GORDON KAYE AND SASHA KAYE-WALSH ARE EDITORS AT GDUSA
Comments, suggestions and letters can be sent to editorial@ gdusa.com.
The October 2022 edition features our annual Responsible Designers To Watch round up — aka “designing for good.”
These two dozen designers, like so many people “post-pandemic,” are looking to focus their creative efforts on work that feels meaningful and impactful to them. Reading over them all, I was struck by the range and scope of the issues tackled: from addressing predatory economic power to fighting climate change; from supporting marginalized communities to providing free medical care to the uninsured; from promoting civic engagement to raising funds for good causes. They also have a mature and nuanced perspective: no one is claiming game-changing solutions or diminishing the roles of scientists, doctors or engineers. As Ben Greengrass says, “We’re not trying to announce that design can save the world or solve all its problems, but when you see it helping people and making an impact it makes you happy to do what you do.” Their efforts are making an impact – all of these designers’ ideas and work are on the front lines – locally, nationally, globally – every day pushing us forward. And that’s why they’re worth watching. SKW
Our annual competition honors graphic design excellence in this fast-growing and transcendently important segment of our economy and society. This year’s competition is the largest and most selective yet, with winners chosen from a stunning array of design firms, agencies, and departments. Honored projects run the gamut from traditional medicine and healthcare to health lifestyles and holistic alternative to public, institutional and community health initiatives. Healthcare and how it is delivered has been an epicenter of national conversation for decades but, in this moment when the unfathomable has happened, the creative work represented in this very select showcase reminds us — as if we need reminding! — that engaging, effective, informative and impactful graphic communications can make a meaningful difference in our personal and collective health and well-being. We like to believe that our yearly showcase contributes to the conversation about what it means to be a healthy and a well society. GDK
I generally try to avoid writing about things I have aged out of — for fear of being wrong, or missing the point, or being ridiculed. It works. Occasionally. That said, I cannot help myself from inviting trouble by reacting to the results of a new survey by Adobe about the role of emoji in our lives. In essence, the findings reveal that a vast majority of users believe that emoji have transformed the way they express themselves, make it easier to communicate their true selves, and otherwise perform all manner of worthwhile functions — including increasing empathy, enhancing work product, improving mental health, and bridging differences across race, culture, age and beyond. And let’s not get started on their central role in dating, sex and romance for millenials and, especially, Gen Z’ers. This should make me happy: who can be against visual symbols that promise improve lives and enrich lifestyles. If it were a drug I would take it. In truth, however, I feel sad because, rather than seeing emoji for what they are — a marginally helpful device that augments digital messaging — respondents to the survey imbue them with the promise of personal connection and the ability to fill big, personal, emotional gaps. Which underscores what all know but have yet to fully come to grips with as a society: people are quickly losing the skills, the desire and the opportunity to interact face-to-face, and thus to experience the beauty and richness that human connection can provide. You can find the story and links to the actual Adobe survey, for your own evaluation, later in this edition. GDK
Collins clarifies Girl Scouts brand for a new era; Design Army salutes capital city chic; the IOC unveils a refreshed identity for the Olympic Games; Mucca taps key moment in women’s history for landmark hotel; Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv steers hospitality group to safe harbor: Adobe survey reveals emoji expand opportunities for self-expression and inclusivity; Common Sense forges a new logo for sustainable steelmaking; visual devices tells Samsung streaming story; and more. Also, visit gdusa.com for daily news, people, projects, ideas and events.
This special report continues our practice of shining the spotlight on designers who exemplify the interwoven values of social responsibility and sustainability. It’s a broad and deep look at people, firms and organizations motivated to ‘design for good’ as they see it. And it’s especially relevent, meaningful and poignant given this pivotal moment for America and the world as we emerge into a new era of fault lines and fall out, challenge and change. A special thanks to exclusive sponsor DOMTAR for making this feature possible.
Our annual GDUSA Health+Wellness Design Awards™ competition honors graphic excellence in this fast-growing, hugely important and high-profile segment of the economy. The 2022 winners showcase is the largest and most selective yet, featuring projects and campaigns from leading institutions, design firms, agencies and departments encompassing traditional medicine and healthcare, healthy lifestyles and nutrition, and public and community health initiatives. It is a reminder — as if we needed one! — that effective communication makes a vital contribution to our personal and collective healthy, wellness and safety.
Paul Flaharty of Robert Half provides a glimpse at 2023 salary guidelines, the most-wanted benefits across all sectors, and — more broadly — the four salary and hiring trends that will help managers and job candidates navigate the hiring process today.
Domtar is the exclusive sponsor of GDUSA’s Responsible Designers annual special report. Domtar has the North American market’s largest selection of uncoated papers — from high quality office, printing and digital papers, to innovative converting and specialty papers.
Says the company: “But we don’t just sell paper. With our private brand expertise, well-known brands and paper industry knowledge, we’re the partner dedicated to helping you optimize your business. Whether through product selection, service platforms or inventory management, we’re here to serve you for the long-term.”
Domtar is currently celebrating 50 years of Cougar®, a premium paper well-known to designers and printers for it’s high performance and signature velvety feel that amplifies a brand’s passion and personality. For half a century, Cougar has defined the path for print as an art form and invited those who hold it in their hands to be captivated by its beauty. With three finishes, two shades, and expanded digital offering and an array of sizes and weights, Cougar is a powerful way to print your projects to life.
This special October 2022 edition of GDUSA is printed on Cougar® 70 lb. text. To learn more about how the brand “continues to run ahead, steadily, boldly, beautifully” visit paper.domtar.com/50yearsofcougar
COLLINS helped rebrand the Girl Scouts as the cultural force that they have long been. This image is known as ‘Badge Suit’ for obvious reasons. Graphic design news begins at PAGE 6.
Gordon Kaye
PUBLISHER
Ilana Greenberg CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Sasha Kaye-Walsh
EDITOR/WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA
Gordon Kaye
EDITOR/PRINT
Althea Edwards READER SERVICES
Angelo Abbondante ACCOUNTS MANAGER Jennifer Hoff Scott Sczcypiorski INTERNET SERVICES
Maliya Malik DESIGN/SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN
Jay Lewis Jeffrey Rosenberg PHOTOGRAPHY
Ron Andriani
Milton L. Kaye 1921-2016 FOUNDER
COPYRIGHT
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 signficant cost savings to the customer.
Contact: kallimapaper.com and 1.800.411.7011
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NEW YORK NY For over one hundred years, the Girl Scouts has played an active role in the cultural milestones of American history and sought to promote female leadership. With over 112 independent councils designing communications, the design approach needed a cohesive point of view and flexible ways to express it. Thus, the organization invited COLLINS to help clarify the brand as a vital and hopeful cultural force. Inspired by the visuality and history of Girl Scout patches and badges — artifacts of achievement that girls wear to tell their own story, their goals, accomplishments, interests, identities — the design team translated these objects into bold, geometric forms that could be used as building blocks for design and interactivity, and applications varying from presentation templates to ad campaigns. COLLINS also worked with the Girl Scouts creative team and Positype to commission a distinct custom typeface. And they simplified the ever-present Trefoi down to its “iconic essence.” While the symbol is rooted in green, it can now selectively expand so the mission can come to life in multicolor. Finally, COLLINS invited a diverse group of women artists and designers to create posters that express their scouting experiences. The series includes new talent like Cyra Cupid (RISD, 2021) and Jingqi Fan (Washington University, 2020) as well as AIGA Medalists Gail Anderson, Karin Fong, Debbie Millman, Noreen Morioka and Cheryl Miller, among others. wearecollins.com
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NASHVILLE TN Nashville’s Hermitage Hotel opened in 1910 as the city’s first million-dollar hotel, and the establishment has hosted everyone from presidents to celebrities. This history includes a key moment in the Women’s Suffrage movement when Tennessee legislators descended upon the hotel for a special session called by the Governor in the period leading up to ratification which, in turn, led the hotel to be designated a National Historic Landmark. When creative studio Mucca was asked to create a fresh visual identity for the hotel — the grandeur had given way to “a lot of confusion about the brand’s voice and vision” — the designers embraced this memorable moment to create a sense of unity in the brand experience. Mucca began by creating a custom typeface called “Suffragette” as the rebrand’s foundation, reimagining University Roman as a sans serif display typeface, retaining the charm and novelty while creating something bespoke to the hotel. This stylish look and elegant typeface was then paired with messaging that had a more down-to-earth tone of voice. For example, for touchpoints like the door hangers, Mucca traded the mundane and expected “Please do not disturb” for “No, thanks” or “Please tidy up my room” for “Yes, please”, while local lingo like “Meet me at the Hermitage” turned into playful messaging like “Read me at the Hermitage” for bookmarks. And inspired by the ornate crown molding and plaster castings that filled the hotel lobby, event spaces, and ballrooms, Mucca’s team saw yellow as a way to add a sense of playful luxury to the brand while connecting it to its place in the suffrage movement. “As the story goes, leading up the final vote, The Hermitage was filled with ProSuffragists donning yellow roses,” notes O’Connor. “Because of this, yellow became our brand’s most dominant color.” mucca.com
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WASHINGTON DC The nation’s capital hits the style spotlight with Design Army’s new CityCenter DC campaign — redefining luxury and repositioning the city as creative an fashion-forward. Building on the notion that luxury today is not defined by logos — but how it makes you feel – the design firm conceived the campaign — “Celebrating YOU” — as a weird, crazy fun train journey to CityCenter DC taking the fast track to an authentic you. The witty spot and related materials for the city’s biggest shopping and dining district celebrates self-expression with eclectic characters of every age and style sense. Backdropped by DC’s famous landmarks, the campaign uses eye-popping color and unexpected twists — from 1940s jazz music with a taste of Hip Hop to over-the-top forks to show horses, and more. Even the custom typography has personality all its own. Comments Pum Lefebure, chief creative officer and co-founder, Design Army: “Rebranding an area in downtown DC is not an easy task! And DC is not known as a creative city. I always get asked why I live in DC, ‘Isn’t that conservative & boring?’ I love DC because it’s not affected by trends. It’s a rich culture (international, multiple languages, etc) so it was super important to reflect this and reposition DC as the creative city it is. To bring this to life, we conceived tons of visual puns to keep the audience engaged with over-the-top details like the mature lady carrying a giant fork, the show horse carrying gifts, the double bike — even graphic design props (like the books on the train). I love these — design is the detail!” designarmy.com
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VANCOUVER BC The International Olympic Committee (IOC) unveils a refreshed brand identity for the Olympics, including custom typefaces, illustrations and graphics that aim to bring the legacy of the games into the modern world. With the full brand rollout expected to be completed in time for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the updated brand identity will be used across all touchpoints of the brand including on banners, press releases and social media platforms. Canadian creative agency Hulse & Durrell partnered with the IOC to develop several custom typefaces, new graphics and illustrations, and a set of brand guidelines. Explains IOC head of brand management May Guerraoui: “The evolved brand pushes further the Olympic brand identity through a vibrant extended palette based on the Olympic colors, inspirational illustrations and tailored-made typography — it’s about leveraging on a new design system to communicate the brand values with emotion. For this first time global brand identity, the IOC began working on the project in 2018 and some aspects of it, such as typefaces Olympic Headline, Olympic Sans and Olympic Serif, have been released during the past few years. The typefaces were designed by graphic designers Fabian Harb and Seb McClauchlan from type design agency Dinamo and Julien Hébert of design studio Principal, while artists Francesco Ciccolella, Abbey Lossing and Karan Singh created the illustrations for the brand identity. The Olympic logo with its five interlocked Olympic rings, designed by the founder of the modern games Pierre de Coubertin, remains unchanged. Although the primary colors of the symbol — blue, yellow, black, green, red and white — have not been altered, the Olympic palette has expanded for digital interfaces, infographics and illustrations. In addition, according to Guerraoui, the new identity also aims to channel a sustainability commitment, designed to have a reduced environmental impact in its print and digital mediums. hulsedurrell.com
EMERYVILLE CA/LONDON UK/ULTIMA AU Drinks design specialist Denomination has created an evocative package for the latest wine varietal from House of Brown, the new second label from Brown Estate, described as Napa Valley’s first Black-owned estate winery. The design for the new Red Blend challenges traditional preoccupations with formality and exclusivity by embedding on the bottle a richly layered homage to the brand’s ‘Come one, come all ethos’. Says Margaret Nolan, Creative Director, Denomination: “We were asked to instigate a House of Brown ‘movement’ by designing distinct, stand-out packaging that evokes a sense of belonging. These are values that consumers are finding increasingly important. People care what their drinks choices say about them, and picking a House of Brown bottle to share with family and friends needed to communicate a modern perspective on society — welcoming, accepting, contemporary . . . ” To achieve this, the label takes sections of images of people of different genders and ethnicities, using collage to form a universal whole. The profile is surrounded by imagery to signify the flavor notes that you can expect to detect in a particular wine. And the capsule amplifies the brand story with the word ‘welcome.’ Deneen Brown, President of Brown Estate, says “This stunning and innovative packaging is a powerful platform for growing House of Brown's audience, and the ‘human x nature’ collages embody an expansive brand identity that knows no bounds.” www.denomination.com
Making an informed paper selection is key to making print that stands out and creates impact. That’s why Mohawk has refined and reorganized their paper portfolio into 5 distinct Collections that help make choosing paper by its properties and attributes easier. All the legendary grades that Mohawk produces still exist, but the new Mohawk Collections give you a simpler, more straightforward way to think about paper.
