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Thinking ahead towards the future of graphic design
Johannesburg, 2 December, 2005. The rising stars of graphic design were honoured last night at an awards ceremony organised by think, The South African Graphic Design Council. The Sappi thinkahead awards, currently in its fourth year, honours final year students from all around the country who submit outstanding pieces of design and promising portfolios.
The theme of this year's awards campaign, designed by think member agency Mortimer Harvey, focused on the notion of ink as the lifeblood of creatives, and one of the tools to help bring designer's ideas to life. This theme was clearly evident in many of the pieces submitted by the students themselves, as a large portion of the students' work was imaginative craft pieces. "This year saw a return to the very heart of what design is all about - creativity and good ideas", notes Veejay Archary, chairperson of the 2005 judging panel. "The standard of this year's entries was considerably higher than previous years, even though there were fewer portfolios submitted. The other judges and I were extremely heartened by the originality and well-planned execution of many of the designs."
One hundred and twenty four entries were received from 22 design institutions across the country, following a September roadshow where think travelled to all accredited schools and universities promoting the awards campaign. One of the primary incentives for entering the awards, aside from the prestige and exposure, was the sponsored prizes. These included a Mac from e.c. Mac, Adobe software from Adobe Systems, a full ticket to Design Indaba, new design books from Affinity Publishing and think professional memberships.
The top winners of the evening were those who received Gold and Platinum Awards. This year there were two Gold winners, Shaun Botes from the University of Johannesburg and James Gray from AAA Cape Town. The highest accolade of the evening, the Platinum award, was received by Merwe Marchand Le Roux, a student at the University of Stellenbosch.
The thinkahead awards were first launched in 2002, in conjunction with Sappi, think's primary sponsor, when think was a fledgling organisation. One of the priorities of the newly formed council was a strong focus on the graphic design education sector. The members wanted to provide design graduates with the opportunity to bridge the gap between study and career by awarding work that showed both originality and professionalism, which are key ingredients design agencies expect from their creatives. It was from this desire that the thinkahead awards were created.
Commenting on the advantages of these awards, Gaby de Abreu, chairperson of the thinkahead committee, had this to say: "The thinkahead awards give students the exposure they need to successfully begin their careers. Their entries are viewed by top people in the design field who are on the lookout for something fresh, new and different and hope to employ young, talented graduates with an edge. These students are given a foot in the door into an industry that can be dismissive and harsh towards those who have little or no experience at agency level. The thinkahead awards are an opportunity for graduates to show their work to possible future employers and exhibit their own unique styles.'
> COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS
PORTFOLIOS
Platinum Winner
Merwe Marchand Le Roux (University of Stellenbosch)
Gold Winners
Shaun Botes (University of Johannesburg)
James Gray (AAA Cape Town)
Special Mention
Steven Tu - University of Pretoria
Jordan Metcalf - AAA Cape Town
> SILVER AWARD WINNERS
Adam Hill - AAA Cape Town
Donovan Goliath -Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
James Gray - AAA Cape Town
Jordan Metcalf (2) - AAA Cape Town
Monique Bissell - University of Johannesburg
Richard Myburgh - Vaal University of Technology
Ross Nieuwenhuizen (2) -The Red and Yellow School
Saskia De Jong - Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Silondile Jali (2) - Durban Institute of Technology
Steven Tu - University of Pretoria
Merwe Marchand Le Roux (5) - University of Stellenbosch
> MERIT AWARD WINNERS
Adam Hill (2) - AAA Cape Town
Bradley Glossop - University of Johannesburg
Donald Nezungai - Vaal University of Technology
Anita Modi - Vega Jhb
James Gray (4) - AAA Cape Town
Jordan Metcalf (2) - AAA Cape Town
Melody Chowles (3) - Vaal University of Technology
Fred Viljoen - Stellenbosch Academy
Jan-Hendrik Labuschagne (2) - North West University
John Bruce - Durban Institute of Technology
Justin Reich - Vega Jhb
Kyle Warburg - Durban Institute of Technology
Mari De Villiers - University of Stellenbosch
Marina Laskaris (2) University of Johannesburg
Mark Shaun Hopkins - Vaal University of Technology
Rouleaux Van Der Merwe - Stellenbosch Academy
Wendy Roux - Stellenbosch Academy
Shaun Botes (3) - University of Johannesburg
Warren Goodman (5) The Red and Yellow School
Richard Myburgh - Vaal University of Technology
Ross Nieuwenhuizen -The Red and Yellow School
Steven Tu (3) - University of Pretoria
Merwe Marchand Le Roux (3) - University of Stellenbosch
> FINALISTS
Anname Boschoff - North West University
Gretta Nashongo - AAA Cape Town
Jack Sun -The Design School of Southern Africa
Leigh Harrington (2) - Midrand Graduate Institute
Paul Dale - University of Johannesburg
Steven Smith - AAA Johannesburg
Terence Kitching (3) - The Red and Yellow School
Hylton Revell (2) - Durban Institute of Technology
Richard Myburgh (3) - Vaal University of Technology
Ross Nieuwenhuizen -The Red and Yellow School
Steven Tu - University of Pretoria
> TOP 5 SCHOOLS
AAA Cape Town
The Red and Yellow School
University of Johannesburg
University of Pretoria
University of Stellenbosch
WINNING SCHOOL
AAA Cape Town
> LIST OF SPONSORS AND PRIZES
- Adobe Systems - Adobe Creative Suite for Platinum Winner, Adobe Acrobat for Gold Winners
- Affinity publishing - book prizes to Merit, Silver, Gold and Platinum winners
- Design Indaba - Ticket to Design Indaba 2006 for Platinum Winner
- Digital Direct - making of CD entry forms
- e.c. Mac - Apple Mac prize to Platinum winner
- L&K Print - printing of all material used for the roadshow and the event
- Mortimer Harvey - design of entire roadshow campaign and all printed materials, making of AV presentations
- Plascon - spraypaint for mural
- T-shirts Wholesale and Print - T-shirts for entrants and lecturers
- think - one-year professional membership and framed certificates for Silver, Gold and Platinum winners. Certificate for Finalists.
Veejay Archary - Black. Brand Strategy and Design. Chairperson of Panel (think board member)
Alan Raaff - Red & Yellow School Cape Town
Catherine Blomkamp - Grid
Gary Steele - Tequila JHB (think board member)
Garth Blake - University of Johannesburg
Ithateng Mokgoro - Gamatong Enterprises (think board member)
Kassie Naidoo - King James JHB
Sonja Loibenbock - Switch Design Group
Tebogo Serobatse - Orange Factory (think board member)
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