Ahmad Toom Wins a Charley Award 
The AAF's Highest Honor for his "CLIMAX" Brand Identity for Southern Eagle Distributing

Ahmad Toom, a 2013 graduate of the Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Visual Communication recently won the highest honor of the American Advertising Federation's Charley Award for Excellence in Design. Congratulations to the hardest working designer anywhere - a young man who is driven to succeed. He is relentless in his process and continues to produce high end design at a fast pace for the Busch Family at Southern Eagle. When you visit the office you see a man and his process at work - he doesn't have time to talk - there are thousands of projects every week! Melissa Rogolino got a taste of the rigorous schedule for advertising, design,  packaging and collateral that go out the door every day as an intern!

IRSC Students Won 29 AAF Addy Awards in 2015-2016
Over 200 Awards During the Past 8 Years

Congratulations to Annie, Eric and Ceazar for Your Dedication to Professional Excellence!
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Annie Mayer
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Eric Vogt
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Ceazar Orjaliza

The Work of Three IRSC VisCom Students Is Heading to the 
​2016 American Advertising Federation National Competition

Annie Mayer, Eric Vogt and Ceazar Orjaliza Had Their Work Selected for Recognition at the District Level of AAF
Annie Mayer, Eric Vogt and Ceazar Orjaliza are celebrating their recent success in having their work sent to the Nationals at the American Advertising Federation's Student Design Competition. All three students have been the top kids in their peer class for the
last two years. All three demonstrate the professionalism and commitment to excellence every day in class. Their work is
​exceptional - at the highest level.Annie Mayer's publication 
is about the World's Best Restaurant -  NOMA - it is an outstanding example of classic Publication Design - great images, good typography, white space and a variety of size of images. Eric Vogt's Digital Face is a masterfully executed collage of electronic digital gadgets forming a striking robotic visage. Ceazar Orjaliza's Promo Reel is an assemblage of videos with a wide rage of aesthetic expression and visual impact..
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Annie Mayer's Publication Design
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Eric Vogt's Digital Illustration
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Ceazar Orjaliza's Promo Video

Congratulations Giuliano Melluso & Alfred Munoz:
​A Truly Amazing Story!

The Original Nectar of the Gods
Christina Smith Ibanez is Thriving as a Designer at FC Edge 
FC Edge Specializes in Marketing, Web & Corporate Communications in SLW 
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Christina Smith Ibanez
From Facebook - Thank you Walt Hines and Michael
Visconti  for everything you've done for me and
getting me where I am today!!  

​Christina started her career at General Micro Systems in Stuart
as an intern/designer/photographer. She learned about marketing
by setting up the GMS exhibit about their powerful computer
systems at a trade show in Las Vegas. For the last ​two years she
has been working with Award-Winning Designer Michael Visconte
at FC Edge. 

She has grown as a designer and is a great addition to the design
staff at FC Edge. Michael relates that she is a creative, disciplined
​designer with a burning desire for success.
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Designer Michael Visconti of FC Edge Marketing with Christina
Hector Torrez, BAS Design Student in VisCom & Design Process
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Hector Torrez and His Wife at the 2016 Portfolio Exhibition at the Brown Center

Watching Hector Torrez work on his identity system for Zapata's Border Cafe is one of the best things to happen this past semester in terms of design process. He explores his identities with ease as he experiments with type, color and image. He has mastered the Adobe Illustrator software in creating logos.
Designers Teach Design
Leadership in Visual Communication is critical in coordinating curriculum,
teaching design in the course content, the outcomes, and the portfolios!  
Dr. James K. O'Grady
Design Manager / Educator / Leader
I had the pleasure of working with Dr. James O'Grady at Northern Illinois University. His leadership was immediate when he was hired - he created a Design Management Program in which designers in and around Chicago could
​get a Masters degree in Management.
It was very successful and it brought some very talented people to our school. I worked with Jim for three years until he left to go back to the University of Calgary. I was fortunate to teach in a very professional environment! Our reviews were tough - we often failed 40 students out of 80 - this was a place where I learned that all work in design must be at the top level. I had both of these reviews for all 13 years when I taught there.
James K. O'Grady, PhD has extensive international experience as a design consultant and educator having practiced, taught and studied design and design management in Canada, the United States and Great Britain. He retired from the University of Calgary in 2011. Dr. O'Grady's academic credentials include a PhD in Entrepreneurship from the University of Calgary, an M. A. from the Department of Design Research, Royal College of Art, an M. B. A. from The Ohio State University, a B. A. from the University of Guelph and an AOCA in Industrial Design from the Ontario College of Art and Design.

​The design community in graphic design sets high standards in teaching. Successful programs keep the student portfolios at the top level. In today's communication design workplace the level of design requires strong knowledge of typography, composition, image manipulation, visual interpretation, problem solving and critical thinking.