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MIAMI FL Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv has created a new name and identity for Royal Caribbean Group. Formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., the company is one of the world’s largest players in hospitality; it owns Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises, among others, as well as destinations on land, including hotels and its own island in The Bahamas featuring a theme park resort. Together, Royal Caribbean Group brands operate more than 60 ships. The new brand name is intended to help to clarify the distinction between the parent company and its flagship cruise line, suggesting that it is an umbrella for multiple brands — and also signaling that the business goes beyond cruises. The centerpiece of the new visual identity program is a redrawn crown and anchor. More refined and simplified with geometric precision, the refined symbol is set within an enclosing circle and paired with an elegant serif wordmark. To further differentiate the parent brand from the cruise line brand, symbol and wordmark both appear in a deep blue and gold. CGH also created an extensive set of brand guidelines, including recommendations for brand voice, a distinctive approach to the use of photography in corporate communications, and a set of custom icons. www.cghnyc.com
SAN JOSE CA Adobe has released its US Emoji Trend Report, looking at the role and impact of emoji in digital communication. The report finds that 91% of US emoji users agree emoji make it easier to express themselves, and 71% agree inclusive emoji can help spark positive conversations about cultural and social issues. The vast majority of respondents also agree we should strive for more inclusive emoji representation (in line with the release of Unicode 15.0, which will introduce new emoji including the maracas, flute, khanda, hair pick, pink heart and folding hand fan). States Adobe: “US emoji users see significant benefits from including emoji in their digital messaging … This fun, fast and friendly form of communication has transformed the way Americans express themselves and continues to push the boundaries on how U.S. emoji users bridge conversations across age, race, culture and beyond.” Among the report’s other findings: 60% agree that using emoji in their communications has improved their mental health; 92% agree that emoji make it easier to communicate across language barriers; 88% say they are more likely to feel empathetic toward someone if they use an emoji; and 71% of US emoji users say they use emoji at work with most increasing their emoji use at work. In addition, emoji can make or break relationships: 72% use emoji in conversations with someone they’re interested in flirting with or dating; two out of five Gen Z’ers would not pursue a serious or long-term relationship with someone who did not use emoji; and nearly a third of users say someone has used an emoji to end a relationship with them. The least favorite emoji are — wait for it — the pile of poo, closely followed by angry face, flushed face and eggplant. Comments Paul D. Hunt, typeface designer and font developer at Adobe: “As a visual form of communication, emoji help fill the emotional gaps when representing ourselves online and help us communicate our personal identities, thoughts and feelings in ways words often cannot.” blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2022/09/13emoji-trend-report
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LONDON UK DixonBaxi has collaborated with Samsung to create a visual identity for Samsung TV Plus that reflects its growing roster of channels, a substantial library of premium content, and improved cross-device experience. Says Jed Carter, Design Director at DixonBaxi: “The brand system was designed to look and feel easy, slick and dynamic, and is flexible enough to work in just about any space — reflecting the ease of use of the Samsung TV Plus product and supplementing the wider Samsung brand.” Key to the identity is “The Cascade,” a visual device that represents the ability of Samsung TV Plus to exist seamlessly across every type of screen, and which is intended to facilitate storytelling by taking viewers through an eclectic mix of content. A silhouetted logo is also born of “The Cascade,” standing as an invitation to explore the wider TV Plus service. In addition, a new color palette features signature pink, blue and orange, tied to the wider Samsung ecosystem, but with a dialed up vibrancy, while the black and white base palette balances out the system and helps makes typography clear. A flexible motion approach amplifies the simplicity of the product, a new tagline — “Just switch on” — summarizes the ease and immediacy of the service, and the project concludes with a 4-beat signature mnemonic identity created in partnership with Zelig for the opening and closing sequences of the app. dixonbaxi.com
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The Organization of Black Designers/OBD created the "Black Designers Matter!" T-Shirt to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The shirt also references the pressing need for greater Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the design professions. That has been the mission of OBD since its founding in 1994. Proceeds from the sale of these shirts will go to support and build our OBD Scholarship Endowment Fund. We will also contribute 5% of our T-Shirt sales to Black Lives Matter.
Thank you for your support.
https://teespring.com/stores/org-black-designers-obd
DENVER CO To signal the company’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of the steel industry, with their new production process, Blacksmith Materials has rebranded as Alterna. Denver CO advertising agency Common Good paved the path forward by developing the new company name, the logo, and its overall visual identity. The name “Alterna” was selected to telegraph the company as the alternative to the old method of metal production. The U.S.-based technology company is focused on advancements that eliminate nearly all the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions typically associated with refining iron and steel (one of the largest contributors of emissions today). It essentially allows companies to make steel using less energy for a lower cost. The logo is intended to look timeless but with a modern aesthetic, the “A” symbol is designed to be an abstract representation of extruded metal from the mill, and the wordmark is set in a humble yet future-looking typeface. “The tone is provocative, optimistic and philanthropic,” said Andy Dutlinger, creative director. “We needed to accurately represent the positive impact, both environmentally and economically, that Alterna can bring to steel manufacturing — and the reality that this groundbreaking innovation could help fuel a new Industrial Revolution.” Creative credits, in addition to Andy Dutlinger, include: Associate Creative Director Emma Bryant, Copywriter Mia Godwin, Designer Kent Ervin, Production Designer Kristin Goulet, Client Director Daniela Reyes, and Strat Director Stefanie McNabb. www.commongood.co
As a complement to our perennial and popular special reports — “People To Watch” (newsworthy designers) and “Students To Watch” (rising graduates of note) and “Educators To Watch” (influential teachers) — we have added an annual “Responsible Designers To Watch” to the editorial mix. Growing naturally out of our longtime coverage of “green design,” this pivot recognizes that creative professionals are embracing responsibility writ large in terms of how sustainably they create and produce, yes, but more broadly how, when, why and for whom they work.
The common thread: these are creative and thought leaders who use design principles, talents and skills to make the world a better place as they see it. In 2022, it’s especially relevant, meaningful and poignant given this pivotal moment for America and the world as we emerge into a new era of fallout and fault lines, challenges and change, and the need to repair a fraying social fabric.
For nearly six decades, GDUSA has argued that graphic design is a valuable tool for shaping commerce, culture and causes, and should be recognized and rewarded as such. Never has this proposition been more true.
Frank William Miller, Jr. has more than 15 years of design and art direction experience in both corporate and entertainment sectors. He currently serves as the Design Director for social impact consultancy Matter Unlimited where he helps purpose-led organizations bring their visual identities to life. Prior to joining Matter Unlimited, Frank held design-focused leadership roles at Complex Magazine, HOT 97, and Rockstar Games.
Matter Unlimited is a social impact consultancy rooted in culture, capital, and cause. They are an award-winning team of creatives, changemakers, storytellers, and strategists who work with brave organizations to create a more equitable and sustainable world.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
I gravitated toward this work in particular after years of designing for entertainment and products that I felt did little for people at large beyond the sugar rush of consumption for consumption’s sake. While working squarely in entertainment and consumer products can be a great playground to discover and develop skills within, it ultimately felt unfulfilling after a decade and change.
Every day feels more crucial and important than the last, whether that’s a byproduct of bare maturity or gaining a deeper and clearer understanding of all the competing, conflicting systems at play that keep this world from being the equitable utopia many of us claim to want for ourselves and one another. I felt the need to make more intentional choices on where I want my efforts and energy to be applied and spent.
Graphic design has been both a method of catharsis for me as well as an avenue to problem solve. In my personal work it’s been a way to blow off steam or crack a niche joke or communicate how disorienting the political and social climate has felt nationally and internationally alike the last decade or so.
Professionally, it’s been a way to help clients and partners better articulate their mission and voice, whether that’s been brand ID projects for partners such as Capital B News, a Black-led, nonprofit local and national news organization dedicated to Black communities across the country attempting to combat increased targeted misinformation experienced in the last half dozen years with deep, truthful reporting, or a web experience for Merck For Mothers celebrating their 10 years of experience, accomplishments and ongoing efforts to reduce maternal mortality for at risk communities domestically and abroad — finding the most engaging way to connect with potential readers, visitors, marginalized and at risk populations, and more by sometimes making existing brand guidelines and guardrails sing a little sweeter or by creating a completely new visual architecture from the pebbles up for an emerging brand to connect through. It’s all deeply thoughtful and fulfilling work to be a part of, and I’m thankful each day I get to work on projects and issues that mean so much to me personally with such a dedicated and thoughtful team like the one I’ve found in Matter Unlimited.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good.
If we define designing for good as “designing to lessen and dutifully eradicate inequality and inequity in our society” and “inequalities and inequities experienced by society’s most marginalized and socially and politically powerless,” then the opportunity has always existed.
The opportunity and urgency is always there, we only need to answer the call and not become the obstacle ourselves. Whether that’s designing websites and mobile applications with an accessibility mindset first, or fashioning better protections to the right to vote or bodily autonomy, or ensuring better access to healthcare to disproportionately affected communities during a pandemic. The choice is always there: the path of least resistance or the path that actually creates good.
For fifty years, Cougar Paper has defined the path for print as an art form and invited those who hold it in their hands to be captivated by its beauty. Cougar is a premium brand that showcases breathtaking designs, textures, techniques and art. Domtar is celebrating the impressive history of Cougar, the people who make it their own, the designers who inspire its evolution and the limitless possibilities for its brilliant future.
After decades of impressive performance in the marketplace and earning a well-deserved reputation for vivid solids and consistency, Cougar continued to expand its dominance by learning to change with the times. As technology evolved, so did Cougar; by doing so, it ensured that the best facet of these new technologies was highlighted. Over the years, Cougar has gone from a green-white shade to blue-white to now the more balanced white we have all come to love. It has gone from a lower brightness sheet to the 98 brightness that allows for jawdropping vivid colors. Over time, we’ve added Cougar Natural and Cougar Digital Color Copy to the assortment to continue meeting customers’ needs.
Technology Manager, Kurt Mehlberg, having had a hand in the development of Cougar, explains that “the Domtar Rothschild Mill is the ‘Home of Cougar’ and takes that responsibility very seriously. Although there have been multiple improvements throughout Cougar’s 50 year history, in my opinion, the pride and ownership of everyone involved across Domtar along with the robust systems built to ensure customer satisfaction have been the most beneficial. The manufacturing foundation continually improves, and ensures every roll, skid or carton meets our exacting standards and performs as expected every time.”
In addition to excellence in paper making, the Rothschild mill has made numerous environmental contributions. From upgrading the water treatment system to becoming a total chlorine free (TCF) mill three years before the EPA deadline. Being a leader in caring for our environment is as much a core principle as the art of paper making itself.
The paper manufacturing process is a unique blend of tradition, art and skill. The attention to every detail is the key to consistency and superb quality. Cougar was bred from this philosophy and it still lives on today.
In 1972, the Rothschild mill in Rothschild WI began making Cougar Opaque. This was during a time when mills were making opaque grades classified as No.1 Opaques. The name Cougar complemented the animal theme that began with Husky Offset.
For decades, printers and designers alike have chosen Cougar to be the medium that best represents their imaginations, their soul, their design prowess. From bold and vibrant ads to printed materials to White House Christmas invitations, Cougar delivers consistently.
We have had the privilege over the years to create works of art that display Cougar’s adaptability to represent the designer’s eye.
