Auburn Graphic Designers to Watch

Graphic Design USA’s (GDUSA) Students to Watch™ feature has an established tradition of recognizing future leaders in the industry and those who train them. As a business-to-business information source, GDUSA keeps graphic design professionals apprised of promising students, top graphic design programs and educators who are producing these students and leading design professionals “who embody the spirit of the creative community.” Auburn graphic design students, alumni and faculty have figured prominently in each of these groups.

With the help of leading art and design programs, GDUSA has identified its highly anticipated list of “Students to Watch 2018,” and for the fourth consecutive year, Auburn Graphic Design students are among them. Will Givens, from Elizabethtown, KY and Anna Rogers, from Huntsville, AL are 2 of only 73 students to be featured.

“Anna and Will are exemplary designers who see design innately and holistically,” says Kelly Bryant, professor of graphic design in the School of Industrial + Graphic Design. “They each possess the qualities of strong leadership, self-initiative and a desire to push each opportunity for growth and maturity. In essence, both Anna and Will are model designers who epitomize all the best qualities of a graphic designer.”

An Auburn alum is also featured in GDUSA’s annual People to Watch 2018 list. This list highlights established design professionals who are noteworthy in the industry, possessing “a combination of talent, leadership, success, newsworthiness and community service.” Auburn Graphic Design alum Bailey Parkerson ’12, Senior Graphic Designer at 70kft, a brand marketing agency in Dallas, TX, is among the 37 chosen for this list. Parkerson has worked with a variety of brands including Verizon Cloud, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and GE; he has also received awards from Print Magazine, Graphis, ADDYS, Brand New and the Dallas Show.

Givens, Rogers and Parkerson are the latest Auburn recipients of GDUSA honors, but the Graphic Design program has a strong history of recognition from this industry publication. The program itself has been included in GDUSA’s annual list of Top Design Schools for the past four years, and Associate Professor Courtney Hurst-Windham was recognized by GDUSA on its 2017 “Educators to Watch” list. Previous students receiving the “Students to Watch” honor include Emily Prestridge and Kathryn Stalnaker (2017); Sarah Hagale and Kristen Harlin (2016); and CADC’s own graphic designer, Marcelo Blanco (2015).