GDUSA names MIAD Communication Design a top program
Solution-oriented, hands-on visual literacy: this is a core quality of the Communication Design program at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD). In 2024, Graphic Design USA Magazine recognized MIAD’s Communication Design major as one of the top programs in the nation.
According to their website, GDUSA compiled its annual list of graphic design programs based on schools “that excel in teaching the hard and soft skills necessary for success, in nurturing talent and expanding minds, and in preparing the next generation of creatives for a dream career in the real world.”
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Johanna Yim, “Swapt,” Senior Exhibition 2024.
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Jerald Aguilar presents “Kaleidoscope” at Senior Exhibition opening night.
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Communication Design, Packaging Design class, 2024.
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Suleika Ruiz, “Mother Nurture: A Community for Postpartum Depression,” Senior Exhibition 2024.
MIAD students and alumni are regularly recognized by GDUSA. Communication Design students Brady VanderHart ’24 and Emma Jenkins ’25 were named among GDUSA’s Students to Watch. In the magazine’s 60th anniversary American Graphic Design Awards in 2023, three MIAD students were selected from over 8,000 entries. Their work was judged alongside professional design work.
In addition to producing award-winning professional-quality work, Communication Design students at MIAD are exploring a wide range of careers. This year’s graduates are starting careers locally and nationally, working in graphic design positions for employers including Wizards of the Coast, Maker LLC, Great Wolf Lodge Headquarters, Anthropologie and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Work by Communication Design juniors will be on view June 3 – July 20, 2024 in Don’t Call Me Junior! The exhibition showcases junior student work across all six of MIAD’s majors.
Learn more about MIAD’s Communication Design program!
News
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.
Meet Eeshaan Dutt and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Indra Supreme
Eeshan Dutt ‘26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from India and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. Dutt’s work centers on visual storytelling through sequential art, where he explores how narratives can engage and connect with audiences.
Poster designs boost professional skillsets, children’s nonprofit
Continuing an annual tradition begun in 2010 at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Illustration juniors worked with Cramer-Krasselt and Penfield Children’s Center to design posters for the center’s Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser.
MIAD Task Award: Alum pays it forward with generous mentoring
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) alum Amy Cannestra ’06 (Communication Design) believes in giving back, in mentoring and in the supportive nature of the Milwaukee art and design community. By founding Task Creative and the MIAD Task Graduate Award, the incredibly busy creative exemplifies all three beliefs. The Task awardee, Ashley Osorio ’26 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice), will receive five consecutive days to use the Task Creative space for a project of their choosing this summer.