In exquisite pieces like “Luxury Within Reach,” Cougar boasts how it holds dramatic and vibrant hues, captures details with poise and conveys emotions that connect to memories. Connecting and creating meaningful brands is portrayed wonderfully in the piece “w/PURPOSE.” Here, we inspire you to see how Cougar’s unique, velvety feel resonates with your audience on a deeper level and how its crisp detail and striking color can captivate them.
to connect people and their ideas to print and those working in our product management department have no plans to stop!
Printing Papers Product Manager, Goldie McGee, shares, “Cougar has a long-standing history as our superior-quality paper, known for its excellent performance, signature velvety feel and breadth of line. With a new generation of printers more excited than ever to prove the potential of print, I envision Cougar as the continued paper of choice for brands looking to make powerful and lasting impressions.”
Cougar’s extensive breadth of line allows for you to create your story in the way that meets your customer’s journey. The assortment has three finishes, two shades, an expanded digital offering and a vast array of sizes and weights, so that you have multiple options to bring your creativity to life.
Meredith Collins, Customer Marketing Manager for Domtar’s most exclusive brands, know these attributes well. She says, “For 50 years, Cougar Paper has been an icon in the merchant, printer and design communities. During that time, it has built a legacy of bringing important work to life and elevating projects to new levels.”
We have featured designers’ work in pieces such as “Share on Cougar” where they show why Cougar is their choice for effective and compelling print and we have helped show the impact you can make to your design through guide books like the “Embossing Guide.” Cougar enables design dreams to spring to life.
As Collins declares, “It has become the go-to sheet because customers can be assured that every sheet will be of the highest quality and integrity and will always exceed their expectations. It stands in a class of its own.”
As with most great things, they evolve. Cougar will take its wellrespected past and put the same efforts, design and craftmanship into its future. Cougar papers have always had the ability
We are proudly celebrating Cougar’s past while reveling in the ideas and promise of its future. Vice President of Merchant Sales, John Milazo, is excited about where we’re heading. “Quite simply put,” he says, “Domtar’s Cougar Brand is one of the most sought-after lines in the merchant business, widely known for its unparalleled quality and superior value. These attributes, coupled with Cougar’s strong brand recognition spanning over the past 50 years, provide the foundation for our team to go to market with the best product portfolio in the paper industry.”
We think he’s right on.
After 50 years, Cougar runs ahead, boldly, beautifully, steadily. Visit us at paper.domtar.com/50yearsofcougar
DANIELLE SINCLAIR is the Director of Brand and Content Marketing at Domtar. With over 14 years experience in the Paper and Print Industry, Danielle brings product expertise to enhance customer-centric content marketing, using creative design strategies and packaging innovation to build brand awareness for Domtar’s extensive and respected assortment of brands.
Jenny Rudziensky is an artist and designer from Detroit, Michigan. She received a BFA in Advertising Design from the College for Creative Studies and currently works as a designer at Levin + Riegner (L+R), an international strategic brand consulting firm and mobile technology studio. She is a Webby Awards recipient, a 2-time Advertising Awards® winner, and a recipient of a Silver Pencil from the One Club for Creativity in 2020. Jenny has worked with clients at L+R including Warner Bros., Global Citizen, The Estée Lauder Companies, Rethink, and Take On Wall Street.
Outside of client work, she has invested time in personal projects including a brain cancer fundraiser campaign called Embracing Chaos, branding for The Diesel fund, a non-profit helping pet owners fund life-saving surgeries for their pets, and The Quilt Shop, a personal project to connect young creatives through the creation of a collaborative digital quilt.
She also consistently strives to help improve her organization. She is a founding member of L+R’s DEI working group, a task force dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable working environment through self-initiated projects. Recent efforts have included auditing the company onboarding documents and employee handbook to better reflect inclusive language and reinforce company values, conducting the first ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion survey at L+R, and leading a workshop to discuss the most equitable approach to our employee benefits.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
I define meaningful work as work that either reduces someone's suffering or increases their levels of joy, and the projects I most enjoy are ones where If advertising taught me to communicate powerfully, graphic design taught me to communicate clearly, and I believe that ‘good’ design connects us to things that make our lives more meaningful.
L+R’s recent work for Take on Wall Street is an example of the purpose-driven work I search for. TOWS is a coalition of groups working together to address the predatory economic power of Wall Street banks and billionaires and build a financial system that better addresses the needs of the American people. They place special emphasis on how wealth extraction has disproportionately affected low-income communities and communities of color, especially women of color.
I co-led a project to help TOWS translate a key piece of their curriculum, an educational gallery walk, to a digital experience. The experience begins by posing a question to users: “To what extent was our economy designed to be fair?”
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
Given the current social and political climate in the US, I think it’s especially important for individuals to view their work as a manifestation of their values. Two qualities that I see as barriers to addressing these issues are apathy and distraction, where apathy is a feeling that our individual thoughts and actions aren’t enough to effect change and distraction is the impulse to divert our attention to things that feel more comfortable. My goal is to use my work to address those two behaviors in a way that empowers people to lead their most joyful, empathetic lives, whether it be through designing products that help people center what brings them fulfillment or communications that name and address inequality.
Kurt Niedermeier is an award-winning graphic designer who partners with clients around the world to help them deliver on mission, achieve greater impact, and simply put, make things better. His portfolio consists of projects covering a wide range of communication disciplines, but a majority of his work focuses on visual branding, knowledge reports, and identity design. His client list includes a Who’s Who of non-profit agencies and organizations such as The United Nations, The World Bank, UNICEF, The MacArthur Foundation, The Packard Foundation, The IFC, Heifer International, The Kellogg Foundation, NASA, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and The Ballmer Group.
How and why did you become involved in socially responsible communications and why do you believe design can be an effective tool for this goal?
In 2010, after working independently for 10 years, I began to question how my career was evolving. Who was I really designing for? What role did I play in helping for-profit companies grow and prosper without any regard for sustainability, social issues, or the environment? Coincidentally, it was around this time that The Gates Foundation came across my work and reached out. Soon after, the idea of using my skills for good, to support worthwhile causes and partner with purpose-driven clients, started to take root. Today, I'm proud to say I enjoy relationships with many organizations making huge impacts around the world, and I like to think I’m doing my part — albeit a small one—to help move the needle.
Through the art of visual storytelling, designers can help build awareness around important social issues. When we share our experiences and fill our social consciousness with stories that move people, we invite others to come inside, to listen, and to engage. The result is often dialogue and an exchange of ideas that bring us closer to a place of understanding— where we can observe each other’s humanity and, together, begin to walk a new path. Design connects people and creates shared experiences. This is where design can play a critical role, but it starts with a conversation.
Please give us an example of a project you are especially proud of.
Waterborne diseases and poor sanitation are responsible for millions of deaths every year in low- to middleIncome countries. In 2021, I designed “Connecting the Unconnected”, an information and instruction guide from The World Bank to help planners, engineers, decision makers, and other stakeholders navigate the process of increasing household connections to sewers. I am especially proud of this work because of its potential to improve living conditions in hundreds of cities around the world. You can view this guide here: www.kngraphicdesign.com/connecting-the-unconnected
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces – e.g., dealing with the postpandemic era – does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
I think there is heightened awareness surrounding a variety of urgent social, economic, and environmental issues that didn’t exist pre-pandemic. How can we design cities, workspaces, and education environments to optimize wellness? What are the mental and emotional consequences of prolonged isolation, especially on vulnerable populations? What role should technology and the virtual world play in healthcare? What does inclusive design look like in our homes, schools, at work? How will technology impact human connection and change how we interact with one another? There is absolutely an opportunity for creative thinkers across all design disciplines to influence how we shape our future, and it starts by asking questions.
Greg Gibson and Nate Spees are brand strategists at San Diego-based design agency Grizzly, a people-first independent creative agency dedicated to partnering with adventurous brands. As Founder and CEO, Nate oversees the agency’s creative output, alongside CCO and Partner Greg Gibson.
Both Nate and Greg lead Grizzly’s brand communication efforts for some of the world’s most adventurous brands, guiding their clients onward to challenge convention and impact culture. On the day-to-day, you’ll find Nate and Greg providing design solutions for brands, nurturing relationships, and coaching their talent to reach their full potential.
The team uses creativity and strategic thinking to partner with those who are out to shape the future. The trailblazers. The visionaries. The brave thinkers. The ones who believe in a better world and are hell-bent on building it.
Over the last eight years, the agency has delivered works across strategy, design, and storytelling for the likes of Microsoft, Marriott, ServiceNow and Slalom to name a few.
For Grizzly, the idea of adventure is its “why”. Grizzly believes in exploring uncharted territory, helping brands navigate change in an increasingly challenging world — and encouraging everyone to adopt this spirit, and start their adventure.
How did you become involved in socially responsible communications and why do you believe design can be an effective tool for this goal?
We believe that design can solve many of the challenges we face as a society. Design has been behind nearly every leap forward for humankind and shapes much of the way we experience the world.
Our interest in pursuing socially responsible work lies at the intersection of creativity and community. We believe that our work should improve the world around us and positively impact the communities we live in, both locally and globally. It’s about creating value. With our expertise, we can help shape a better future by designing for people and the challenges they face, especially in collaboration with impactful brands solving some of the worlds’ biggest challenges.
If we think about one of these brands, sustainable banking/insurance company Ando springs to mind. Ando is on a mission to fight climate change by investing your money in sustainable assets, and provides transparency and insight into where your money is going. We’re proud to have worked with the team at Ando to develop the GTM strategy, name, and brand identity for the visionary new financial services model.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
There are several crises facing the world right now, but there are a few we need to solve immediately as a society. The climate crisis is chief among them. The primary challenge is getting the world to understand the urgency before it’s too late. It just might be the hardest design challenge of all time, because it’s about fighting society as we know it. Hundreds, if not thousands, of years of historical inertia, cultural precedent, and societal systems built around progress and preservation of norms.
Solving the climate crisis will mean breaking those norms and reshaping society for the better.
Elmarie Jara (she/her/hers) is an award-winning Filipina American graphic designer specializing in brand development, editorial design, and visual marketing communications. Currently, she works at the American Bar Association (ABA) leading the creative of a variety of projects advocating for the legal profession and the rule of law. She is also the lead designer for the ABA Fund for Justice and Education (ABA/FJE) — the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of the ABA responsible for supporting its law-related public service, policy, and education programs.
Early in 2022, she joined the South Shore Drill Team & Performing Arts Ensemble as a consulting brand designer, co-leading their marketing initiative as the organization continues to engage Chicago inner-city youth throughout their critical teenage years to mitigate the dangers of gangs, drugs, and violence, and guide members towards completing their education.
Recently, she volunteered her time and creativity to produce specimen images for the first Filipina American-owned font foundry, Font Infusions — founded by brand designer Aireen Arellano. Font Infusions champions socially conscious creators who long to share their stories.
How did you become involved in socially responsible communications and why do you believe design can be an effective tool for this goal?
I believe design plays a crucial role in how we navigate the world around us, despite uncertain times and the speed with which we consume information. When done with possibilities in mind, it can be more powerful than words — motivating action for good . . . and bad. It impacts us all, therefore we must work beyond the comfort of our design apps to learn and understand our communities. Designing for good is the embodiment of shared experiences. We are more compelled to act when we experience a deeper connection with the visual commentary. To create it, understanding perspectives beyond our own is critical.
I am very fortunate to work for the American Bar Association because of the many initiatives it organizes to benefit all peoples. For the past three years, I’ve been leading the design and contributing to the success of the ABA/FJE annual ABA Giving Day in which we highlight good works organized by many ABA entities. We leverage the national stage of the ABA to connect our constituents with programs that support marginalized and diverse communities in need of assistance and visibility. We shape the visuals to include familiar ABA brand assets to instill familiarity and trust, while allowing space for imagery to tell visceral stories inspired by the programs and the individuals we serve. Engaging and easy-to-implement outreach journeys are curated on multiple platforms to be shared by all ABA entities involved. Last year, ABA Giving Day raised an incredible $252,000! This October, we hope to raise more than $300,000.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
Designing for good also means being able to make good design accessible for those who may not be able to afford it. We’ve seen do-it-yourself apps make this a reality and successful for many. But good design doesn’t always equate to impact. So how do we secure the value of good and impactful design while making it accessible for those who aspire to DO good? Create work for causes you care about and share it freely. Along this journey, you’ll find others who will forge a deep connection to your message. Engage them to use your work to activate and amplify their own voice. When we equip individuals yearning for change with good design, progress happens.
