Adobe Issues Call for Entries for 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Awards

Partnership with International Council of Graphic Design Associations for awards ceremony expands global recognition

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Nov. 24, 2008 - Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the call for entries for the ninth annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA). The premiere competition honors the best student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists from accredited higher education institutions worldwide. Now in partnership with the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda), the awards ceremony will be held during the Icograda World Design Congress in Beijing, China in October 2009. The Congress will bring together 2,500 delegates from around the globe at the China National Convention Center, located in the heart of the Beijing Olympic Green.

“Adobe is always inspired by the tremendous creativity that we see in Adobe Design Achievement Awards submissions," said Ann Lewnes, senior vice president of corporate marketing at Adobe. “Our partnership with Icograda will help us showcase breakthrough talent on a global stage, and preview the bright future of interactive design.”

“Communication designers play a critical role in developing messages that influence social and commercial perceptions,” said Professor Don Ryun Chang, president of Icograda. “We are excited to partner with Adobe for the prestigious Adobe Design Achievement Awards ceremony, which recognizes design innovation and encourages unrelenting progress in the field of graphic design and visual communication.”

As demand increases for talented designers and developers in the interactive design and development fields, the Adobe Design Achievement Awards spotlight the talented work of students in three media categories: Interactive Media, Motion Media, and Traditional Media.

-- Interactive Media categories include Browser-Based Design, Non-Browser Based Design, Application Development, Installation Design and Mobile Design.

-- Motion Media categories include Animation, Live Action and Motion Graphics.

-- Traditional Media categories include Illustration, Packaging, Photography, and Print Communications.

Open to students in 40 countries, the contest also draws attention to interactive design and development programs at some of the best accredited higher education institutions. Students are invited to submit projects through the Adobe Design Achievement Awards website. From the website, visitors will also be able to access ADAA Live!, an interactive website that lets visitors see participants submitting projects in real-time.

“I was honored to be a finalist in the Adobe Design Achievement Awards animation category in 2007,” said Johnny Kelley, who recently completed a two-year MA in Animation at The Royal College of Art. “My achievement in this awards competition will continue to benefit me professionally as I look forward to a long career creating compelling animations with Adobe solutions.”

The 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Awards entries will be reviewed and scored by an independent panel of distinguished judges. Judges include: Leimei Julia Chui (Japan), director of global communications for the International Design Center NAGOYA (IdcN); Louis Gagnon (Canada), co-founder of Paprika Communications; Cristina Chiappini (Italy), founder of her own Rome-based consultancy; Garth Walker (South Africa), founder of Orange Juice Design, a creative firm serving many of South Africa’s best known corporate and consumer brands; Tarek Atrissi (The Netherlands), a principal of his own design studio and teacher in the department of Art, Media and Technology at the Utrecht School of the Arts in Holland; Kyle Kim (Korea), a professor at the School of Design, Hongik University and cofounder of design firm UM & Partners; and Lance Wyman (US) principal of his own New York environmental graphic design office.

Submissions will be accepted online through June 5, 2009. The online submissions will be judged digitally in June. For the final phase of judging, semifinalists will be asked to submit their source files and a physical aspect of their entry as it is meant to be viewed. Finalists will be invited to Beijing, China and the Icograda World Design Congress and awarded software and cash prizes.

For more information regarding the 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Awards, visit www.ADAAentry.com.

Source: Adobe