AIGA 365:31 National Design Competition

A strategic repositioning of AIGA’s flagship annual exhibition transformed a conventional juried showcase into an immersive brand experience, redefining the sector's competitive narrative, and securing permanent induction into the American Design Archives.

This initiative repositioned the AIGA’s flagship annual exhibition in New York, from a traditional juried showcase of over 100 entries into an exploratory brand experience. The AIGA 365/31 commission, awarded to and developed by a solo practitioner for the first time, broke a 30-year agency-led tradition, setting the stage for a fundamental shift in the project’s execution. Anchoring the curatorial concept on the etymology of competition, its Latin root (com-petere) served to transform the conventional notion of rivalry into one of collective pursuit, redefining the organizational narrative within the design sector. A bold identity system and cohesive spatial design grounded this conceptual shift, using silhouettes and movement to heighten audience engagement while maintaining institutional integrity. This holistic approach drove sustained visitor traffic throughout the three-month exhibition run, securing permanent induction of this project into the American Design Archives at the Denver Art Museum.