D&AD Awards 2017: the design winners

We look at the black and yellow pencil winners from the design categories at this year’s Design and Art Direction awards.

Now in its 55th year, the Design and Art Direction (D&AD) Professional Awards took place last night (27 April) in London, with five of the highest award black pencils being handed out, and more than 700 pencils awarded in total.

German consultancy Serviceplan was the only black pencil winner in the design category this year, with its digital design for the world’s first braille smartwatch for visually impaired people, Dot. Serviceplan was also awarded a yellow pencil in the product design category for Dot.

Dot by Serviceplan

Channel 4’s We’re the Superhumans campaign for the 2016 Rio Paralympics that was created in-house by 4creative also took away two black pencils; one for film advertising and the other for film advertising craft.

Other black pencil winners included BBDO Melbourne’s Meet Graham campaign for the Transport Accident Commission Victoria, Australia and The Swedish Number by INGO Stockholm for The Swedish Tourist Association.

There were 62 yellow pencil winners overall, while 180 graphite and 485 wood pencils were also awarded.

Studio Sutherl& is the most awarded design consultancy this year, winning eight pencils overall and two Yellow – one for their work creating limited edition Agatha Christie stamps for Royal Mail and another for its Somos Brasil book design project.

President’s Award

This year’s President’s Award winner is Michael Johnson, creative director at Johnson Banks, who is also a former president of D&AD and Black Pencil winner.

For the first time in the history of the awards the United States has topped the country rankings, winning 182 pencils, while the UK is second with 164 in total.

D&AD CEO Tim Lindsay says: “What an outstanding year for creativity. Five black pencils, all hugely deserving of the Award. What unites them is a clear desire to create a better world, whether it’s promoting diversity, safety or inclusivity but what is really fantastic is that they win this coveted award for their craft. Proof that creativity as a force for good lives outside of a single category but has become an all-encompassing theme.

See the full list of yellow pencil design winners below.

Zaans Medical Centre wayfinding and environmental graphics, by SILO
1311 What’s Happening branding, by Twitter
Viceland branding, by Gretel
Through the Dark, by R/GA Sydney
The Unusual Football Field Project branding, CJ Worx
Somos Brasil book design, by Lyon
#Paintback branding, by Heimat Berlin
Life is Electric, by DENTSU
Kunstmuseum Basel Light Frieze, by iart ag
The Humanium Metal Initiative, by GreatWorks and Akestam Holst
Honda. Great Journey travel sticker scrapbook, by Dentsu
High Life issue, by The New York Times Magazine
The Field Trip to Mars, by McCann New York
F37 Foundry, by Face37
Edible Six Pack Rings, We Believers
Agatha Christie stamps, by Royal Mail Stamps & Collectibles
The New York Times Magazine, by The New York Times Magazine
No More Black Targets, by Fred & Farid
Robinson magazine design, Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso
Trōv mobile app, by Trōv

All images courtesy of D&AD

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