Adobe Reveals Winners of 2011 Design Achievement Awards

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the winners of its 11^th annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA). An awards ceremony was held last night in Taipei, Taiwan, in collaboration with Icograda (International Council of Graphic Design Associations). The awards honor the most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists from higher education institutions worldwide who have created individual or group projects with Adobe software, predominately using Adobe^® Creative Suite^® Master Collection products such as Photoshop^®, Illustrator^®, Premiere^® Pro, After Effects^®, Flash^® and Flash Builder^®.

For the first time, education faculty was also recognized in award categories honoring teaching excellence. The ADAAs received 4,605 submissions overall this year from more than 73 countries, a 61 percent increase in student participation year over year – a record number since the competition began in 2001.

"Today’s best design students are tomorrow’s professional photographers, film-makers and game designers,” said Ann Lewnes, senior vice president, Global Marketing, Adobe. "Adobe is proud to honor their incredible work through the Adobe Design Achievement Awards.”

"Over the years, the tools themselves have become so sophisticated that the students are able to realize their ideas in a much more sophisticated way than ever before,” said ADAA judge Liz Danzico, chair of MFA in Interaction Design Program, School of Visual Arts, New York City. "This competition showcases those great ideas that are expressed with a high level of technical ability.”

To recognize the art of teaching and create new opportunities to celebrate innovation in design education, new categories were introduced to the ADAAs this year: Innovation in Traditional Media in Education, Innovation of Interactive Media in Education and Innovation in Video and Motion in Education. Awards were given in the latter two categories.

"There are very few avenues for recognizing what the faculty is doing,” said ADAA judge Meredith Davis, director of graduate programs, graphic design, North Carolina State University. "I am thrilled that the ADAA provides an opportunity for teachers to talk about the world of technology in the art of teaching that just doesn’t have a forum somewhere else.”

For the third consecutive year, Adobe collaborated with Icograda to attract submissions from the Icograda Education Network, and select an international panel of design experts to judge the prestigious awards.

Last night’s awards ceremony honored students and educators whose projects were selected from among 42 finalists. Winners were recognized in 15 categories across Interactive Media, Mobile Design, Video and Motion, and Traditional Media:

Student Awards

• Browser-Based Design— Andrew Mangold and Josh Hepworth, "Crowdstorms,” Maryland Institute College of Art, United States
• Non-Browser Based Design— Erika Rossi, "I Mirabilia,” IUAV, Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, Italy
• Application Development— Paul Hoppe, "Exploratorium: Generative Identity,” Art Center College of Design, United States
• Mobile Design— Qian Liu, "Barto,” New York University, United States
• Game Design— Anthony Mattox, "Orbit,” Maryland Institute College of Art, United States
• Installation Design— a team led by Will Ruby, "Quick Response,” College for Creative Studies, United States
• Animation— Songeun (Lara) Lee, "My Favourite Animal,” Kookmin University, Korea
• Live Action— Ho Tak Lam, "CITY #3721,” City University of Hong Kong, School of Creative Media, Hong Kong
• Motion Graphics— Brian Banton, "Heterosis - A Kinetic Typeface,” York University, Canada
• Illustration— Katrin Rodegast, "Soft Cover,” Fachhochschule Dortmund, Germany
• Packaging— Man Wai Wong, "Tissue Box,” York University/Sheridan College, Canada
• Photography— Ryan LeCluyse,"REBU!LD,” Maryland Institute College of Art, United States
• Print Communications— Sean Chang, "DAMN!OTAKU - Animation Geeks Self-Help System,” Academy of Art University, United States

Education Faculty Awards

• Innovation of Interactive Media in Education— a team of educators led by Douglas Williams, "Rigglefish: Engaging Middle and High School Children in Scientific Inquiry and Genetics,” University of Louisiana, United States
• Innovation in Video and Motion in Education— Ryan Woodward, educator, "Thought of You,” Brigham Young University, United States

Winning entries can be viewed at the ADAA Gallery, along with the entries of the finalists from 2011 and prior years. The work of the 2011 finalists is also being showcased October 22-30 in a special gallery as part of the Taipei World Design Expo. This year’s winners were selected by a global panel of industry judges based on originality, effectiveness in meeting the communication objective, and contestant(s) skills in applying Adobe products. Faculty entries were judged on educational innovation in teaching impact and the development of applications to better an overall educational administrative or curricular experience for the students and public they serve.

Judges include: John Bielenberg (United States), professor, California College of the Arts in San Francisco; Liz Danzico (United States), chair of MFA in Interaction Design Program, School of Visual Arts; Meredith Davis (United States), director of graduate programs, graphic design at College of Design, North Carolina State University; Anthony Dunne (United Kingdom), head of design interactions department, Royal College of Art in London; Juan-Carlos Fernandez (Canada), creative director/founder, Ideograma Consultores; Gillian Crampton Smith (Italy), founder and director of the Interaction Design Programme, IAUV University of Venice; Troy Innocent (Australia), program convenor, games & interactivity, Swinburne University of Technology; Apex Lin (Taiwan), vice president, National Taiwan Normal University; Kees Overbeeke (Netherlands), professor, Eindhoven University of Technology; Dean Poole (New Zealand), creative director, Alt Group; Viebke Sorensen (Singapore), professor and chair of the School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University; Ellen Wagner (United States), partner and principal analyst, Sage Road Solutions; Hugh Dubberly (United States), Dubberly Design Office; and Toby Curnow (New Zealand), design director at Alt Group. View judges’ commentary on the 2011 Adobe Design Achievement Awards at www.2011.adaagallery.com.

Individual winners and leaders of the group category winners received a US$3,000 cash prize, winner’s certificate and trophy, round-trip airfare to Taipei, and lodging during the 2011 IDA Congress. Additionally, individual winners received a copy of Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection software; group winners each received his/her choice of Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium, Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium or Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium education version software. Student individual winners and leaders of the group category are appointed to the Icograda Youth Advisory Panel and receive a one-year mentorship with a design leader from the Icograda network.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

About Icograda

Icograda (International Council of Graphic Design Associations) is the world body for professional communication design. Founded in 1963, Icograda promotes communication designers' vital role in society and commerce. For more information, visit www.icograda.org.

© 2011 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, After Effects, Flash, and Builder are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.