Every year, the PRINT Awards jury is astounded by the quality of student entries and the extraordinary skill and dedication demonstrated in their work. This year, we opened up the PRINT Awards to students in every category. Here, we celebrate the amazing work in categories from packaging, motion graphics & video, IX/UX, posters, and environmental design to outdoor/billboards and data visualization/information design.
Data Visualization/Information Design
First Place
Street Gum Dots Marching Symphony
Jae Young Kim – Pratt Institute
USA
The Street Gum Dots project accumulated 100 findings in multiples to examine the sequence of a database and transform it into visual narratives to represent the experience in graphical representations. Over four weeks, 100 sets of gum dots on street tiles were collected by 3D scanning following the self-constrained walking directions and the shuffled music playing on Spotify.
Second Place
Fashion, Beauty and Post-Colonial Perceptions
Joumana Ibrahim – Savannah College of Art and Design
USA/Dubai
Stereotypes about Arab women’s beauty standards are often perpetuated by Western media, but they overlook the cultural roots of these practices. Historically, grooming and fashion have been integral to Arab culture, with women socializing in gender-specific spaces like Dubai’s hair salons and Damascus’ hammams. Affordable beauty services further widen access. Arab women’s approach to feminism, embracing cultural and religious differences, challenges Western stereotypes. Visual displays inspired by Lebanese Instagram influencer Lilian, using data from Statista, highlight the influence and empowerment of Arab women in their region and globally.
Third Place
Me, My Languages, and I
Joumana Ibrahim – Savannah College of Art and Design
USA
Dissecting thoughts through languages: Consciously extracting and quantifying the components of the languages the designer uses daily. In this project, Joumana looked at her WhatsApp messages and voice notes for two weeks in January and focused on the languages she used when communicating with people. The infographic consolidates all the 600+ data points she extracted from the messages, which are organized using the following categories: languages, relationship, time, date, nationality, emotion, conversation content, and media sharing.
Environmental Design
First Place
Bike Lane Parking Preventer
Yoon Seo Kim – School of Visual Arts
USA
Many New York City bike riders feel stressed when drivers park or load items in bike lanes, despite a new ‘Citizen Reporting’ bill meant to address this issue. Lack of driver awareness and forgetfulness are key reasons for these violations. Yoon Seo Kim designed a bike lane reminder to guide drivers without offending them, finding the process enjoyable and personally meaningful due to their own biking experiences.
Second Place
Elephant in the room
Eason Yang
USA
NED, a non-profit named for “No Evidence of Disease” and “Not Entirely Dead,” champions cancer survivors in the workplace by highlighting their extraordinary abilities forged through adversity, making them exceptionally employable. It challenges the negative perception of cancer-related career gaps, emphasizing that the resilience, determination, and empathy gained from battling cancer are valuable skills sought by employers. The project seeks to raise awareness of the stigma and bias against cancer survivors’ resume gaps, addressing the “elephant in the room.”
Third Place
Fidelis: A Study in Fraktur Calligraphy
Conner Gayda – Jacksonville State University
USA
This installation reimagines blackletter typography by transforming it from its medieval origins into a medium for social commentary. Conner’s hand-drawn calligraphic letterforms adopt the politically charged aesthetics of D.I.Y./punk music, using gritty, highlighter green posters with provocative political imagery to create a contemporary altarpiece. The installation’s centerpiece features three immersive typographic murals made of masking tape, legible only from specific angles to evoke the distorted art of punk music. The largest mural spells “fidelis,” symbolizing perseverance amidst the chaos, and collectively, the installation challenges traditional perceptions of blackletter typography.
IX/UX
First Place
Deafinite
Jingxin Xu – School of Visual Arts
USA
Deafinite is a pioneering suite of Mixed Reality (MR) devices designed to empower individuals with hearing impairments, particularly in travel settings where verbal language barriers may exist. It features an innovative traveling app with Augmented Reality (AR) Navigation for easy navigation and Deafinite Glasses for real-time communication with non-sign language users. This integration of advanced technology enhances accessibility and inclusivity, enabling confident and independent travel for those with hearing impairments.
