Laurie Churchman, who earned a bachelor's degree in visual communications at the University of Delaware in 1985, recently received the 2009 Fellow Award from the Philadelphia chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design.

The AIGA Fellow program recognizes mature designers who have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community as well as in their local AIGA chapter.

“Not only is Laurie a great designer, but she's been an inspiration within our community,” said Kelly Holohan, President of AIGA Philadelphia.

Churchman recently accepted a position as Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Izmir University of Economics in Izmir, Turkey. She formerly held faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania, Seton Hall University, and North Carolina State University. She also has extensive professional design experience.

Churchman's book, The Art of Boat Names, exemplifies her interest in the intersection of creativity, typography, and technology. Published by McGraw-Hill/International Marine in 2008, the book offers both a philosophical perspective and a practical view of the connection between a boat's name and how that name is effectively communicated through not only words but also typeface and graphic design.

A frequent lecturer on lettering and graphic design pedagogy, Churchman is known for establishing effective partnerships between her students and the community to offer solutions through design. A profile of her students' work from a practicum course has been featured on Adobe's Web site, and their work for the Kimmel Center has been publicized in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I really want my students to understand that graphic design is more than manipulating type and images,” Churchman says. “It's a thinking, problem-solving process, not a decorative process. What I hope to instill in my courses is that the first solution, or sometimes the one the client initially expected, may not be the strongest. But careful research, collaborative work, and strong thinking will develop the solution that communicates most effectively.”

Churchman was appointed to the AIGA national board of directors in 2006. As a board member, she chairs the Design Educators Community steering committee, which is responsible for research and development of initiatives to further design education nationally.

In addition to her bachelor's degree from UD, Churchman holds an MFA in graphic design from Yale University. She also attended the AIGA/Harvard Business School Design Leaders program.

“Laurie has a keen sense of design,” says Martha Carothers, Professor of Art at UD. “This was readily apparent when she was a student because her projects were more conceptual than decorative. Laurie took on researching aspects of design under independent study. One in particular examined package design competing for attention on the shelves of grocery stores.”

“It's been wonderful to follow Laurie's design career first as a designer in New York City, then as a graduate student, and now as a proactive design educator,” she adds. “Her service to AIGA and design education is highly commendable.”

“My UD education was truly the foundation that inspired my career in design,” Churchman says, “and Martha was a huge part of that.”

Article by Diane Kukich