Dublin Institute of Design students Laurie Concannon (24) and Faryl Roberts (22) with their winning graphic designs
Laurie Concannon (24) from Claremorris, Co Mayo, has been selected as the overall winner of the inaugural Yamaha GDAY global graphic design award, beating off stiff competition from 1,100 designers in 69 countries.
After being selected by a panel of jurors presided over by one the world’s most renowned designers, Neville Brody of the Royal College of Art, London, Concannon won US$10,000 in the inaugural Yamaha GDAY (Graphic Design Award by Yamaha) international award.
Concannon is a student at the Dublin Institute of Design.
Meanwhile, the public voted ‘Feel the Kando Spirit’, the entry from Dublin Institute of Design student Faryl Roberts (22), as the overall winner of the audience award.
That Kandō spirit
Designers from across the world were challenged to create a Graphic Form of Kandō – the Japanese word describing Yamaha’s core philosophy – ‘for the heart’ or ‘to be deeply moved’, a sensation of profound excitement and gratification derived from experiencing supreme quality and performance.
Her design, a pictogram inspired by the movement of the arms of an orchestra conductor and a high-speed motorbike travelling through changing light, has been chosen as the overall global winner – and will be used to represent the Yamaha Kandō philosophy across the world.
“This piece shows the power of expression in an abstract way,” Brody said.
“It’s neither too much nor too little. Since the fundamental principle of the ‘blank space’ has been captured, this piece has unlocked the potential to be used in many different forms of media. Fluidity is very opening to people. Life is not perfect.”
Her design required taking more than 500 photographs with a high-speed lens to develop the final design.
“It is such a fantastic honour to have had my work selected by such an esteemed company as Yamaha and by such a renowned graphic designer as head juror Neville Brody,” Concannon said.
“I graduate from the Dublin Institute of Design this year and with the generous prize from Yamaha now I can follow my dream of working in different design studios across the world to gain knowledge and experience.”
