MIAD students receive 2023 Graphic Design Awards from GDUSA

Three Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Communication Design students received 60th anniversary American Graphic Design Awards from Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) magazine. The students were selected from over 8,000 entries, and judged alongside professional design work. Fewer than 10% of entrants received an award.

Recognized for her work in packaging design, Adriana Lassa ’24 says her PRIKD: Spicy Margarita event poster “design was inspired by a set of stamps with imagery of plants. The nature scene was arranged with a nod to the desert and the agave plant.”

Ella Wiater ’24 says her winning Rockabilly Chili Poster from MIAD’s advertising design course was meaningful because “I based my targeted demographic off of a close friend.”

Catherine Currie ’23 (Communication Design) also received an award for her work – Milwaukee United – in branding and design for sport. Currie is now a creative for Emmy award-winning Cynosure Creative Agency, whose creative director is MIAD alum and Trustee Xavier Ruffin ‘10 (Communication Design). In summer 2023, she was selected for a highly competitive graphic design internship at Nike.

Lassa says that she “likes the possibilities of Communication Design – that it is something that is all around you. It presents itself in multiple forms for different reasons, whether that is to relay information, tell a story or evoke emotion.”

“I love Communication Design because it allows me to express myself creatively while also creating work that is impactful,” adds Wiater.

Speaking about her time at MIAD, Lassa says, “I’ve learned how essential conversation is. There’s always something to be learned from someone, and even the smallest interaction can be meaningful and give insight into your own work and others.”

Learn more about MIAD’s Communication Design program.