July 16, 2020

Texas Tech Endowment Report, Proposal Jacket Honored with Gold CASE Awards

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education announced the 2020 Circle of Excellence Award winners, and I’m honored that two of my designs for the Texas Tech University System were among those recognized with gold awards.

The peer-selected honors recognize the best work being done at higher education institutions worldwide across the fields of advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising and marketing. Top designs are chosen for overall quality, innovation, use of resources and impact.

The award-winning designs for the Texas Tech University System include a proposal jacket, left, and the 2019 endowment report.

Among this year’s winners was my design for a proposal jacket that led the design category for single sheet publications. Created for the Texas Tech University System, the custom presentation folder’s sophisticated design and premium finishes create a one-of-a-kind unveiling experience for principal gift proposals that impressed the judges.

They accomplished what they intended quite effectively. It’s elegant, simple, clean, and as effective as they could have made it. This folder/wrapper did a wonderful job of using subtle features to make the package feel like a special item for their higher end donors.

My design for the Texas Tech University System’s 2019 endowment report captured top design honors for publications on a shoestring. Featuring tilt-shift photography that gave a timeless and cinematic quality to the images of campus architecture, the report’s design sought to communicate quiet reassurance in a way that resonated with the panel.

Well done. Clearly thought out. Cinematic design and art describe it aptly. Transparent with the target audience. Clear and concise.

The 2020 Circle of Excellence Awards received entries from more than 500 organizations representing a total of 28 countries, a record number for the annual competition.