Senior Communication Design project wins national GDUSA award

Cultivata, the 2025 Senior Exhibition project by Frankie Mallerdino ’25 (Communication Design) at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), was named a Gold Foil winner in Graphic Design USA’s 2025 Digital Design Awards. Only 10 percent of the more than 3,000 entries earn this national distinction.

“Cultivata is a community gardening app and brand rooted in a simple question: Why does gardening feel so inaccessible, especially to people who want to try it out?” says Mallerdino.

“This project dives into that gap – connecting local knowledge, simplifying the process and building tools that make growing food feel more approachable and communal. It was shaped by interviews with local gardeners, conversations with nurseries, survey data, competitor research, personal experience, plus more – all grounded in a desire to bring people closer to each other and to the food they grow.”

“The Communication Design (CD) Department is incredibly proud of Frankie,” says Adam Setala, department chair and associate professor. “This recognition not only reflects the exceptional quality of Frankie’s work but also highlights the strength and mentorship within [the] department and the impact of our students and program on the future of design.”

The hardest part about Cultivata was “knowing when to stop building,” explains Mallerdino. “Because the topic was so layered, it was easy to keep adding features and content, but I had to learn how to narrow the focus without losing the heart of the idea.

“I’m leaving MIAD with a deeper understanding of how design can shape behavior, not just aesthetics. The CD program taught me how to turn ideas into systems that are clear, functional and grounded in real world context.”

A community volunteer from a young age, Mallerdino says, “That influence is all over Cultivata, which was built with the belief that small, local efforts can create real impact when people are supported.

“This project has been a turning point for me, not just in design, but in understanding the kind of systems I want to build. Thoughtful, functional and rooted in care.”

Currently, Mallerdino says, “I’m pursuing full-time opportunities where I can grow within a team and take on more collaborative long-term challenges. In the meantime, I’ve been fortunate to work on client projects that have helped me continue refining my process and pushing my work in meaningful directions. Most recently, that’s included large scale CNC signage for a small local German restaurant and a 20th anniversary rebrand for an industrial design company.”

Learn more about MIAD’s top ranked Communication Design major.