs aesthetics with results.
AIGA’s quarterly measure of confidence in the design economy continues to slip
NEW YORK—August 15, 2011. AIGA’s Design Leaders Confidence Index continued to drop in the most recent quarter. For the second quarter of 2011, the index slipped from 101.42 to 92.27—a level not seen since July 2009 when it was climbing out of a two-year slump.
AIGA and Aquent release an expanded survey of design salaries online
NEW YORK—August 9, 2011. The 2011 AIGA|Aquent Survey of Design Salaries, an annual survey of compensation in the design industry, features a new interactive format and expanded design disciplines across the United States.
AIGA launches “Design Envy” to showcase the best in design
NEW
YORK—July 6, 2011. AIGA and Adobe announce the launch of Design Envy, a
daily blog featuring “wish I’d done that” discoveries from a wide range
of curators—work that’s so creative, inspiring and effective, they wish
they had designed it themselves.
AIGA welcomes new members to its national board of directors
NEW YORK—July 1, 2011. Today a group of five accomplished design professionals—Andrew Blauvelt (Walker Art Center), Drew Davies (Oxide Design), Doug Powell (Schwartz Powell), Susana Rodríguez de Tembleque (SYPartners), and Nathan Shedroff (California College of the Arts)—joins the 15-member national board of directors for AIGA.
Design leaders remain optimistic about 2011
NEW YORK—May 16, 2011. AIGA's Design Leaders Confidence Index
slipped slightly in the most recent quarter, dropping from an all-time
high of 105.09 to 101.42. Yet this quarter's measure of confidence in
the design economy remains higher than it was in April 2005, when AIGA
premiered its survey.
AIGA partners with Shutterstock to provide creative inspiration to members
NEW YORK—February 15, 2011. Today AIGA, the professional association for design, announced an exclusive national partnership with Shutterstock, the world's largest subscription-based provider of royalty-free stock photography, illustrations, and footage. Shutterstock will serve as the "Official AIGA Sponsor for Creative Inspiration."
Design Leaders are optimistic about 2011
NEW YORK—February 14, 2011. AIGA's Design Leaders Confidence Index
reached its highest level since April 2005—when AIGA premiered its
quarterly survey—jumping 6 points in the last quarter of 2010, from
98.99 to 105.09.
AIGA honors Method and Tiffany & Co. for their embodiment of design excellence
NEW YORK—February 10, 2011. AIGA named renowned jeweler Tiffany
& Co. and home-care innovators Method as the recipients of the
esteemed AIGA Corporate Leadership Award, for their contributions to
design excellence and the development of the design profession.
In a rapidly changing industry, designers explore the boundaries of book design
NEW YORK—January 20, 2011. Today's communication designers are
exploring the craft of modern book design and the art of publishing, and
AIGA's "50 Books/50 Covers Competition" seeks to celebrate this by
highlighting the most effective printed books and book covers.
Communications contact
For further information, please contact:
Jennifer Bender
Director of communications and marketing
AIGA | the professional association for design
Tel 212 710 3136 Fax 212 807 1799
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