The Regional Design Awards is America’s preeminent design competition. View the winners of the 2018 RDA from the South below and prepare your entries as the 2019 Regional Design Awards are accepting submissions now.
South Regional Design Awards
Alexander Isley, South region judge
Alexander Isley established his design firm, Alexander Isley Inc. Designers, in 1988 where he “leads a team of designers, writers, and planners, establishing the strategic and creative vision in all of [their] work.”
Prior to this, Isley studied at North Carolina State University, where he earned a degree in environmental design. He also holds a BFA from The Cooper Union in New York. By the early 1980s he was the senior designer at Tibor Kalman’s M&Co and later became the first full-time art director of Spy magazine. In 1995 he relocated his maturing design firm to Connecticut “in order to be closer to trees.”
Isley has taught graphic design, typography, and exhibit design at Cooper Union, RISD, and the School of Visual Arts. He has served as a lecturer for the graduate program at the Yale School of Art.
Isley has received numerous titles and accolades over the years, including membership of “The I.D. 40” in 1993 and the NY Art Directors Club Herb Lubalin Memorial Award for Art Direction and Design.
In 1998 Isley was elected to membership in AGI. He is past president of AIGA New York, is currently a member of the AIGA/CT advisory board, and is an AIGA Fellow. In 2014 he received the AIGA Medal for lifetime achievement. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress.
1. 2018 Auburn Graphic Design Juried Student Show Poster and Video
Courtney Windham Design, Auburn, AL; www.courtneywindhamdesign.com: Courtney Windham (creative director/art director/designer); School of Industrial + Graphic Design, Auburn University (client)
2. AIGA National Conference Video
Primal Screen, Atlanta; www.primalscreen.com: Rick Newcomb (creative director), Doug Grimmett (art director), Joe Kubesheski, Jalysa Leva, Ally Schroy, Haiting Fu, Alexandra Badiu, Stella Kim, Stephen Mank (designers); Primal Screen (client)
3. American Craft Inquiry
Moon Jang, Atlanta; www.moonjang.com: Moon Jang (creative director/art director/designer), Michael McKelvey (photographer), Michael Radyk (editor-in-chief); American Craft Council (client)
4. American Institute of Graphic Arts Design Month
Elephant in the Room, Winston-Salem, NC; www.elephantintheroom.com: Chad Cheek (creative director), Will Hackley (art director/designer), Tim Anderson (illustrator); AIGA Triad N.C. (client)
5. Atlanta City Public Notice Signs
Matchstic, Atlanta; www.matchstic.com: Blake Howard (creative director), Jason Orme (strategy lead), Brian Nelson (design lead), Courtney Perets (designer), Aaron Coury (photographer), Danielle DePiper (writer); City of Atlanta, Department of City Planning (client)
6. Bedlam Vodka Identity
The Republik, Raleigh, NC; www.therepublik.net: Robert Shaw West (executive creative director), Matt Shapiro (associate creative director/art director/designer/illustrator), Luke Rayson, Brandon Guthrie (art directors/designers), Mark Scoggins (photographer), Neil Hinson (writer); Graybeard Distillery (client)
Loaded for Bear, Memphis, TN; www.wearelfb.com: Loaded for Bear (creative direction/art direction/design); Crosstown Concourse (client)
11. drip pop Brand, Packaging + Splash Page
helium creative, Fort Lauderdale, FL; www.heliumcreative.com: Christopher Heller (creative director), Ryan Heller (art director), Kelly Gedvilas, Amanda Camposano (designers); drip pop (client)
12. Feet of the Finest
Wake Forest University Creative Communications, Winston-Salem, NC; www.wfu.edu: Hayes Henderson (creative director), Kris Hendershott (art director/designer); Wake Forest University (
client)
13. Forestry 101
Wake Forest University Creative Communications, Winston-Salem, NC; www.wfu.edu: Hayes Henderson (creative director), Brent Piper, Kris Hendershott (art directors), Stephanie Bailey (designer), Adam Nickel (illustrator), Ken Bennett (photographer), Bart Rippin (writer); Wake Forest University (client)
14. Freight Handlers INC Little Book of Big Ideas
The Republik, Raleigh, NC; www.therepublik.net: Robert Shaw West (executive creative director), Matt Shapiro (associate creative director), Luke Rayson (art director/designer/illustrator), Neil Hinson (writer); Freight Handlers INC (client)
15. Hattie Bs
Loaded for Bear, Memphis, TN; www.wearelfb.com: Loaded for Bear (creative direction/art direction/design); Hattie Bs (client)
16. Holiday Card
Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, AL; www.splcenter.org: Russell Estes (creative director/art director), Michelle Leland (designer), Maricor/Maricar (illustration); Southern Poverty Law Center (client)
17. Intelligence Report Issue 162
Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, AL; www.splcenter.org: Russell Estes (creative director/art director), Valerie Downes (art director), Michelle Leland, Scott Phillips, Sunny Paulk, Kristina Turner, Shannon Anderson (designers), Sean McCabe (illustrator); Southern Poverty Law Center (client)
18. IR 163 Rude and Crude
Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, AL; www.splcenter.org: Russell Estes (creative director/art director), Michelle Leland (designer), Peter Strain (illustrator); Southern Poverty Law Center (client)
Celerity, McLean, VA; www.celerity.com: Stos DeVaris (creative director), Larry Levine (art director), Andrew Rasner, Brent Miller (designers), Jill Haynie (writer); National Geographic (client)
21. Original Makers Club Catalog Cover
Zimmer-Design Inc., Louisville, KY; www.zimmer-design.com: Jessica Zimmer (creative director/art director/designer), Jim Zimmer (creative director), Richard Gary (photographer); Original Makers Club (client)
24. plnthouse Brand Development + Restaurant Collateral
helium creative, Fort Lauderdale, FL; www.heliumcreative.com: Christopher Heller (creative director), Ryan Heller (art director), Kelly Gedvilas (designer); plnthouse (client)
25. Progression
BlueCross BlueShield South Carolina, Columbia, SC; www.bcbssc.com: JulieMae Bax (creative director/art director/designer), Leah Peace, Merri James (writers); Companion Life Insurance Company (client)
26. RiverRun International Film Festival Promotion
Elephant in the Room, Winston-Salem, NC; www.elephantintheroom.com: Chad Cheek (creative director), Will Hackley (art director/designer); RiverRun International Film Festival (client)
27. Seasonal Sensations Trivia Night
Sullivan Branding, Memphis, TN; www.sullivanbranding.com: Keith Goldberg (creative director/writer), David Hardin (art director/designer/illustrator); Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Greater Memphis (client)
28. TCM Film Festival Posters
Turner Classic Movies, Atlanta; www.tcm.com/festival: Pola Changnon (senior vice president/creative director), Katie Daniels (art director), Jane Earle (designer), Mark McDevitt (illustrator); Turner Classic Movies Film Festival (client)
29. Teaching Tolerance Issue 55 “Pink”
Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, AL; www.splcenter.org: Russell Estes (creative director/art director), Valerie Downes (designer), Matt Saunders (illustrator), Jeremy Knoll (writer); Southern Poverty Law Center (client)
30. Teaching Tol
erance Issue 57
Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, AL; www.splcenter.org: Russell Estes (creative director/art director), Valerie Downes (art director), Michelle Leland, Scott Phillips, Sunny Paulk, Kristina Turner, Shannon Anderson, Cierra Brinson, Angela Greer (designers), Daniel Zalkus, Jenn Liv, Joe Anderson, Kyle Webster, Michael Driver, Pemberley Pond, Ping Zhu, Ryan Inzana, Shaw Nielsen, Zachariah Ohora (illustrators), Mary Gerstein, Gretchen Robinette, Karsten Moran, Marvin Shaouni, Mary Rafferty (photographers); Southern Poverty Law Center (client)
Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, AL; www.splcenter.org: Russell Estes (creative director/art director), Valerie Downes (art director), Michelle Leland (designer), James Victore (illustrator); Southern Poverty Law Center (client)
Seth Akkerman, Savannah, GA; www.sethakkerman.com: Seth Akkerman (creative director/art director/designer), Elizabeth Pryor Massey (writer); Two Tides Brewing Co. (client)
35. Tyler Ulis Foundation Logo
Mtn. & Co. Studio, Lexington, KY; www.madebymtn.com: Adam Martin (creative director/art director/designer); Tyler Ulis Foundation (client)
36. Utility Brewing Company
Jake Dugard, Ruston, LA; www.jakedugard.com: Jake Dugard (creative director/art director/designer), Kate Tedeton (photographer); Utility Brewing Company (client)
37. VistaBlue Full Brand Launch Campaign
helium creative, Fort Lauderdale, FL; www.heliumcreative.com: Christopher Heller (creative director), Ryan Heller (art director), Kelly Gedvilas (designer); VistaBlue Singer Island (client)
Wake Forest University Creative Communications, Winston-Salem, NC; www.wfu.edu: Hayes Henderson (creative director), Kris Hendershott, Brent Piper (art directors/designers), Stephanie Bailey, Jill Carson (designers), Ken Bennett (photographer), Bart Rippin, Elaine Tooley, Katie Neal, Kim McGrath, Cheryl Walker, Bonnie Davis (writers); Wake Forest University (client)
39. Wilcanoe
Pfahlert Creative Labs / The Silent P, Asheville, NC; www.thesilentp.com: Matt Pfahlert (creative director/art director/designer/illustrator), Crystal Myers (art director); Tony Margherita Management/Wilco (clients)
40. Year Three
Wake Forest University Creative Communications, Winston-Salem, NC; www.wfu.edu: Hayes Henderson (creative director), Brent Piper (art director/designer), Ken Bennett (photographer), Elaine Tooley, Rob Daniels (writers); Wake Forest University (client)