Second Place
Sproute App Prototype
Zach Hall and Jordan Heath – University of North Texas
USA
Transportation accounts for 29% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. If each worker avoided driving just two days a week, they could cut their annual emissions by about 1,600 pounds per person. Sproute, a navigational app, not only promotes sustainable transit options but also fosters a supportive community encouraging users to adopt eco-friendly transportation. The app gamifies these choices through points, badges, and leaderboards, aiming to make sustainable travel engaging. Developed by a team of two in a junior interaction design course, Sproute features custom illustrations, badges, icons, and maps, with phases including research, wireframing, style guides, and a final Figma prototype.
Third Place
Trash Panda App Prototype
Macy McClish and Keaton Dillard – University of North Texas
USA
Trash Panda addresses the average household’s $1,866 annual food waste issue by offering a user-friendly app for food tracking, inventory management, grocery lists, and meal planning. Designed with custom illustrations and lively copywriting, Trash Panda aims to motivate users to better manage their kitchens. The app features streamlined flows for grocery shopping, recipe management, and inventory organization, along with intuitive list building and helpful notifications. Its branding and logo design emphasize a fun and approachable tool that encourages efficient use of food resources while reducing waste.
Motion Graphics & Video
First Place
Mirage
Jeffrey Xiyang Su, Hanson Ma, Michael Wang – Art Center College of Design
USA
The design team from Art Center College of Design crafted Mirage, an animated short film depicting a poignant love story transcending social barriers. Their aim was to blend the complexities of cyberpunk aesthetics with deep emotional storytelling, showcasing their technical prowess and creative evolution. Premiering at the Ahmanson Auditorium, Mirage symbolizes their journey, emphasizing perseverance, pursuit of excellence, and the power of teamwork in achieving artistic milestones.
Second Place
Happy Little Birthday
Juni Kweon – Art Center College of Design
USA
“Happy Little Birthday” is a touching 3D animation that portrays a personal story about the childhood fear of celebrating birthdays alone. The narrative unfolds from the perspective of a mysterious hand meticulously preparing for a birthday celebration, from setting up music to lighting candles on a cake. Despite efforts, the hand faces loneliness until a little bird appears, offering companionship and a heartfelt gift. This gesture turns the birthday into a joyful and memorable occasion, emphasizing themes of warmth, friendship, and the reassurance that even in solitude, one can find companionship and happiness.
Third Place
Rapp Snitch Knishes
Audrey Whang – School of Visual Arts
USA
In this vibrant animated motion music video for “Rapp Snitch Knishes,” an homage to the late rapper MF DOOM unfolds. The video showcases a captivating fusion of mixed-media imagery and digital collages, capturing the essence of MF DOOM’s persona. Bold typography adds an energetic layer to the visuals, complementing the dynamic portrayal of the legendary artist. Throughout the video, the iconic color palette associated with MF DOOM is prominently featured, infusing each frame with his unmistakable aesthetic. This homage not only celebrates MF DOOM’s enduring legacy but also serves as a testament to his influence on contemporary music and visual culture, ensuring that his artistic spirit continues to resonate with audiences worldwide.
Outdoor/Billboards
First Place
Spy
Ting Jui Chang – School of Visual Arts
USA
The International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., renowned for its exploration of espionage, undergoes a rebranding inspired by the secretive aura of classified documents, notably their blacked-out sections. This motif infuses the museum’s identity with the allure of mystery and secrecy inherent to espionage. By incorporating elements reminiscent of redacted files, the new brand captures the intrigue and clandestine nature of the spy world. This innovative approach transforms the museum’s identity into a captivating reflection of its mission to delve into intelligence and intrigue, inviting visitors on a journey into the covert realm of spies.
Second Place
Go Skateboarding Day
Hyowon Kwon – School of Visual Arts
USA
Skateboarding, which originated from Californian surfers in the 1900s, has evolved to let skaters enjoy it safely even in busy and densely populated narrow cities in 2023. The goal of this project is to elevate skateboarding from a subculture to a mainstream culture through the “Go Skate” campaign and improve the public’s perception of riders by promoting its enjoyment among the general public. The custom typeface draws inspiration from the various perspectives and shapes of ramps seen during different skateboarding techniques. The typeface can appear plain from one aspect and three-dimensional from another and can be read vertically as well. To enhance the readability of this typeface in posters and billboards, a distorted secondary typeface is used.
