GDES Students, Alumni Honored in 2026 Graphis New Talent Awards

A booklet labeled TYPE01 X VLAD BOY and three clipped documents with abstract, layered text and geometric graphics are arranged on a surface with similar printed designs.

Seven current and former students of Auburn’s School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD) raked in commendations in the 2026 Graphis New Talent Awards.

International book publisher Graphis holds an annual competition, recognizing students who produce professional-level visual communications work under the guidance of a professor.

“Seeing our students recognized on a global stage is one of the greatest honors of my career as an educator,” said Associate Professor Courtney Windham. “This year, we are incredibly proud to have multiple winners in the Graphis New Talent Awards 2026, one of the most prestigious student design competitions in the world.

Graphic Design (GDES) alum Mekhi Kalil ‘25 won gold in the Design | Editorial category for his 16-page booklet reinterpreting Jame Thurber’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” Created under the supervision of Professor Emerita Kelly Bryant, Kalil’s work allows the text to break free from grey boxes into playful typography that emphasizes Mitty’s daydreams.

An open booklet on a white surface displays text on the left and a blue Operation Card with handwritten details on the right page.
Mekhi Kalil’s booklet design sought to capture the tension between Mitty’s mundane reality and vivid daydreams through expressive typography, format shifts and interactive storytelling.
An open booklet lies on a white surface, showing pages with black text in various fonts and sizes, including bold headlines and blocks of paragraph text.
Kalil incorporated mock newspaper clippings to playfully tease Mitty’s imagined alternative reality.

Recent graduate Amanda Valentine ‘26 won gold in the Design | Motion Graphics and Film/Video categories for her poster that could be adapted into a digital animation. Created in one of Windham’s courses, the project entitled “TypeCon 2026 :: The Invisible Medium Motion Poster” uses misaligned circular elements that move to create “spotlights” of the title.

Poster with the words The Invisible Medium in blurred text, surrounded by a rainbow glow on a black background, advertising TypeCon 2024 at The McAuley Center.
After experimenting with many ideas, Amanda Valentine found that a simple, circular, centered composition communicated her concept clearly.

Also in the Design | Motion Graphics and Film/Video categories, recent alum Ryan Lee ‘26 received an honorable mention for his project “LEGOLIVE” created with Assistant Professor Mario Bocanegra Martinez. The video serves as an introduction clip for LEGO product launches, promotional and news releases.

Animated figure steps on a LEGO brick in a dark cityscape, then hops away holding its foot in pain.
Ryan Lee reworked the familiar LEGO brand into something bold and playful for his motion graphic.

Three of Windham’s students were recognized in the Design | Books category. Recent graduate Ella Bryant ‘26 won silver for her conceptual MoMA editorial booklet focused on the branding and history of C.O. Bigelow Apothecaries. Alumna Emily Godfrey ‘26 also won silver for her booklet “Born to Run” with an elevated and timeless design that highlighted Secretariat’s Triple Crown win. GDES student Emma Clayton received an honorable mention for her booklet “Unrelenting Uncertainty” that serves as a resource for addiction-affected families.

A hand holds open a book featuring blue, distorted text on white pages. The text is stretched and warped, creating an abstract visual effect.
Emma Clayton’s booklet met Nar-Anon’s aesthetic and educational objectives, reflecting a linear progression of the drug’s effects on the brain with linear typography, while setting content in royal blue to make it more approachable to the audience.
A person in a red sweater is holding open a book displaying a graphic page on the left and a black-and-white city photo with text on the right.
Ella Bryant’s booklet balances institutional clarity with a personal tone, placing C.O. Bigelow’s identity in a museum-style framework without removing it from its community roots.
A black-and-white photo of an open book on a table, showing a page with text on the left and several vintage group photos on the right.
Emily Godfrey incorporated transcripts from the live commentary during Secretariat’s races to add energy and intensity to her booklet.

In the Design | Poster category, recent graduate Colt Bass ‘26 won silver for his project “Type01 x Vlad Boyko Motion Poster Series,” also advised by Windham. The project promoted a speculative typography workshop that emphasized an archaeological approach to experimental type.

Poster with overlapping, rotated, and fragmented text in black, yellow, blue, and gray, reading TYPE01 STUDIO and other words, on a white background with abstract graphic elements.
Bass’s design presented the typography workshop as a learning opportunity that breaks from polished corporate design language.
Poster for a typography workshop features bold, overlapping text and geometric shapes in black, pink, green, and white, with event details listed on the left side.
Bass’s print posters were designed to unfold from publication format into large display pieces.

“The Graphis New Talent Awards have long served as a launching pad for the next generation of creative professionals,” Windham said. “To see our students’ work featured in the Graphis New Talent Annual alongside the best student minds in advertising, design and photography is a testament to their extraordinary talent, dedication and hard work.”

The winning work can be seen in Graphis’ print Annual.

See more in:
Student Competitions, Student Experience, Student Recognition, Student Work

Related people:
Mario F. Bocanegra Martinez, Courtney Windham, Kelly Bryant