Rapunzel Creative is a full-service marketing agency with branding and strategy at our core. Our mission is to help companies build innovative brands, boost their market awareness, and generate sales growth. We do that by really digging into and understanding the brand to find those nuggets that inform the work we produce, and help it really stand out.
Rapunzel Creative was founded in 2011 by Lynn Gregorski after a long career in television production, cross-channel marketing, and advertising. Over the past 11 years, she’s put together a team of experienced creatives and strategists who develop award-winning campaigns and marketing assets for a range of companies and nonprofit organizations. The entire Rapunzel team are all so proud of the work we do to help organizations that are improving the lives of those they serve. Rapunzel Creative is WBENC certified and certified as a WBE by the State of NJ.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
We believe it’s important to support nonprofits that make a difference in their communities and for the populations they serve. This is especially crucial the more we
are all bombarded with so much messaging across all channels. Because of that, we know our designs must grab and keep the attention of consumers our nonprofit clients serve, and of the donors they rely on to fulfill their missions.
A recent project promoted the life-saving work of a nonprofit that provides free medical care to working uninsured people living at or below the poverty level. The year-end appeal that we designed personalized the organization’s work by showing real people it assisted, with photography and storytelling that helped generate powerful ROI with the organization’s highest-ever level of donations.
Another cause-related recent project was for a municipality’s environmentally related public service campaign. To educate residents on the issues and motivate them to take remedial actions meant using bold, surprising images and catchy headlines on the website, a direct mail campaign, and social media ads. Thanks to the attention-getting images and impactful messaging on the postcards and website (which guided residents through the issues and solutions), the click-through rates on the ads and website traffic for this educational initiative about local environmental concerns remained high throughout the two-month campaign. Given the analytics, residents clearly understood what was at stake in their town.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
It’s vital to accentuate the positive, to convey hope and energize consumers when designing for good. Plus, clean website design with eye-catching images and smart site navigation helps overcome general information overload. We always look for opportunities to personalize the stories, use bright visuals and color palettes, and include positive calls to action. When possible, use real people to make the organization’s story relatable, inject some fun (where relevant) to engage consumers, and highlight the brighter side of the nonprofit’s work. These design elements have helped our nonprofit clients grow their communities and donor bases.
Stitzlein Studio is a Bay Area brand and typeface design practice, led by husband and wife team Leslie and Joe Stitzlein. We lead a global team of designers, strategists, writers and typeface designers. We’re a global, cross-functional and seamlessly integrated team in the US, South America, the EU, Korea, China and Japan. Our clients have included Airbnb, Apple, Head Start, Intuitive Surgical, Meta/Facebook, Netflix and Nike.
We worked with Steve Jobs to define Apple’s photography and packaging standards and launched Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program for healthy schools. We created campaigns that made the Nike Free the world’s best-selling running shoe, and have designed custom brand typefaces in thousands of languages. We built a global design studio at Google, launched the world’s first crypto bank and the first hydrogen airplane.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
Our agency’s mission is to take our client’s advanced technical achievements and translate them into simple, inspirational stories and design systems. Because of our expertise in launching highly complex technical brands and products at Nike and Google, we’ve recently been working with several climate technology platforms that are addressing decarbonization where it has the most impact: How we power society and how we travel.
One recent project comes to mind: H2FLY aviation. H2FLY is pioneering viable hydrogen fuel cells for flights traveling less than 1,000km. These flights make up 85% of all air travel. We think the exciting part of being a creative partner for these types of organizations is that they are optimists and builders; they see the challenges of climate change and are rolling up their sleeves to build their way out of the problems we face. We work closely with them to understand the details of the technology so we can translate it effectively into an insight and a unique design language that connects with their intended audience.
For example, hydrogen fuel cells are incredibly clean, but when people hear hydrogen and aviation they think of the Hindenberg. Safety and clean, water-based emissions were the core of the H2Fly brand; hence the brand concept: A flight path made of water. By being comfortable with deeply technical conversations, we’re pretty good at discovering fascinating insights that people will understand and care about.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
We’re technology optimists by nature, which guides our approach to our work.
The challenge for the next century is that the problems associated with carbon fuel sources are outweighing their benefits, and our planet’s appetite for energy is only increasing as we prepare to scale energy-intensive, transformative technologies such as AI, Web 3 and commercial space exploration.
Clearly, we’re not going backwards to live like Laura Engels, which is why it’s an amazing time to be working with startups that are decarbonizing travel and energy for the next era of human progress. We’re scifi nerds at heart, and we believe that moving beyond carbon to new energy discoveries will unleash creativity and innovations we haven’t yet imagined.
This new generation of inventors needs storytellers who can translate what they do into human language and memorable, iconic experiences so that they can attract investors to grow their business, and show consumers that the future is hopeful. That’s the best part of our jobs and we’re lucky to partner with clients that are truly the Thomas Edisons and Wright Brothers of our times.
Made in England, transplanted to New York 12 years ago, and now a newly minted citizen of the U.S., Ben is an award-winning creative director whose sleeves are rarely seen rolled down. He developed his hands-on approach over the course of more than two decades working in a cutting-edge branding agency environment. Ben has worked with a diverse range of global and local brands, including The Football Association, UMBRO, The Breakfast Club, P&G, Unilever, Jet.com and Heineken. More recently with ThoughtMatter he set his sights on a wide range of cultural institutions, not-for-profit and community focused-organizations.
ThoughtMatter has always been focused on partnering with companies that drive social progress and collaborating with clients that value positive change. Having embodied this mindset from its start, the firm truly stands out for having social impact baked into its core. ThoughtMatter was caring before it was cool.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
Joining ThoughtMatter in 2018 turned out to be a huge milestone and shift in focus for my career. I already had a wealth of branding agency experience delivering a high level of design and craft to some prestigious clients. Still, I asked myself, could I be doing more? Working day-in day-out for some bigger CPG clients, you know there are only so many combinations of on-pack violators you can come up with or ways to position a tomato on a pack.
The shift I craved was from a designer to watch to a socially responsible designer to watch.
Take one look at our client list and you can tell from the types of projects we take on that we’re at our best working alongside clients that shine a light on unmet needs in society. I am not only the Creative Director at ThoughtMatter, leading the work and setting the creative bar, but am part of something meaningful that can have impact at both a local and national level.
We’re not trying to announce that design can save the world or solve all its problems, but when you can see it helping people and making an impact it makes you happy to do what you do. Projects I am proud of like Harlem Empowerment Project, The Mama Foundation and Archer & Goat give me a real creative buzz. Being a longtime Harlem resident, those projects empowered my local community for economic growth and social strength. To me, there is nothing more satisfying.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
Over the last few years more and more designers have embraced the fact that through their practice they have a real opportunity to effect change. For me, having now spent several decades in the industry I truly understand the power I wield as a design leader — and with that power, the responsibility I inevitably hold.
The future for me became more about fostering the next generation of designers and building a team of diverse talent that reflects the world we now live in. I have always thought of myself as a team player. But the penny really dropped once I realized just how important it is for our people to have a leader, someone to set the tone and vision, motivate and inspire, and be the gatekeeper to open doors for others.
As we move into 2023 we have a real shared purpose, pride in the work we create and the clients we delight.
I am a designer, coder, and educator specializing in the intersection of branding and technology. I use coding as a medium to make design more fitting and relevant. I am currently leading the design and development of data-driven and algorithmic brand identities at Pentagram with Michael Bierut and Giorgia Lupi, and teaching Advanced Interaction at Parsons School of Design. In 2019 I started “Intro to Coding for Designers,” a workshop catered to boost the advancement of the study of code-as-design for the design community. Before Pentagram, I led my own independent design and coding practice, and led digital brand design and development at Champions Design. Through the classes I teach, the talks I give, and the projects I publish, I am committed to educating the design community on what’s possible with code, helping them understand how it can be applied successfully with wit and reason, and inspiring designers to pursue the study of code fearlessly and sensibly.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
To me, design is socially responsible when the design is Good — that is, when it truthfully and effectively represents the themes and values of the subject. I think right now, companies are being challenged to dig deeper in what they stand for, and as such, designing truthfully and effectively (Good design) is a little more of a challenge. How do you design something that fairly represents the unique qualities of individuals?
That is altruistically driven by community? That resiliently evolves over time? And does all this while staying true to itself? My work is driven by code— less as a method to attain an aesthetic or increase the visual capabilities of the design, but rather as a method to truthfully provide design solutions to the deeper problems that companies face. This is not a common approach (in fact I don’t know anyone else who approaches coding from this angle) but to me it’s a no-brainer that is necessary for the future of design.
As far as projects go, GBA is a particular favorite. I was challenged to create a logo that represents the underrepresented, undiscovered artist (typically a minority). No designer should ever claim to truthfully be able to represent an entire population of people different than themself! Relying on code to generate a unique handwriting style for each version of the logo sacrificed my hand and gave it to something other than myself — the computer — without losing the critical elements that make the brand recognizable.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
I hope the above ramble answers this, but in a word: design now needs to address the more complex values that are driving companies due to recent social and political evolutions. But there’s a catch. Although the advancement of technology has potential to benefit designs now and in the future, it also could be in and of itself an obstacle. We are seeing more and more designs that are driven by technology, but so many of them look similar, many leaning into the functions that coding lends itself to because they “look cool.” I think the danger is in that latter part. When a design “looks cool,” it runs the risk of distracting its viewers (and its maker!) from its purpose: to truthfully and effectively represent something visually. I pray that in the advancement of technology as design, we are able to collectively discover that code’s contribution to design is so much more than looking a certain way, and instead, represent certain deep-rooted concepts.
Caspar Lam and YuJune Park are the founders of Synoptic Office, a New York City and Hong Kong-based design consultancy that works with some of the world’s leading cultural, civic, and business organizations including Carnegie Hall, Bloomberg Markets, and the US House of Representatives. Synoptic Office’s mission is to help organizations unlock human stories and reveal connections through design, language, and information.
In addition to their studio, YuJune Park and Caspar Lam have dual careers as educators at Parsons School of Design in New York City. Caspar is the undergraduate Program Director and an Assistant Professor of Communication Design. YuJune is an Associate Professor of Communication Design at Parsons where she was the Program Director from 2014-17. Both lecture widely on design and serve in design leadership, most recently on the boards of AIGA New York and the Type Directors Club.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
We founded Synoptic Office on the belief that every organization can activate its data and institutional archives in ways that resonate personally with audiences. Data is knowledge, and we believe when it is activated through design, it can cultivate stories, reach new audiences, and ultimately shape culture.
Our studio recently partnered with Carnegie Hall to create their updated Timeline of African American Music, a prime example of what innovation through design can achieve in the cultural sector — and exemplifies why it’s essential for heritage cultural institutions to embrace digital platforms and make the most of their data.
The updated Timeline of African American Music provides the next generation of students, educators, researchers, and music lovers worldwide with an interactive digital resource exploring the rich history and influence of African American music.
We were tasked with making 400 years’ worth of material — academic essays, photos and historical images (including related holdings from Carnegie Hall's Rose Archives), and audio — easy and compelling to explore for a wide range of people, from middle and high school students through to high-level researchers, as well as casual music fans. The result is an online encyclopedia of musical genres one can discover through sound and stories.
Through a collaboration with Apple Music, the Timeline embeds music throughout the site. This enables Carnegie Hall to tell the story of music in an innovative way — the history of music through music. The timeline is a free, open-source gift to the education community and the wider public — one we’re confident is indicative of a bright future for innovative creations at the intersection of scholarship, technology, and design.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designingfor good?
The flow of data undergirds our entire information economy. It must be nurtured and activated to transmit knowledge and connect with audiences accurately and effectively. Our hope is that by integrating products, experiences, and spaces with backstage data through thoughtful and beautiful design, organizations can preserve cultural history and disseminate knowledge beyond physical walls to communicate in new and meaningful ways.
I started my career as a graphic designer, then became an art director, then became a creative director. And all along the way, I have experienced the highs and lows of working with clients that do — or don’t — share my values. The former drives me to put all of my energy into creating conceptually clever, smart work that pushes my clients to success via creativity and emotional connection. The latter left me feeling hollow and sad, no matter how groundbreaking or clever the work was — or how successful the client became.
I’ve been lucky to have predominantly worked in the world of music and social good (things that excite me) for the majority of my career. I’ve worked in bigger shops, smaller shops, record labels and freelanced all over the map. But the one thing that really brought me the most happiness was feeling like my work could make a difference. Not just financially for my clients, but socially, as well.
