GDES Program Chair Serves as Judge for the 2024 UCDA Design Awards

Finkel is Program Chair and Associate Professor of Graphic Design.

The UCDA Design Awards Competition and Exhibition is a national competition recognizing the best of design created by designers working within academia and design educators in North America. Judging took place in July 2024 and winning entries were part of the UCDA Design Exhibition on display during the 54th Annual UCDA Design Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, September 26–29, 2024.

“This was my first time serving as a judge for UCDA,” Finkel said. “However, I have won several awards through this competition over the years and our students have also regularly been recognized.”

The judges considered more than 200 entries, according to Finkel, considering the role that color, typography, format and imagery selection played in supporting the entrant’s story or message. The print category included university publications and magazines, promotional collateral and integrated branding campaigns.

“The best entries,” he added, “exhibited strong design elements and had a unique editorial point of view that was unafraid of staking a claim and owning a position. Those entries were a testament to creative teams that were supported by administrators who understood the power of visual communication.”