Communication Arts

Communication Arts has a rich history, it has become an archive of design trends, milestones and influential people since its founding in 1959.

Aviva Michaelov, art director of the The New York Times, takes a closer look at the first issue of Communications Arts.

Jill Shimabukuro, design director of the University of Chicago Press and illustrator/instructor Jeffrey Smith take a look at the historical timeline of CA.

Patrick Coyne and his mother Jean Coyne were fantastic hosts. I was surprised that they were so involved in the judging process still, figuring that after all these years that they would have other people administer the competitions. But Patrick picked me up from the airport and shuttled all of us judges in a red minivan to and fro. Jean made sure that we were well taken care of, with lovely hotel accommodations and great restaurants for dinner. They were both involved in every detail of the judging process—a routine that they do every couple of months for one of the six competitions that they run throughout the year. Patrick's daughter, Lauren, handles the details of the competition submissions and participants. Truly a family affair!

We looked at thousands of entries—I believe there were over 4000 entries that we narrowed down to a couple hundred through a series of yes/no votes. Though the majority were digital submissions projected through a high resolution system, there were a few printed pieces and books to look at. For those, we cast our votes in the traditional way—these coloured tiles have been used since the 1960s to cast votes into coloured cups. The judges were all very excited to get to use the tiles that have been used by so many greats in the history of design and illustration.

One of the two judging halls.

Patrick introduced each piece by reading out the description provided by the submitter. Each image was shown for a few seconds while we checked in or out on a submission sheet.

Some shots of the atrium and lunch area.

Craig Mikes, creative director of Proof Advertising

Look for the Illustration Annual in late spring, but subscribe or pick up a copy of Communication Arts today.

Thank you, Jean and Patrick, for a wonderful experience.