That’s why I joined forces with Common Good. We call ourselves the “Health & Happiness Agency,” and our aim is to magnify the good brands can do in the world. Through the power of creativity and human insight, we craft work that not only drives our clients’ success, but simultaneously pushes positive impact (at a time when we need it more than ever). The indication we’ve done work that matters isn’t just about getting the biggest, shiniest awards — it’s about making change.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
I had a job for a large part of my career in a small agency in Denver that focused on doing really conceptual and unique work. We worked on a lot of government accounts that were dedicated to positive purposes. For a lot of my time there, I was focused on how smart and clever our work was — I thought that was making me happy. Then, I realized what was really making me proud was that the work was actually achieving its goals: we were getting people to stop smoking, to seek help for meth, to use less water. And that’s when it all became clear for me — creativity really can heal the world.
Since then, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to work on really fun initiatives, but the one that will always live as my favorite as a designer/art director would be Denver Water’s ‘Use Only What You Need’ Campaign. Recently inducted into Obie’s Hall of Fame, that campaign really made an impact. In Denver, water is a scarce resource and the work met the goals every year. So it was truly magical to help build a strategy that worked to convince people to reduce consumption — and then to craft award-winning campaigns year-after-year that always preserved a precious resource. Hats off to a fearless client on that, as well a great leader in my CD.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
In the last three years, the world has changed more than it has the rest of the years I’ve been alive combined. The way we work has changed, the climate of the world (literally and politically) feels more tense than ever. And all this just motivates me to push our mission at Common Good forward even more. I love to embrace the changes, to find new ways to work and thrive in what is our new normal. We cannot look back, but must welcome where we are today and as an industry unite to use our powers to make a positive impact.
I launched Avila Creative in 2011 after 18 years as a senior executive in the Creative group at Edelman, the world’s largest communications firm, where I led a team that provided graphic design to all types of projects across all industries.
My firm, Avila Creative, provides strategic, concept-driven communication design to help clients achieve business success by delivering optimal value to them through the personal attention and agility of a small firm balanced with the expertise of a world-class agency. Although we do all kinds of graphic design, we have focused on socially responsible projects over the past few years.
I am honored to be able to collaborate with our industry’s top designers, writers, project managers, illustrators, photographers, programmers and printers, and to customize teams and personally orchestrate award-winning projects for our clients. Avila Creative is a certified LGBT firm nationally and locally and we are currently working on our MBE certification.
We are proud to support clients including Barilla, Black Directors Health Equity Agenda, Equality Illinois, Finn Partners, GenderCool Project, Green Cola, HarleyDavidson, Howard Brown Health, IVCA, J.Crew, Mars, McDonald’s, Middleby, New York University, RSM, Sage Health, SE10, TEGNA, Walgreens Boots Alliance and the Walder Group.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
After designing annual reports for Fortune 500 companies and nonprofits for 20 years, transitioning to CSR/sustainability and, more recently, ESG and DEI reports, has been a natural progression. At this point in my career, working on mission-driven work that reflects my own values is more important to me than ever. The killing of George Floyd in 2020 and other injustices increased my passion for using my expertise and experience to help companies and organizations show their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion through their own work — specifically helping them showcase their efforts in a genuine way using design and content to help tell a compelling DEI story with high-impact graphics, illustrations and photography.
We are proud to have produced Walgreens Boots Alliance’s (WBA’s) multi-award-winning global DEI report. We worked with fine artist Sydney James to help bring our “mural” concept to life throughout the report.
We also are proud of our partnership with the McDonald’s DEI team to produce its first global DEI report. It started as a microsite and grew into an interactive PDF and a printed companion to ensure greater accessibility. We worked with UK illustrator Ana Jenks. Ana is part of the LGBTQIA+ community and is neurodiverse (ADHD diagnosed).
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
The transition to digital from print over the last two decades highlights the importance of accessibility, so everything we design is accessible across all communication platforms to reach as many audiences as possible. Unfortunately, strict online accessibility compliance can sometimes strip online layouts of color, imagery and animation, so it is critical to partner closely with clients and designers at the start to ensure the final product does not lose its impact. While this poses some design challenges, we now see it as an opportunity for designers to find new ways to innovate design for all audiences.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER CONNECTION POINTE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, BROWNSBURG IN
Audrey Musal is a graphic designer based in the Indianapolis area, working at Connection Pointe Christian Church. Connection Pointe reaches approximately 6,000 people — connecting people to Jesus and each other globally and within their community. While she is in the early years of her professional career, she remains rooted in the values she learned throughout her high school and college years: integrity, compassion, and excellence.
How and why did you become involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal?
Audrey grew up in faith-filled communities where people were respected and honored as human beings, no matter their background. Audrey found her love for the graphic arts in high school. Her parents taught her what it meant to put others before herself and to serve people in her community. She participated in ministry outreach programs, like the Saint Joseph of Arimathea Society and the A Christian Through Service Program. Finally, she decided she wanted to pursue ministry using her gifts in arts and design.
While in college at Ball State University, she was a part of Studio 165+, a student-led, community-building design team that gave students real-world experience working with nonprofit and for-profit organizations. She was also the graphic design intern at another nonprofit organization, LifeStream Services, Inc. There, Audrey was able to design essential information for the elderly population and their caregivers throughout Indiana.
At her graduation, she and three other students were awarded the Community Arts Award by Ball State University for volunteering time to design a vinyl installation for Northside Middle School in Muncie, Indiana. Audrey's experiences throughout high school and college have significantly impacted her beliefs about design and maintaining a socially responsible outlook toward it.
The arts and design are complete and absolute methods capable of conveying information to the public. Imagery is understood regardless of language, and therefore can express a multitude of ideas. Design is a vital instrument for representation in today's world as it exists everywhere. Designers commit and live for the message they portray, following their personal convictions. Their understanding of media and design can be used to reach the unreachable and can let any two different people find a commonality. Amplifying a viewer's sense of their convictions through design allows for healthy conversations, changing perceptions, and the chance for ideas to become unforgettable.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, or obstacles to designing for good?
Today’s designers have a responsibility to create for truth and the benefit of society, especially with humanity facing a worldwide pandemic, fears of an economic recession, and an influx of losses. This can bridge the gap of polarity and divisiveness that is so common today. Humankind is hurting, overwhelmed, and distracted. Regardless, a designer's job remains the same — it does not change the validity or urgency of ethical and upstanding design. Graphic design connects people, and graphic design is a ministry.
Matt Shapiro is Partner, VP/Creative Director at The Republik, a group of free thinkers willing to push one another into powerful collisions of insights that dismantle the tenets of size, money, and power to meaningfully impact lives.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
As creatives, we are natural problem solvers. I believe it is our responsibility to use our privilege and influence to help promote the causes we believe in and uplift our community. As a young musician, I used that platform to promote organizations and missions for good. The natural progression into my advertising and design career provided a much more useful application, to be honest. Design is a powerful tool that connects people, and can break down various barriers. Republik chooses to align itself with organizations that desire a positive social impact, such as our client Happy Dirt (www.happydirt.com), whose mission is to make healthy organic food accessible to everyone and delivered in sustainable packaging. We also recently did a rebranding and awareness campaign for Harmony NC LGBT+ Allied Chamber of Commerce, an organization that nurtures and supports the growth of LGBT+ business professionals. We find this kind of work brings a sense of pride that is incomparable. It only drives us to do more and to do it better.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, or obstacles to designing for good?
There are two main obstacles we foresee challenging creatives. The first is relevancy, as we move into next year we will continue to see the shift in how design, advertising, and marketing is consumed. The speed at which this cycle happens will continue to accelerate and we will have to find ways to cope with that. The second, an "Us vs Them" mentality has created a sense of division but as creatives, we have the power to influence positive change by using design to communicate, educate, promote good, to make this world a better place. It's at the heart of our "job" to do some good every chance we can.
With Projects, Inc. is a multidisciplinary creative agency founded by Jiminie Ha in 2008. With a collective background in fine arts, curation, creative direction, design, publishing and fashion, With Projects, Inc. takes a unique approach to imaging brands and taking clients from concept to execution.
The agency has been awarded the Rome Prize (2012) and D&AD Award for Excellence in Publication/Newspapers Design (2015). In 2016, With Projects, Inc.’s digital campaign for Condé Nast was nominated for a Cannes Lion Award. With Projects, Inc. was nominated for the 2017 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Communication Design.
More recently, With Projects, Inc. has been recognized by TDC with multiple awards for their catalog work in 2020. Jiminie Ha was appointed the new Senior Director of Design at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 2020.
With Projects, Inc. is a registered Minority Women Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
Since the pandemic and the rise of hate crimes, as a woman of color and business owner, it was imperative that my agency reflect the values our team stand for collectively, not just by partnering with more non-profit organizations, but also providing creative design consultation for emerging start-ups dedicated to combating racism. When client work doesn't carve out those opportunities for us, we create our own — such as with ESL (English as a Second Language), a project dedicated to donate funds to red states during the 2020 elections. Pictures For Elmhurst was a project dedicated to providing urgent supplies to the front line hospital staff fighting the Covid virus. Dysmantyl was started as an organization to help combat discrimination by monitoring hiring practices in larger corporate environments. It's particularly rewarding to help clients uncover that room for growth and build this into the brand's ethos. We find it our responsibility to help clients understand why socially responsible communications and sustainability is essential for a brand's growth and longevity.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
Design is more often than not, optional, a luxury. It is imperative that we consider how we can implement design thinking as a way to create more efficiencies and sustainable outcomes in our lives. Fashion, for example, will never become sustainable as long as it continues to overproduce products that inevitably end up in landfills. Working with biodegradable products, or by working with "locally resourced" raw materials are short-term solutions to problems that are permanently impacting our environment and lives. Commercial design can not continue to operate as simply "decorative," acting as a superficial bandaid by implementing buzz words as strategic solutions. We need to redesign our collective workflow approach and problem-solving skill sets.
Ali Borowsky is the Founder and CEO of Find Your Anchor, a grassroots movement aimed at suicide prevention and awareness — which has been praised by Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, American Association of Suicidology, the San Francisco 49ers, and Jeff (her downstairs neighbor). She is an experienced graphic designer who made a name for herself in Chicago as the Design Lead for the NHL Winter Classic and Stadium Series, before fleeing the winter for Southern California.
Armed to the teeth with Pilot G2 pens, Moleskine sketchbooks, and kazoos, she lives and breathes good fonts, big waves, and long walks down art store aisles. For years, Ali has enjoyed playing outside center on the rugby pitch, and often drives across the country for games, carnivals and sometimes just because the wind is blowing.
Find Your Anchor aims to support those who may be struggling and de-stigmatize conversations surrounding suicide and mental health — with creativity and a personal touch.
At the heart of Find Your Anchor’s mission is a small blue box. Once referred to as a “mental health first aid kit,” each box is packed with good vibes and materials designed to inspire, soothe, and offer support. This tangible resource includes a “52+ Reasons to Live” deck of cards, infographic on depression, list of mental health resources, posters, stickers, bracelet, mixtape, a letter, and a whole bunch of other good vibes.
FYA boxes are in 37 different countries, hundreds of schools, and have been requested by thousands of people.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
Find Your Anchor was born out of lived experience. I created FYA because I’ve personally struggled — having survived multiple attempts. Everything that I encountered in the mental health world was so sterile. Just a ton of white pamphlets with 1-800-NUMBERS.
So corporate. So clinical. This is one of the most personal things that a person can go through, but I just felt like another statistic. In my darkest moments, I didn’t want a single sided brochure with a bunch of numbers. I wanted — needed — to know someone cared. Those impersonal resources didn’t resonate with me, so I decided to create something that would. Find Your Anchor is created by someone who gets it. By someone who has been there. By someone who cares.
Not to mention the mental health world needs more color — in every sense of the world. Turning to design, it became my mission to infuse a little more humanity into suicide prevention. For those contemplating suicide, there is an overwhelming sense of loneliness and abandonment, despair, hopelessness. I wanted something specifically for them, a box full of ideas, support and inspiration. A box full of anchors (little joys in life). Designed with them in mind, I wanted those in need to open the box and think “someone cared enough to make this for me.” I wanted to provide, or spark, within them a reason to fight.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
The last few years have been stressful (to say the least). I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that stress is not good for your mental health. This collective struggle we’ve experienced has created more opportunities to talk about how we feel. If we can talk about our struggles in a more creative, engaging, and personal way through design, these interactions will be more powerful and effective.
It could even save lives.