Third Place
Elevating Everyday Sounds
Chuanyuan Lin – School of Visual Arts
USA
Crafted as dynamic posters and captivating ad designs, this project aims to showcase the beauty and rhythmic potential of everyday sounds while promoting a STOMP show. The designs highlight how this performance art turns mundane noises into a mesmerizing spectacle through visually engaging graphics and compelling messaging. By emphasizing STOMP’s unique blend of percussion, movement, and creativity, the campaign invites audiences to witness firsthand the transformation of ordinary sounds into extraordinary performances. With each element meticulously crafted to evoke the show’s energy and excitement, the posters and ads serve as powerful tools to entice and captivate viewers, drawing them into the world of rhythm and innovation.
Packaging
First Place
Horsepower Cold Brew Coffee
Vasavi Bubna – School of Visual Arts
USA
Just like a car’s engine would seize up without motor oil, many people cannot make it through the day without their caffeine fix. Inspired by vintage motor oil cans, Horsepower Cold Brew Coffee depicts coffee as a fuel for humans. Along with the hand-lettered wordmark, a maker’s mark was also designed to go on the cap of the coffee tins. The ratios on each can represent the steeping time and intensity of the brew. The coffee packages come with a card with mixing ratios for the concentrate, as well as a set of funnels to channel the true feeling of an auto-body shop. The design of these cards was inspired by old gas station receipt designs.
Second Place
Dark Energy
Eshaan Sojatia – Rochester Institute of Technology
USA
In order to show dark energy and other things in the universe, the project had to be done in black and white only. Each cover delves into a different part of a cosmic mystery, from Acceleration of the Universe, Cosmological Constant, Modified Gravity Theories, and Quintessence to Emergent Gravity. Eshaan used a dynamic mix of graphic elements and geometric shapes along with typography to create elements that represent the forces. The designer stuck to a black-and-white color scheme as a metaphor for how mysterious and hard to pin down dark energy.
Third Place
Never Will
Rabiya Gupta – School of Visual Arts
USA
The design team here was tasked with creating type-only album covers based on a randomly assigned art movement and music genre. Rabiya was given the Bauhaus movement and country music and decided to create a cover for Never Will by country music artist Ashley McBryde. Embracing Bauhaus’s emphasis on geometric forms, the designer integrated these elements into my design, infusing it with a sense of modernist aesthetics. However, to imbue the cover with a personal touch, the designer introduced a functional dimension, crafting a typographic pattern and system that echoed Bauhaus principles while also resonating with the spirit of country music. This fusion of influences resulted in a visually compelling cover that pays homage to Bauhaus while capturing the essence of McBryde’s music.
Posters
First Place
Alzheimer’s Poster
Emily Brown – University of Texas at Arlington
USA
This poster was created for Alzheimer’s Awareness. Emily wanted to use collage to show the dispersion of memories and the idea of the loss of self/who you are with the onset of the disease. After seeing what her grandmother and father went through when caring for her grandfather as he lived with Alzheimer’s, she also wanted to include a positive message for parents and caregivers, reminding them that memory loss is not the end of hope. The designer also includes ways to contact the Alzheimer’s Association, where to get help, and how to give to their cause.
Second Place
Barely Hanging On
Sean Howes – University of North Texas
USA
For this project, the designer had to create a poster design to visualize a social issue of our choice. The suicide rate among workers in the construction industry is 53.3 deaths per 100,000 persons, which is much higher than the overall rate of 12.93 per 100,000 U.S. citizens. The hand grasping the bucket of tools symbolized the workers’ strength and pride in their work. The wrist about to snap symbolizes poor mental health, yet the hand still holds onto the bucket, refusing to show weakness even though their “Barely Holding on”.
Third Place
Synesthesia
Jia Li – School of Visual Arts
USA
Synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon, a “crossing of the senses,” in which one sense triggers another sense. For instance, listening to music may evoke an individual’s perception of colors and shapes. This series “Synesthesia,” explores the relationship between human perceptions, based on how we interpret various sensations, and individuals with synesthesia may “see” sound, “touch” smell, and “smell” color. A person experiencing synesthesia may observe that their senses blend, adding an extra dimension to their perception of the world. For instance, they may associate taste with colors, feel textures when eating, and describe shapes as either “round” or “pointy.”