The Print Regional Design Annual, now in its 33rd year, is the most comprehensive survey of graphic design in the United States and the only design competition organized by geography. When you enter the RDA you not only have the opportunity for national exposure, but to see how your work measures up against your peers in your region and nation-wide. The Annual is seen by thousands of creative professionals and is an essential resource for art directors and studios. But we wouldn’t want to take our word for it! Here, past RDA winners share their experience with the competition, their reasons for entering and how it has helped them to grow their business and raise their own profile in the design world:
1. Represent Your Region with Pride
“PRINT is one of the most influential publications in our industry; having the opportunity to even be considered for inclusion in the RDA is a no-brainer. Our real response is that it’s very easy for the Midwest to get lost in the sea of amazingness being produced on the coasts. We entered because we wanted to do our best to represent ‘fly-over country,’ as well as aid in supporting the entire design community. By sharing our individual successes with one another, we are helping the whole — entertaining, driving and inspiring each other towards bigger and better.” —2e Creative
2. Show That You Are a Force to Be Reckoned With
“The Print Regional Design Annual is a highly respected award in the design community. We are a relatively new design studio and we know that with our work being honored and published in the Print RDA, new work opportunities and recognition from our peers will follow.” —Jen Thomas, The Beauty Shop
3. Be Seen and Get More Work
“I currently work in a small market, so being identified as a top talent in my region is one of the best pieces of advertising I could get. Print does a great job of providing their readers with the name and contact information of the presenting artists. This helps to open up opportunities for people looking for artist in several different mediums.” —Ben Whitesell
4. Contribute to A Bird’s Eye View of the Industry
“I entered partially to support Print Magazine’s annual effort to showcase the state of graphic design in the United States. I think it’s the most comprehensive view of graphic design throughout the different regions.” —Mirko Ilić
5. Recognition Builds Morale
“It give validation, internally and externally, to what our team does day in and day out. It also gives our team a moment to pause and appreciate all the work that does go into a project, and go, ‘Yay, that WAS awesome. We DID do a good job on that one.'” —Deena Keller, method
View more 2013 RDA Winning Entries! Plus, Enter the 2014 RDA NOW.