I am Founder/Creative Partner of DR2, a direct marketing graphic design consultancy. As a former Creative Director for Capital One, EDS, Seabury & Smith, SQN Communications Design and Coast to Coast Resorts, I have nearly 40 years of direct response marketing and am known for designing direct-mail packages that get opened — plus social media, emails and digital communications that not only get click-throughs, but also donations.
Among my notable challenges and successes have been conceptualizing and designing a Sigmund Freud Lunchbox as the vehicle for a luncheon invitation for prospective clients of a mental healthcare HMO; mailing an award-winning package which included a packet of Old Bay seasoning to promote the use of a direct-mail production facility employing the developmentally disabled; membership mailings for member-only campgrounds across the US and Canada; as well as sea turtle, wolf and honey bee sock designs for an environmental charity.
Lest you think my experience is limited to one-of-a-kind endeavors, my achievements include digital and print creative that resulted in successful campaigns for Human Rights Watch, International Rescue Committee, Americares, Save the Chimps, FINCA, African Wildlife Foundation, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife and White Coat Waste Project, to name a few. I am also a fine art printmaker, specializing in relief and screen printing.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
Many years ago, I was attending a conference for nonprofit fundraisers in Washington, D.C. The keynote speaker was a surgeon and the president of a nonprofit charity that provides life-changing plastic and reconstructive surgery to children with cleft lips and palates,.
The doctor opened his speech by saying that he loved fundraisers because we give someone an opportunity to be a better person, every day. I thought to myself, yes, that’s what I do, I give someone an opportunity to be a better person!
Well of course that’s a lot of self-important baloney. But I do present people with opportunities to provide assistance. I offer them a reason to care and be involved in a cause.
If you ask what project I’m proudest of, I can honestly say that I am proud of each one that successfully brings in donations and some that weren’t monetarily successful — reason being, those failures allow me and the charity to better understand what motivates their donors. Every day I get to work with great clients whose mission I believe in and help them reach their fundraising goals.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does 2021 present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
The current financial reality in this country has made it very hard for good causes to raise money. The pandemic hit a lot of smaller charities hard. Paper availability as well as printing and postage costs make it very difficult for them to compete for the donor’s dollar.
The charities and nonprofits that still mail are the ones making money right now because there is less competition in that mailbox. Simply put, the organizations that get out to the donor can keep the lights on.
Am I biased towards physical mail? No, but know your audience. If they are physical mail-responsive, don’t send them email only. If they are email-responsive, don’t ignore physical mail. You are not as easy to ignore in multiple channels. Most important, be current, be timely and be relevant to your audience.
At The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, I’m one of more than 22,000 employees focused on one goal: to end cancer. The institution is one of the world's most respected centers dedicated to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. U.S. News & World Report ranks it the nation's No. 1 hospital for cancer care (2022-2023) in its annual “best hospitals” survey. MD Anderson is also one of the country’s original three comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute.
I’m privileged to lead a small and highly skilled design, animation and medical illustration team — one of five teams in the Creative department of Strategic Communications. Our work supports the organization’s communications and marketing efforts, as well as divisions and faculty throughout the institution. It advances all of MD Anderson’s mission areas.
I’m honored to have work recognized by the Society for News Design, Associated Press Managing Editors, National Association of Black Journalists, Public Relations Society of America and others.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
I started my career in advertising design and illustration but quickly transitioned to visual journalism and the newsroom. At a major metropolitan news organization I thrived on designing and illustrating features and lifestyle stories, styling and directing photos
for fashion, food, and the arts. As a side business I designed books for university presses and helped non-profits self-publish. Board service with arts organizations gave me the chance to give back to Houston’s diverse fine arts community. But my design work on hard news stories — global conflict, government, technology and scientific discovery — is where I felt my efforts had the most meaningful impact in telling stories with the power to prompt action.
One of our special news reports was about breakthroughs in genetics and resulting advances in health care. MD Anderson was central to those stories. I don’t know if I was more influenced by working on that project design or by the exceptional patient care more than one member of my family had received there. But somewhere along the way, I decided if I ever left journalism, I would work at MD Anderson. An opportune call from a former colleague employed there encouraged my move.
The work at MD Anderson has the power to transform lives of individuals, of communities, and of the world. It’s humbling to work with the caring clinicians and brilliant scientific minds confronting some of health care’s most daunting challenges.
One of my recent flagship projects was designing the visual identity and advertising campaign for the launch of MD Anderson’s new global immunotherapy research and innovation hub. Named for our Nobel laureate and world-renowned researcher, the James P. Allison Institute will advance discovery and clinical research to integrate immunobiology across disciplines, to bring the benefits of this novel therapy to more cancer patients.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
Events the last few years have dramatically highlighted the importance of reliable, accurate information on which we, as individuals and as a country, base our decisions. Design is an essential tool in clearly and accurately communicating critical health care information — to guide patients when they are most vulnerable, to prevent disease in our communities, and to advance research findings across the globe.
Ongoing conflict and polarization have eroded our trust in each other and our ability to face challenges together. Responsible truth-based design can remind us of our common bonds and reestablish the trust necessary to tackle our world’s most difficult issues in building a healthier and more sustainable future.
KELLYE SANFORD PROGRAM DIRECTOR, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER HOUSTON TX
PROFESSOR OF ART & DESIGN, SETON HALL UNIVERSITY SOUTH ORANGE VILLAGE NJ
With the ambition to be a design professor, I earned my master’s degree from Pratt Institute. Operating under the adage “Those who CAN, teach,” I advanced my career to become an award-winning art director for clients including M&M Mars, Sony, Sharp, Disney, Kraft and Snapple. I switched to teaching full-time when my students’ awards were more meaningful than mine.
As an educator for twenty-three years, I balance the practical with the conceptual; experimentation with experience; research with results. My classroom mimics an agency atmosphere structured as an open forum where students are encouraged to share their opinions and ideas. Under my guidance, they search for new ways to expand the definition of design and its application in today’s society.
Upon receiving tenure, I donate my talents to nonprofit organizations such as United Way, Habitat for Humanity, the American Cancer Society and the ALS Association. My interpretive skills and passion for learning about human behavior enhance my research. With creativity as a stimulant of thought, I propose innovative and actionable solutions that yield meaningful change.
My independent research is rooted in personal experience. My sons were diagnosed with ADHD at young ages. As they struggled, I searched for a design solution to pinpoint the spikes in emotions and propose steps to improve their responses. Unlike my children, I am a product of an untreated generation of females with AD[H]D. Therefore, I hope to conceptualize a method to combat the long-term lack of self-care for individuals like me.
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
My contribution to design for good began as a student. My master’s thesis, environmentally conscious design, was progressive and controversial at the time. I also rebranded the Legal Aid Society of New York City pro bono. Once I entered corporate America, I donated a percentage of my workday to the nonprofit sector while teaching design courses at night. Upon achieving my vision to become a professor, I redirected my research to clients with missions aligned with my beliefs.
Design is a particularly effective tool for spreading good because its foundation is persuasion, typically to buy, but now, to believe or act. Within a nano-second of time, it connects clients with their target audiences. However, the ability to communicate visually to the masses comes with great responsibility. Therefore, each project must be approached as a platform for social, economic or environmental good.
With creativity seen as a stimulant of thought, dialog and action, my design skills make a positive impact. For example, a single project I designed for Fraxa Research Foundation, a top national nonprofit, raised $720,000 in six weeks for research for a cure for Fragile X Syndrome, the leading cause of autism. I chose this organization over ten years ago when my son first exhibited indications of ADHD. As both are spectrum disorders, the pairing was a natural fit. I completed upwards of 15 projects — the most significant to the organization, the branding of World Fragile X Day, as it united nonprofits worldwide.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
We are living through history. More than ever, design is integral to the human experience. It is the responsibility of all designers to use their platform to accurately and appropriately advocate for change.
As a woman with an invisible disability, I understand that people often keep what makes them diverse deep below the surface. Therefore, I design with respect, understanding, equality and, when appropriate, humor. Frequently, this process requires me to become a student. Continually learning improves my skills as a professor and designer and my overall perception of life.
Being a mixed Asian-American woman, Selena has a passion for making space for BIPOC-owned small businesses, nonprofits, creatives, boutiques, celebrities, and organizations that promote culture and empowerment. With her experience in these fields, she founded ANTIDESIGN in 2020, a boutique creative collective specializing in a client base of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and community organizations in the arts, culture, and social movement.
Her approach to branding, design, and communication is firmly based on the Emotional Design school of thought, which advocates that humans come to understand the world primarily through perceptions and emotions. In a commercial context, this means that customers primarily want to be enchanted with the promise of a great experience.
“Brand identity, and great presentation — especially through online communication — is at the forefront of every business strategy. I want to inspire you to be creative, to encourage you to stay curious, and to help you fall in love with your brand.” – Selena
Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, any thoughts on why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud.
I have always had the same dream — to elevate untold stories through creative expression, and help mom-and-pop shops, nonprofits, and local organizations hone their skills, do what they love, and own their time. I’ve always been an artist at heart and being able to use my creative expression to make space for vision-based orgs is
truly a dream. As creatives, we harness the power of design to amplify joy, celebrate culture, and move people to action. My work is a manifestation of what I hope for my community; joy, peace, and progress without leaving anyone behind. While my practice is deeply rooted in story, it’s also very much an exploration of the transformation of pain and struggle forged into new paths forward that are full of joy and light. I think joy is a beautiful act of resistance. To have it, and to hold it shamelessly, is something we all deserve.
For me, being a socially responsible designer means giving back to society, not just by creating but also by celebrating culture and diversity and creating a future that is people-minded. By releasing our designs into the world, we open the door to partnering with communities and allowing for the crafting of spaces for conversation/discussion around what we need to do to fight for our shared futures.
Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?
Designers today need to do more than just please consumers; they need to consider a wider set of values and ethical considerations. One of the major strategies of design is to influence behavior through indirect suggestion — which has been abused by large corporations to create highly addictive content that leads to over-purchasing and ethical neglect.
Designers are responsible for the effective communication of ideas. While doing this, we need to consider the necessities of the people our work impacts, social and cultural trends or ethics, and when it comes to the materials for these messages, along with sustainability and environmental effects. This generation of designers needs to be aware of their ability to emphasize deeper cultural meanings and develop their capacity to strengthen mutual understanding among people and nations. If I have any advice for aspiring designers, it would be to think critically about the implications of an idea at an early stage and to think deeply about the possible long-term consequences of design choices. Your designs are a manifestation of the future you wish to create — so please create responsibly.
The annual GDUSA Health+Wellness Design Awards™ competition honors graphic excellence in this fast-growing, hugely important and high-profile segment of the economy. Our 2022 winners showcase is the largest and most selective yet, featuring projects and campaigns from leading institutions, design firms, agencies and departments encompassing traditional medicine and healthcare, healthy lifestyles and nutrition, and public and community health initiatives. It is a reminder — as if we needed one — that effective design and communication make a vital contribution to our personal and collective healthy, wellness and safety.
7ate9 Design
AARP Publications
Access TCA
Aegis Dental Network
Alight Solutions American Society of Nephrology (ASN)
Arcana Academy
Aspire Indiana Health
Bonavita Design LLC + Jump Marketing
Centermost Marketing
Children’s Hospital Colorado Christine Lhowe
Clarkmcdowall
COE Design
Common Good Crème de Mint
CVS Health/Aetna/CCG Design on Edge
Donlon Agency DOOR3 DRIVE Eight Moon™
Elevate Healthcare Elisa Watson Design Ellen Bruss Design Elmwood Entro
EvoEndo
Fors Marsh Group
Garrison Hughes Inc.
