The 2022 STUDENT DESIGN SHOW “BY THE NUMBERS…”

from Peter Pham

As I process the work for each year’s Student Design Show, I am always pleased at the QUALITY of the submissions. I am also quietly observant of the trends in the submissions each year.

In the early 2000’s (when the analytics were not as easily processed) there was a preponderance of Layout and Illustration student work.

In the 2010’s, we saw a tremendous increase in the amount of photography work, possibly correlating with the increased availability of really good consumer digital equipment.

Once again, there is a slight change in the distribution of the categories of work submitted.
Future analysis will show us potential reasons for the trends.

A few facts about this year’s show:

  • About 170 pieces were submitted
  • Qualifying student work was to have been created between Spring of 2021 (post show)
    through April 20, 2022.
  • We had more Alumni Judges this year in the rank of our professional Jury.
  • This year’s categorical submissions
    (from MOST submissions per category, to the least per category) were:  

  1. LAYOUT (~21.1%)
  2. DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION (~16.3%)
  3. LOGOS and IDENTITY (~10.8%)
  4. PHOTOGRAPHY WITH POST TO ENHANCE (~9.6%)
  5. PACKAGING and 3D (~7.8%)
  6. PHOTOGRAPHY (Straight Out Of The Camera) (~7.2%)
  7. TRADITIONAL MEDIA (~6.6%)
  8. COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGNS (~ 5.4%)
  9. PHOTO MANIPULATION, MULTIMEDIA, and POSTERS combined accounted for approximately 15%