Happened
Wed, Jul 31st
Solar Arts Building
711 NE 15th Ave, Minneapolis MN 55413

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When good design connects with powerful strategy, the results are truly electric!

Enter the 2019 AIGA Minnesota Design Show today to show us the power of your design. Entry deadline is July 24th, 2019.

DEADLINE EXTENDED! Entries due July 31, 2019.

 

Judges Panel Discussion and Design Show: August 7

A reception to premiere and display the winning entries and celebrate the Minnesota design community will be held on August 7, from 7:00-9:00 pm. A panel discussion with the esteemed judges at 6:00 pm precedes the reveal of selected work. Note that limited tickets will be available for the panel discussion.

We are excited to announce that we will be providing limited free submission entries to Design Show 2019 and free attendance at the August 7 judges panel and reception in Minneapolis for individuals identifying as members of under-represented groups as it relates to race/ethnicity, gender identity, ability status, socioeconomic class, and/or veteran status.

Entry recipients will be selected by members of the AIGA Minnesota Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Applications are due by July 22.

Meet the Judges

Darin Michelle Gilliam
Darin Michelle Gilliam
Principal and Creative Director, Symmetry Agency

As a designer for over 10 years, Darin Michelle Gilliam has focused on creative consulting and design strategy for small businesses and organizations. Darin serves as the Principal and Creative Director for the Symmetry Agency - a boutique creative agency that focuses on branding, marketing, and content creation. When she is not designing with Symmetry, she is co-running ArtFarm Studios; a 3,200 sq ft art and studio space, or serving her arts community as the Director of Annapolis Arts Week.

Jeff Close
Jeff Close
Associate Partner, Pentagram

Jeff Close is a Canadian graphic designer. He is an Associate Partner at Pentagram in New York where he predominately designs brand identity systems. His work has been recognized by numerous organizations and publications, including AIGA, TDC, and It’s Nice That. His work aims to create dynamic, recognizable systems with a strong typographic focus.

Meg Vazquez
Meg Vázquez
Creative Director, Splice

Meg Vázquez is a designer and illustrator based out of Brooklyn, NY. She's currently Creative Director at Splice leading a team telling engaging stories about how modern music is being made. She was previously the Art Director at GQ Magazine and worked as a design lead on Hillary Clinton's campaign during the 2016 election.

Doug Powell
Doug Powell
Vice President of Design, IBM

Doug Powell is a designer with more than 30 years of experience in a wide range of design disciplines. A recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Sam Fox School of Design at Washington University in St. Louis, and the 2014 Fellow Award from AIGA Minnesota, Doug is a lecturer, commentator and thought leader on design issues. He has presented at a variety of conferences, forums, and universities including Beirut Design Week in Lebanon, the Offset design conference in Dublin, Ireland, and Yale School of Management. He was on the jury of the 2018 Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards. Between 2011-2013 Doug served as the national president of AIGA. Doug is Vice President of Design at IBM, with a concentration on designer practices and community.

Types of Entries and Entry Categories

Any items printed or produced between May 2016 and July 2019 are eligible for submission.

  • Single Entry: A single, stand-alone piece.
  • Campaign Entry: A series of conceptually related pieces, judged as a group.
  • Student Entry: Work completed while enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at an accredited institution during the eligible time period.

Categories

  1. Print (annual reports, brochures, catalogs, direct mail, invitations & announcements, etc.)
  2. Interactive (websites, apps, tablet design, kiosks, interactive exhibits, etc.)
  3. Motion Graphics (broadcast graphics, film titles, music videos, animation, video graphics)
  4. Publications (editorial, books, magazines, covers & jackets, etc.)
  5. Branding (stationery/business systems, identity marks, etc.)
  6. Environmental Graphics (signage/wayfinding, outdoor advertising, trade show exhibits, retail environments etc.)
  7. Packaging (consumer goods, CDs and DVDs, etc.)
  8. Advertising (print or digital)
  9. Posters
  10. Illustration & Infographics
  11. Miscellaneous (invitations/announcements, illustration, apparel, photography, typeface design, etc.)
  12. Campaign (a series of conceptually related pieces covering one or more categories, judged as a group)

Categories are provided to help assist in the submission process and do not represent the full range of design work accepted for consideration. Submit your entry based on the category that most closely describes it.

Eligibility

Individuals and businesses in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Manitoba may enter. Entrants need not be AIGA Minnesota members, however, members get a discount for both entry fees and event admission. New members are eligible for the discounted member rate, but must join prior to submitting entries. Visit www.aiga.org/join for more information on becoming an AIGA member.

To avoid duplicated entries, work from a campaign or series may be entered as individual pieces or as a unit, but not both. Logos are the exception: they may be submitted individually and also appear in materials submitted in other categories.

Entry Fees

  • Single Entry: $55 members, $80 non-members
  • Campaign Entry: $80 members, $110 non-members
  • Student Entry (single or campaign): $25 members, $40 non-members

Event Sponsors

2019 AIGA Minnesota Design Show Volunteers

AIGA Minnesota sincerely appreciates the support of our dedicated volunteers who have contributed to this year’s Design Show.

  • 2019 Design Show Chair:
    Brock Ray
  • Committee Volunteers:
    Ben Alpert
    Cornel Beard
    Eduardo Cortés
    Chris Corum
    William Evans
    Garrio Harrison
    Ryan Ouradnik
    Angela Paige
    Jenica Pospisil
  • AIGA Minnesota Director of Legacy Programming:
    Jenny Schmitz-Hinshaw

About the Design Show

The AIGA Minnesota Design Show highlights the most exceptional design work being produced in the Upper Midwest and showcases the power of design in today’s culture. This competition is independently judged by leading design professionals from across the country and is structured around the entry’s ability to solve the problem of communicating both design’s effectiveness and aesthetic appeal. Selected entries are presented at the Design Show’s opening reception.

Need inspiration for your entries? View past Design Show Award Winners here. Follow @aigamn for up-to-date information. Questions? Email [email protected] for more information.