Design Awards 2006
Some of the winning designs at this year's awards
This year, the Scottish Design Awards saw no one company running away with a majority of the spoils. Instead, a number of agencies vied for the awards on offer as the judges rewarded the outstanding designs submitted - a credit to the high-quality design that was on show at this year’s Awards.A distinguished panel of judges studiously worked their way through the hundreds of entries received from agencies and clients across Scotland. Chaired by Jeff Kindleysides, founder of Checkland Kindleysides, the high profile panel included Graham Shearsby, group creative director at Design Bridge; Richard Buchanan, head of branding at Corporate Edge; Alex Maclean, creative director at Airside; Alison Tomlin, creative director of Carter Wong Tomlin; Alan Dye, founder of NB Studio; and Keren House, creative director at Aricot Vert.
Over 500 of Scotland’s top designers gathered at the Crowne Plaza in Glasgow for the ceremony, to see 19 awards and 32 commendations awarded to the successful design consultancies, by renowned comedian Jo Caulfield, with a number of architecture firms also honoured in their categories.
It was, however, Glasgow-based designers Graphical House that won the top honour on the night, scooping the Grand Prix Award for its The Last Laugh History of Swearing project for BBC Scotland.
The design team also won the most accolades, walking away with three awards and one commendation, including the title of Designer of the Year, which went to Daniel Ibbotson.
Other top Awards went to Studio LR, which won the Chairman’s Award for its Ideas Leave Objects Standing project for Platform Projects, and Ian McIlroy who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Over the years, McIlroy has forged a name for himself as one of Scotland’s best and most respected graphic designers. He opened his own agency, McIlroy Coates, in the early eighties, which he ran to become one of the pre-eminent design practices in Scotland. It became the benchmark for creativity and at its peak employed 32 people with a turnover of £4.5m. Following the departure of his partner in 1991, he continued to run his own shop for over ten years, before leaving to join Nevis in 2003. He now, again, runs his own agency as a sole-trader.
To see the award-winning entries, turn now to pages 13 and 15 for a gallery of work. Also, for a full rundown of the results of the Scottish Design Awards 2006, go to www.thedrum.com.