The big news for this year’s Design Annual was consumer packaging, which had its strongest showing in years. When asked for their impressions of the entries, several judges had positive remarks. “It was quite obvious to me after seeing all the entries this year that we are definitely in a new era of modernism in design,” said Dan Ibarra of Minneapolis-based Aesthetic Apparatus. “I’m really excited to be part of this time, when message trumps execution and simplicity in communication trumps some of the past standard consumerist misuses of ‘style.’” “I found myself examining some pieces in the first rounds out of sheer amazement of how well crafted and difficult it must have been to bring some of the projects to completion,” said Tom Brown of Tom Brown Art+Design located just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. “I saw many designers returning to hand drawing and hand lettering, often combined with photography and fine typography,” said Jeff Matz of Lure Design in Orlando, Florida. “Many of those designs stood out from the traditionally slickly-produced pieces.” “I was surprised by the absence of serious consideration for environmental issues,” said Janine James of New York-based The Moderns. “Due to the extensive printing and packaging associated with the graphic design industry environmental awareness is not only relevant, it is of the utmost priority. Graphic design as a category is behind others in the industry in terms of ecological innovation. This must change.”