Champlain College Design Students Take AIGA Challenge

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Champlain College Design students check out the Student Design Challenge exhibit at The JDK Gallery in Burlington, VT

• Gerry Weber a senior Design student at Champlain College, won the "Depth of Thinking Award in the Student Design Challenge to create a Burlington Bikeshare program

BURLINGTON, VT (02/02/2010)(readMedia)-- 10 WINNERS SELECTED FOR THE AIGA VERMONT STUDENT DESIGN CHALLENGE

Last night, the AIGA Vermont chapter announced 10 winners for its first Champlain College Student Design Challenge. Distinction was given to Champlain College design students Alex Dahl for "Best of Show" and Gerry Weber for "Depth of Thinking." The two top winners, along with the other eight finalists from Champlain College, will receive student membership to AIGA, the professional association for design.

Winners (in alpha order by last name)

John Brown

Sean Cater

Alex Dahl, Best in Show Award

Emily Fitzgerald

Amanda Jones

Howie Le

Eric Moulton

Anna Nadeau

Joe Rousseau

Gerry Weber, Depth of Thinking Award

The AIGA Vermont Student Design Challenge tasked Champlain College design students to create a bike share program for the city of Burlington. The competition, sponsored by Champlain College and Jager Di Paola Kemp Design (JDK), encouraged students to actively engage in design thinking and social responsibility within the community. In this scenario, a bike share program would target the greater Burlington, Vermont community and tourists. It would provide affordable, accessible, easy-to-use and well-managed access to bicycles for to help diminish traffic congestion, noise and air-pollution.

"This competition inspired young designers to utilize their future profession in a way that benefits their community. We are thrilled to share their work with the public through this exhibition," notes Stephen Francisco, JDK CEO.

Judges for the competition included Seth Drury, Art Director from Methodikal, Jeffrey Henderson, Creative Director/Principal from Tag New Media, and John Siddle, Sr. Design Director from JDK. Each student submission consisted of a complete solution including a company name and logo, a bike sharing program structure and a launch campaign.

According to Suzanne Glover, an Assistant Professor of the design program at Champlain College, "The students have eagerly welcomed the opportunity to compete for free AIGA memberships and have their work displayed in the exhibition." An exhibition of the top entries will remain on display at JDK located at 47 Maple Street in Burlington through Tuesday, February 2.

About AIGA

AIGA, the professional association for design, stimulates thinking about design, demonstrates the value of design and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers. AIGA's mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design, and is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational institution. For more information about AIGA, please visit http://www.aiga.org/about.

About Champlain College

Champlain College, founded in 1878, offers a distinctive educational approach to professionally focused majors, developing life skills and leadership based on critical and creative thinking. It has nearly 2,000 campus-based undergraduate students on campus and is ranked in the top tier of Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the North by 2009 America's Best Colleges, published by U.S. News & World Report. To learn more about Champlain College, visit www.champlain.edu.

For more information about the Student Design Challenge, please contact:

Kara Murphy, AIGA Vermont President, president@vermont.aiga.org

Jory Raphael, AIGA Vermont Communications Chair, communications@vermont.aiga.org