AKQA Amsterdam
Paula Scher has been a pioneering force in American graphic design for the past five decades. She began her career as an art director in the 1970s and early 1980s, when her eclectic approach to typography became highly influential. In 1991 she became a partner in the New York office of Pentagram, the distinguished international design consultancy. Her identity systems for organisations such as The Public Theatre, Citibank, Microsoft and Shake Shack have become landmarks of modern branding. Her work in signage and environmental graphics has reimagined streets and buildings as dynamic installations of type.
She has been honoured with the National Design Award, the AIGA Medal, and the Royal Designer for Industry (RDI), among hundreds of other awards, and is a member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI). Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, the Library of Congress and the Victoria and Albert Museum, among others. She is also an accomplished artist who has exhibited worldwide.
In 2022 D&AD Trustees voted to award Scher a Special President's Award. Trustee and former D&AD President Naresh Ramchandani said: “Paula is in her 32nd year at Pentagram, and continues to practise, teach and advocate for design excellence and originality with all her heart. Although Paula has worked for all shapes and sizes of clients, her Public Theater work is a 27-year masterclass in what bold and beautiful graphics can do for the reputation and success of a cultural organisation—and for me, this wonderful project is worthy of the award alone. I once watched her review the work of her team in NY and it was such a joy to see - instructive and decisive but done with real warmth and affection.”
Jack Renwick, D&AD Trustee and founder of Jack Renwick Studio added: “Paula Scher has been at the top of her game for 50 years. The fearless simplicity of her work has made unknown brands iconic and iconic brands epic. When asked who epitomises creative excellence and should receive this award, the board came back with one name – Paula.
On accepting her Award Paula Scher said: “I am greatly pleased to be selected for this special D&AD President’s Award. It is truly a great honour to be in such good company. I wasn’t aware that there was such an award until I was notified that I would receive it, which makes it even better.
As an American designer, I was always aware of D&AD, which has a long history with the Pentagram partners from both groups’ early days. I was so pleased to find that so many of my former partners were also recipients of the President’s Award. The D&AD Awards show and book have long been visible and prestigious in the US and in the world of design and art direction. More and more our industry has become a global culture and we are all richer for it.
I never really thought about what my ‘contribution to the industry’ was or is, and now here is this award that is based on a contribution to the industry. I have been a practising graphic designer now for 50 years and my goal as designer has always been the same: to try to elevate the expectation of what the design can be. And maybe in that attempt, I changed the expectation of who the designer can be.
Thank you for this honour.”