The fourth Awards competition to be organised by the Sign Design Society, recognising excellence in signing and related design, took place in 2009. Entries came from individuals and organisations around the world in four categories - Public Wayfinding, Commercial Signing and Identity, Product Innovation and one reserved for Student work. A Grand Prix prize was awarded to the best overall entry in all categories.
An invited audience of Society members and others saw the winners and those commended receive their prizes at a prestigious ceremony at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London in October. Full information on the ceremony, the winners and the winning projects is on the dedicated Awards Website.
Over forty of the entries to the competition were subsequently displayed in the Building Centre in London in November. This exhibition was then relocated to Vienna, where it was the centrepiece of Sign09, a series of talks and workshops on related themes, organised in association with the Society by our friends in Austria, the International Institute of Information Design (IIID). This hugely successful event, held over nine days, welcomed over 60 speakers from many countries in Europe, the US and Asia, presenting on a very wide range of topics.
The Society's sincere appreciation goes to our seven commercial partners without whom the 2009 Awards competition would not have been possible:
- BAA
- Info Sign Systems
- Lea Valley Colour
- Merson Sign Design
- No-Nonsense Design
- Principle Group
- RNIB
We also thank AJ Wells and Sons who designed and made the Award trophies.
Although always conditional on the further valued support from commercial partners, we hope to hold the Awards on a regular basis in the future and plans are in hand for the next competition in 2011 and a further partnership event in Vienna.