KU Press Release: Design department wins fifth consecutive Best School title

For the fifth year in a row, the University of Kansas Department of Design was named Best School at the National Student Show, where KU students won nearly half of the awards, including Best In Show.

The show is an annual three-day conference and awards program put on by the Dallas Society of Visual Communications for the past 12 years. It is the only graphic arts event in the U.S. where entries are limited to student work. The juries are composed of professional designers and photographers from across the U.S.

KU students won 13 “Best Of” awards out of a total of 29 categories. Two of the show’s top individual awards went to Triana Thompson, Milford, who won first place in the Best Senior Portfolio, and Ashton Dewey, Overland Park, who won Best Sophomore Portfolio.

KU students also won the “Best In Show” categories, in which winners of all of the Best Of classes are judged against one another. The prize went to “10,000 Hours,” a group project that promoted KU Design Week earlier this semester. The project was created by Patrick Blanchard, Wamego, and Lucas Nelson, Overland Park, as well as Thompson.

“We are thrilled to have won the Best School title five years running. There are many schools with tremendous talent, and the competition is extremely intense,” said Andrea Herstowski, chair and associate professor.

“Having Triana and Ashton bring home the best portfolio awards is also a huge win for the department because portfolios are comprehensive compilations of work,” she said. “Winning these categories shows we are successfully preparing students to do many things.”

“Through our faculty and student achievements, we are moving toward realizing our vision, and that is to become a creative force and distinctive design school,” said Mahesh Daas, dean of the School of Architecture, Design & Planning. “The entire Jayhawk community can be proud of our fifth consecutive Best School win in this prestigious national recognition.”

Many of the entries can be found here.

Here is a complete list of winners from KU:

Best Environmental Design

Patrick Blanchard, Wamego

Instructor: Associate Professor Andrea Herstowski

Best Mobile App

Patrick Blanchard

Instructors: Associate Professors Jeremy Shellhorn and Andrea Herstowski

Best Industrial Design

Ryan Cunningham, Dallas

Instructor: Professor Huw Thomas

Best Interactive, Miscellaneous

Kylee Alvarez, Mason, Ohio

Instructor: Professor Tyler Galloway

Best Photography

Haylee Hedge, De Soto

Instructor: Assistant Professor Tim Hossler

Best Publication Design

Lizzie Hurley, Wichita

Instructor: Professor Patrick Dooley

Best Total Campaign

Julia Doan, Wichita

Instructors: Lecturer Tad Carpenter and Associate Professor Andrea Herstowski

Best Group Project and Best in Show

Triana Thompson, Patrick Blanchard and Lucas Nelson, Overland Park

Best Use of Type

Kiosk Magazine, Adam Henderson, Shawnee; Devon McGowan, Overland Park; Evan Tarry, Leawood; Ellory Wright, Spring Hill, and Claire Zimmerman, St. Louis

Jeff Barfoot Award for Best Concept

Allie Welch, Wichita

Instructor: Lecturer Tad Carpenter

Best Sophomore Portfolio

Ashton Dewey, Overland Park

Best Senior Portfolio, First Place

Triana Thompson, Milford.