GM Financial Goldstein Group Marketing
Graphic Matters
Hartford Design / Woz Design / Ted Stoik
Henry Schein, Inc./Schein Creative Group
Heroic Brand Creative ICON plc
Impact Managed Marketing
Iron Design Jennifer Lopardo LLC
JPS Health Network
Korzenowski Design
Left Right Labs
Lippincott
Lisa Cain Design Little Big Brands
Malowany Creative MD Anderson Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Millward and Millward Nan He/VCU
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Arts Branch NorthShore Care Supply Odgis + Co
OneWorld Community Health Centers PepsiCo Design & Innovation
Piscatello Design Centre PRI Healthcare Solutions Purrsnickitty Design Raka Creative
Reading Hosital-Tower Health Retail Voodoo Rie Takeuchi Rivet Brands
Ron Kalstein/RKDK RTI International SabineART Design Saif Salah Designz SixAbove Studios SMAKK Studios Smith Designs sml design company sparc Stryker Studio Eighty Seven Supernova Sites
Swimmer Integrated Marketing
The Creative Pack, LLC
The Hatcher Group
The Permanente Medical Group
The Word & Brown Companies Thompson Studio
Topco Creative Services
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Varini Nathany Washington University, Health Communication Design Studio
Werremeyer Creative
West 7th Design Studio
Woz Design / Makeworks / Ted Stoik
Xhilarate
Design Firm: 7ate9 Design, Havertown PA Client: University of Pennsylvania Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE)
Title: CHIBE Annual Report 2021-22
Creative Director: Monica Gilbert
Art Director: Monica Gilbert Designer: Monica Gilbert Writer: Meghan Ross Communications Manager: Meghan Ross
Design Firm: AARP Publications, Washington DC Client: AARP The Magazine Title: Michael J. Fox Unbreakable Editorial Feature
Creative Director: Scott A. Davis Senior Deputy Art Director: Dian Holton
Design Firm: AARP Publications, Washington DC Client: AARP The Magazine
Title: You Asked. We Answered. The 70s Edition
Creative Director: Scott A. Davis Assistant Art Director: Jenny Rosenberg
Design Firm: AARP Publications, Washington DC Client: AARP Bulletin Title: Medicare Advantage Plans at 25 Cover Story
Creative Director: Scott A. Davis
Design Firm: Bonavita Design LLC + Jump Marketing, Montclair NJ Client: UKG + Wolters Kluwer Title: Nursing’s Wake-Up Call, Change is Now Non-negotiable Creative Director: Donna Bonavita Designers: Donna Bonavita, Rose Valentine V.P. Global Communications + Brand: Ann Joyal (Wolter Kluwers Health) Senior Manager, Healthcare Marketing: Carol Ballou (UKG) Director, Global Strategic Marketing, Nursing Segment: Janet Feeney (Wolter Kluwer Health) Marketing + Content Strategist: Lisa Meyer (Jump Marketing) VP, Account Services: Eileen Frain Retoucher: Mike Bognar (Big Color)
Design Firm: Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora CO Title: Colorado Fetal Care Center Overview Package Creative Director: Kacy Lamb Designer: Madison Switzer Copywriters: Jef Otte, Alyssa Hurst Marketing Specialist: Elizabeth Walsh Project Manager: Kiaja Thomas
Design Firm: Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora CO Title: Population Health, Vaccine Deliberation Campaign Creative Director: Kacy Lamb
Designers: Amber Anderson, Kacy Lamb Photographers: Lauren Anderson, Jeff Hatcher Copywriting and Content: Alexandra Shoemaker, Katie Cicerchi, Leah Elsmore, Teri Kieffer Project Manager: Kiaja Thomas VP Marketing and Communications: Charlotte Isoline Director, Brand + Creative: Nicole Hebert
Design Firm: Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora CO Title: Bill Daniels Center, Cochlear Implant Roadmap Creative Director: Kacy Lamb
Designer: Amber Anderson Copywriter: Alyssa Hurst
Marketing Strategist: Elizabeth Walsh Project Manager: Kiaja Thomas
Design Firm: Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora CO Title: Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) 2022 Conference Charging Stations Creative Director: Kacy Lamb
Art Director: Katie Genauer Designer: Katie Genauer Writers: Jef Otte, Alyssa Hurst Brand Photography: Lauren Anderson Marketing Strategist: Elizabeth Walsh VO, Marketing and Communications: Charlotte Isoline Director, Brand + Creative: Nicole Hebert
Design Firm: Crème de Mint, Miami Beach FL Client: Megan & Co Herbal Apothecary Title: A Modern Interpretation Of The Herbal Apothecary Creative Director: Lauren Casgren-Tindall Designer: Shasta Norris
Design Firm: CVS Health/Aetna/CCG, Hartford CT Client: Barnes Group Inc. Title: 2022 Benefits Together: Our Journey To Well-Being Open Enrollment Guide Creative Director: Donna Moll Art Director: Pam Howard Writer: Barnes Group Corporate Benefits Team
Account Manager: Brendan Sullivan Production Manager: Chris Tavera
Design Firm: CVS Health/Aetna/CCG, Hartford CT Client: Barnes Group Inc.
Title: 2022 Evergreen Retirement Forward: Personalized Health Care Benefits Solutions Guide Creative Director: Donna Moll Art Director: Pam Howard
Writer: Barnes Group Corporate Benefits Team Account Manager: Brendan Sullivan Production Manager: Chris Tavera
Design Firm: CVS Health/Aetna/CCG, Hartford CT Client: CVS Aetna Plan Sponsors Title: CVS Aetna 2022 Preventive Care Birthday Cards/Reminders
Creative Director: Michael Smith Designer: Michael Smith Writers: Katheryn Downey, Peggy Snyder Account Manager: Barbara Wierzbicki
Production Manager: Teresa Curley Production Manager: Chris Tavera
Design Firm: Graphic Matters, Houston TX Title: North West Integrated Health (NWIH) Website Creative Director: Sara Sharif Iqbal (Graphic Matters)
Web Developer: Sara Sharif Iqbal Copywriter: William Sargent Videographer: Samuel Francois (Growing Boy Media)
Design Firm: Hartford Design / Woz Design / Ted Stoik, Chicago IL
Client: Abbott Title: Abbott 2021 Annual Report Creative Directors: Tim Hartford, David Wozniak, Ted Stoik Art Directors: Tim Hartford, David Wozniak, Ted Stoik Designers: Tim Hartford, David Wozniak, Ted Stoik Photography: Tom Maday, Dan Socie
Client: Henry Schein Medical Title: BioTherapeutics Quarterly Journal
Creative Director: Cara Cardonna Art Director: Anthony Rinaldi
Design Firm: Henry Schein, Inc./Schein Creative Group, Melville NY
Client: Henry Schein, Inc. Title: Resilience For A Healthier World
Creative Director: Stuart Weiss Art Director: Signita Penikas Designer: Signita Penikas
Design Firm: Heroic Brand Creative, Spring TX Client: UT Health Houston McGovern Medical School Title: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 2020-2021 UTHealth Orthopedics Outlook Creative Director: Will Cunningham Art Director: Will Cunningham Designer: Will Cunningham Writer: Wendy Cederberg Photography: Dwight C. Andrews, Angie Beltran, Jack Thompson Executive Editor: Hailey Benningfield Editor: Cynthia Plitt
Design Firm: Lippincott, New York NY Client: Mass General Brigham Title: Mass General Brigham Branding and Identity Partner, Design: Bogdan Geara Designers: Kaito Gengo, Dimitri Theodoropoulos, Tai Chen, Nicole Williams, Myung Jin Lee Senior Partner, Director of Brand Strategy: Michael D’Ésopo Partner, Brand Strategy: Jake Hancock
Senior Consultants, Brand Strategy: Claire Dennis, Ellis Adin Senior Associate, Brand Strategy: Tyler Holden
Design Firm: Lippincott, New York NY Title: Lyn Health Branding and Identity Partner, Design: Aline Kim Designers: Aline Kim, Peter Chun, Emiko Osaka, Sudiksha Krishnan, Bo Hwang, Suchen Xu Senior Partner, Strategy: Dylan Stuart Senior Associate, Strategy: Hayley Picone Senior Consultant, Strategy: Sarah Koe
Design Firm: Malowany Creative, Scottsdale AZ Client: Foundation Health Title: Foundation Health Rebrand Creative Director/Designer: Gene Malowany Writers: Ginni Meyers, Gene Malowany Printer: B&B Printers, Gunnison CO
Design Firm: Malowany Creative, Scottsdale AZ Client: Karol Schuyler Title: Natural Health Consultant Branding Creative Director/Designer: Gene Malowany Writer: Karol Schuyler Photography: Jeff Noble PIctures Printer: B&B Printers, Gunnison CO
Design Firm: MD Anderson Cancer Center/Institutional Affairs, Houston TX Client: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Title: James P. Allison Institute Launch Campaign Art Director and Designer: Kellye Sanford Project Manager and Writer: Clayton Boldt, Ph.D Assoc. VP, External Affairs: Brette Peyton Sr. VP, Institutional Affairs: Tadd Pullin Exec. Director, Marketing: Audrey Treviño Director, Marketing: Dana Lee Assoc. Director, Marketing: Stephanie Carrell Manager, Marketing: Katie Danysh VP, Strategic Communications: Crista Latham Executive Director, Integrated Media: Megan Maisel Creative Director: Elisa Cisneros Assoc. Director, Video: Glenn Challenger Video Writer/Producer: Lauren Lea Videographer/Director/Editor: Michael Giannaccio Videographers: Jose Hernandez, James McEnelly, Tavarius Eberhart Assoc. Director, Photography: Adolfo Chavez III Photographers: Thomas Campbell, Jessie Ofelia Almanza Web Editor: Necie Green Director, Social Media: Laura Nathan-Garner Administrative Fellow: Ann Weston Sistrunk Lab Imaging: Jason Cross, Ph.D Presentation Designer: Joe Jaques
Design Firm: MD Anderson Cancer Center/Institutional Affairs, Houston TX Client: The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Title: Forward Momentum-Annual Report FY21 Creative Director: Elisa Cisneros Art Director and Designer: Kellye Sanford Editorial Director: Laura Nathan-Garner Director, Photography: Adolfo Chavez III. Contributing Photographers: Jessie Ofelia Almanza, Thomas Campbell, Michael Hrizuk, Wyatt McSpadden, F. Carter Smith, Sasha Fuentes Wyatt Contributing Designers: Marily Scaria (Digital Designer), Justin Carrier, Erin McCormick Web Editor: Necie Green Contributing Writers: Clayton Boldt, Ph.D, Katie Brooks, KirstiAnn Clifford, Cynthia DeMarco, Maggie Galehouse, Gillian Kruse, Mindy Loya, Meagan Raeke, Allison Schaffer, Emily Watkins, Ronda Wendler
Design Firm: RTI International, Durham NC Client: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Title: RECOVER - Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery Brand and Logo Creative Director/Lead Designer: Britta Hansen Visual and UI Designer: Julia Chistiakova Research Lead: Stephanie McInnis Content Strategy Lead/Writer: Bryan Luukinen Communications Leads: Alexandra Bornkessel, Victoria Thomas
Design Firm: Supernova Sites, Toronto ONT Client: Blacktherapy.ca
Title: Blacktherapy.ca Brand Guidelines Creative Director: Nicole Hart
Art Director: Nicole Hart Designer: Nicole Hart Writer: Nicole Hart
Design Firm: Swimmer Integrated Marketing by Design, Prospect Heights IL Client: Online Learning Center (OLC) Education & Conference Center Title: OLC Sales Collateral President: Mark Swimmer VP, Design Director: Debra Nemeth
Design Firm: The Creative Pack, LLC, Redondo Beach CA Client: Gopuff
Title: Basically Paper Product Range Creative Director: Danielle Kidney
Designers: Paola Ip, Healther Storie, Emma Tung, Casey Chui, Joshua Manalang
Brand Identity: Little Fury Head of Brand Design: Andrew Guirguis
Head of Brand Marketing: Jessica Lauria GM Private Label: Jessica Glendenning Brand Owner, Basically: Bri Waldoch Packaging Project Manager, Private Label: Ali Tobin
Design Firm: The Creative Pack, LLC, Redondo Beach CA
Client: Sensitive Home Title: Sensitive Home Cleaning Range
Creative Director: Danielle Kidney Designer: Emma Tung Project Coordinator: Emily Cho
Design Firm: The Hatcher Group, Bethesda MD Client: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Title: CDC Prevention and Control 30 Years
Snapshot Creative Director: Reece Quinones Art Director: Ernest Chua Designer: David Lewis Project Manager: Victoria Cain
Design Firm: The Hatcher Group, Bethesda MD Client: OSI Baltimore Title: OSI Covid-19 Emergency Assistance Fund Creative Director: Reece Quinones Art Director: Lindsey Smith Designer: Lindsey Smith
Design Firm: The Hatcher Group and Reingold, Bethesda MD Client: Virginia Department of Public Health Title: COVID Holiday Social Graphics
Creative Director: Reece Quinones Art Director: Lindsey Smith, Marzia Motta Designers: Melissa Johnston, Lindsey Smith, Annette Allen Project Manager: Mary Bushel
Design Firm: The Hatcher Group, Bethesda MD Client: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Title: National Racial Equity Inititiative (NREI) Health Equity Series - Reproductive Rights. Creative Director: Reece Quinones Art Director: Marzia Motta Designers: Marzia Motta, MaameYaa Danso
Design Firm: The Permanente Medical Group, Oakland CA. Client: Permanente Excellence Title: TGMP Intensivists, Volume 7 Number 2 Creative Director: Deborah Lyons Art Directors: Deborah Lyons, Meg Coughlin Designers: Meg Coughlin, Victor Perez-Zubeldia Writers: Anthony Rau, Jill Lodwig, Laura Buch Illustration: Sam Falconer (TPMG Intensivists), Sara Tyson (An Unbiased Look at Kidney Function)
Design Firm: The Permanente Medical Group, Oakland CA Client: Permanente Excellence Title: Transforming Care In A Crisis, Volume 5 Number 2 Creative Director: Deborah Lyons Art Directors: Deborah Lyons, Meg Coughlin Designers: Meg Coughlin, Victor Perez-Zubeldia Writers: Anthony Rau, Jill Lodwig, Laura Buch Illustration: Gordon Studer
Design Firm: The Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: CaliforniaChoice Title: Member Marketplace Brochure Senior Marketing Manager: Rikki Nedelkow Studio Director: Homer Villegas
Senior Copywriter: Alex Strautman Executive Vice President: Polly Neves
Design Firm: The Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: CaliforniaChoice Title: That Cali Different Social Media Campaign Senior Marketing Manager: Rikki Nedelkow Studio Director: Homer Villegas
Senior Digital Marketing Specialist: Noe Villasenor
Design Firm: The Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: Word & Brown GA Title: Redefine Ad Series Marketing Director: Missy Bynon
Designer: Hugo Miramontes Marketing Project Manager: Heather Jung Senior Copywriter: Alex Strautman
Design Firm: The Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: Word & Brown GA Title: Superhero Calendar 2022 Marketing Director: Missy Bynon Designer: Hugo Miramontes Marketing Project Manager: Heather Jung
Design Firm: The Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: Word & Brown
GA Title: Value Proposition Brochure Marketing Director: Missy Bynon
Designer: Hugo Miramontes Marketing Project Manager: Heather Jung Senior Copywriter: Alex Strautman
Design Firm: The Word & Brown Companies, Orange CA Client: Word & Brown GA Title: Week of Webinars 2022 Microsite Marketing Director: Missy Bynon Digital Marketing Director: Kalup Alexander Designer: Hugo Miramontes Marketing Project Manager: Heather Jung Digital Marketing Manager: Vidah Quirante Front End Developer: Jarrell Walker Senior Copywriter: Alex Strautman
FIGHT Community Health Centers Title: Annual Report 2021 Creative Directors: Emily Thompson, Lorelei Gauthier Art Director: Emily Thompson Designer: Emily Thompson Writers: Lorelei Gauthier, Ralph Simon, Mike Marsico
Explore the power of design in today’s marketplace with the Georgetown University Master’s in Design Management & Communications.
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A — A selection of the Mohawk Renewal Portfolio.
B — Hemp fiber is rich in cellulose, just like wood—but it grows much more quickly.
C — One common way farmers in Eastern Washington formerly disposed of their straw was to burn it, releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
D — Once cotton pulp is broken down into slurry, it’s ready to be turned into paper.
With the introduction of Renewal, Mohawk Paper is writing an important, new chapter in their environmental sustainability story. Mohawk Paper is expanding the definition of sustainable papermaking and redefining the contours of their fiber sourcing practices. By introducing legacy fibers like hemp, straw, and cotton textiles, they’re looking to the past to define a more sustainable future.
Reimagine: Hemp Hemp fibers were long used across American industry to manufacture fabric, rope, and paper until they were outlawed in the 1930s. Now, PureHemp Technology, a small research company in Fort Lupton, Colorado, has created a low-carbon, green process to turn hemp stalks into pulp for making a wide variety of papers. With PureHemp’s process being used to manufacture hempderived products like pulp, papers like Mohawk Renewal join the CBD and legal marijuana industries, driving demand for this rapidly renewable agricultural crop.
Unlike trees, which take 7 to 35 years to mature, hemp grows rapidly, maturing in as few as 90 days. Turning it into pulp requires less chemicals, water, and energy than wood, and it can be used to make a vast array of paper types, from greeting cards to label paper, cardstock, and packaging.
Until recently, hemp stalks were never used as raw materials; they were simply tilled under in the fields. Now, this sturdy fiber is being repurposed to make paper, which is a benefit to the environment on every level. Since hemp can be raised nearly anywhere, refineries using this process can be set up across the country. Working with Mohawk has helped prove the viability of hemp fiber for pulp while fostering a new supply
A
chain. It’s a massive opportunity to make a meaningful environmental impact.
For centuries, cotton textile waste was recycled to make paper. Today, there is more textile waste than ever. Strong, yet soft, these cotton fibers make beautiful paper. Mohawk Renewal Recycled Cotton uses two sources for its cotton fiber: white t-shirt trim and blue denim thread.
Four generations after Cheney Pulp and Paper Company opened in Franklin, Ohio, the mill is still making pulp out of cotton rag—now with original owner Howard Cheney’s greatgrandson Mark Snyder at the helm.
The company’s work is newly relevant thanks to a manufacturing partnership with Mohawk. Recycled cotton pulp from Cheney is used to make Mohawk Renewal T-Shirt White and Denim papers, giving cotton textile waste a second life. Made from t-shirt and denim scrap diverted from the millions of pounds of textile waste sent to landfills every year, these pulps remain unbleached and require no dye in the papermaking process.
Textile scrap material arrives in 1,000 pound bales of tiny clippings, which staffers sort by hand to weed out synthetics and ensure everything used is 100 percent cotton.
Then, using a combination of heat, water, and time, those scraps are transformed into pulp for paper. Making this sustainable pulp for the new Mohawk Renewal range of papers takes pressure off landfills while bolstering American industry.
Straw is a byproduct of wheat farming. Every year, after the wheat harvest, thousands of acres of straw are either burned off or plowed under. Now, that straw is being reclaimed for paper pulp.
Among the golden fields of grain in Eastern Washington, the largest wheat harvest in North America, a new company is bringing green industry to this pastoral landscape. Columbia Pulp, based in Dayton, WA, the first new pulp mill in the U.S. in decades, has pioneered a cuttingedge, sustainable process, developed by researchers at the University of
Washington, that extracts pulp for paper from humble wheat straw.
Columbia Pulp contracts with farmers across the region, spending $13 million annually on straw. Unlike wood, straw doesn’t need to be pressurized to transform into pulp, saving enormous amounts of energy. The new process is more environmentally friendly than comparable methods, requiring 25 percent less water and 70 percent less energy. It also eliminates the need for the annual “fall burns” farmers set to clear straw from their fields, when four to five million acres are set ablaze, creating acrid smoke and carbon emissions.
Straw pulp creates paper products with a slightly yellow hue, which can be turned into a wide variety of products. There’s plenty of room for growth— the nation boasts 10 times as much biomass from farming operations, like straw, than it does from trees. Using straw as raw material for paper means less trees felled for paper, fewer damaging fires in Eastern Washington, and economic growth in rural communities. This sustainable product eases environmental impact and, you might say, spins straw into gold.
mohawkconnects.com/
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The most sought-after designers are visual problem solvers, storytellers and experience creators. They are also highly adaptable professionals, continually looking to hone their creative skills. But identifying these designers for your team isn’t always easy.
Navigating a hiring process today can be challenging. Companies continue to compete for top candidates, salaries keep trending upward, workplace expectations have changed, and uncertainty causes unease in the marketplace. It’s a lot for any creative leader to face when looking for professionals to help with critical design projects. Drawing on the 2023 Salary Guide From Robert Half, here are four key trends I’d recommend hiring managers consider when crafting a recruitment strategy.
Let’s cut to the chase. To hire and retain skilled designers, you need to offer competitive starting salaries and review them regularly to ensure they stay competitive. Robert Half recruiters report that many candidates are receiving 3-5 job offers, giving them little incentive to consider an opportunity with a lowball starting salary.
Employers are getting the message. Forty percent of marketing and creative managers are boosting starting salaries to entice new hires, while over half (52%) are giving raises to keep current employees from eyeing a move to another company.
National median salaries for the following in-demand design roles reflect the upward pressure on pay:
● Art director: $93,250
● Digital artist: $68,250
● Graphic designer: $62,000
● Packaging designer: $63,250
● Web designer: $75,000
Salaries vary by location, of course. You can search for a city in the Salary Guide to get a figure adjusted for regional living costs, availability of skilled talent and other factors.
Even a generous salary offer may not be enough to seal the deal. Many candidates look for well-rounded compensation packages that improve their lives in a variety of ways. These are the five most-wanted benefits across all sectors:
1. Health insurance
2. Paid time off
3. Retirement savings plan
4. Dental insurance
5. Leave of absence
But that’s not all that workers want. Seventy-nine percent of employees surveyed want to improve their work-life balance, and 51% would like more well-being support from their employer. And companies are listening — a majority (83%) of HR managers said they’ve added new perks in response to the hiring market. These include remote work opportunities, mental health resources, wellness programs and more.
This priority shift to health reflects many workers’ experiences during the pandemic. It’s no surprise that candidates are giving special consideration to employers offering extensive benefits and perks.
Remember the 9-to-5? Many employees would rather you didn’t. Around three-quarters (74%) of creative professionals currently work in remote or hybrid arrangements, and over half (55%) say they feel most productive working from home. Forty-one percent of senior managers said some employees have quit rather than return to the office full time. Robert Half recruiters report that firms with strict in-office policies are experiencing the highest turnover rates — the last thing employers need in the current job market.
The best way to look at flexible work is not as a perk or concession but as a win-win for you and your workforce. Remote workers who may once have faced a grueling commute can now start their day sharp and fresh. And working off-site makes it easier for them to shut out distractions for a couple of hours to focus on high-priority tasks. Not all
employees want to work from home 100% of the time, though. More than half (55%) of those who plan to look for a new job say they want a hybrid approach where teams alternate between home and office. Employees want to work an average of three days a week remotely, leaving plenty of time for the kind of close-quarters brainstorming creatives thrive on.
There are also definite benefits businesswise of offering fully remote or hybrid options. For one thing, with geography no longer a barrier to recruitment you can hire employees who live anywhere. Also you’re likely to see better staff morale and work-life balance and, as a result, increased retention.
With many projects requiring up-to-the-minute knowledge of new industry-specific tools and software, designers can’t stand still and stay competitive. Reskilling can help them keep pace with how their jobs are evolving.
While the best designers learn something new every day, few have the time and resources to pursue more structured training on their own. That gives firms with well-developed upskilling programs an edge in recruitment and retention. Whether you offer perks such as subsidized online learning, mentoring opportunities or both, make sure these programs are prominently advertised in your job postings and candidate outreach channels.
With various shifts and disruptions in the past few years, the current employment landscape can at times look like a minefield. By understanding and addressing the professional, personal and financial priorities of employees and candidates, you can build a great team of design professionals.
For more insights to help you hire and retain talent, check out the 2023 Salary Guide From Robert Half.
PAUL FLAHARTY is executive director of the marketing and creative practice at global talent solutions firm Robert Half, which connects professionals with companies hiring in marketing, creative, digital, advertising and public relations. His primary responsibility is to develop and oversee the growth strategy for the company's marketing and creative contract talent solutions teams across the United States. www.roberthalf.com
To request free product information from advertisers featured in this issue contact the advertisers directly as provided below or in their advertisements.
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Academy of Art University 9 academyart.edu/GDUSA
Adobe Max adobe.com/go/maxgdusa promocode M22GDUSA
Apple 21 send resume for jobs to address on ad
Artisan 11 artisantalent.com
Berthold 3 www.bertholdtypes.com, sales@bertholdtypegroup.com
Billerud 18, 19 www.billerudkorsnas.com, www.versoco.com
Domtar IFC, 51 paper.domtar.com/50yearsofcougar
FunctionFox 33-34 Free demo at functionfox.com/gdusa
Georgetown 99 scs.georgetown.edu/design
Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) 98 gdusa.com
Kallima IBC kallimapaper.com, 1.800.411.7011
Mohawk 15 mohawkconnects.com/paperwithaplan OBD 21 www.obd.org Shutterstock 5 www.shutterstock.com/pricing
Sylvamo BC Sylvamo.com
Syracuse University 13 College of Visual & Performing Arts admissu@syr.edu, vpa.syr.edu/cmd2022
Yupo 7 yupousa.com, #DoitonYUPO
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