New Year, New awards for Auckland based design company

Auckland based design company, Alt Group, has started off the year with a bang, picking up three Certificates of Typographic Excellence in the Type Directors Club TDC56 competition in New York.

Alt Group - who had an incredibly successful year in 2009 having been awarded 58 international and national design prizes (including what is considered to be one of the world’s top design accolades, a red dot: grand prix award) - beat off over 1500 entries from 32 countries to take home the three certificates, two of which were awarded for their work on the Vigneron – a project designed to commemorate the life of Alt Group director Ben Corban’s grandfather, Najib Corban, of the Corbans wine dynasty.

A “holey” poster designed to draw attention to climate change that was created using magnifying glasses and the sun to burn the word “OUCH” into the paper, was the third piece of Alt’s work to be awarded a TDC56 prize.

Of the 1,500 entries submitted, just 245 designs were selected as winners in the prestigious international typography competition, which is judged by a panel of the world’s leading designers.

Ben Corban, managing director at Alt Group said: “It is exciting to start the New Year with new awards, especially in a competition of this calibre.”

Alt Group’s three award-winning designs will be showcased in the Type Directors Club Annual, Typography 31 (which is available for purchase internationally), and will be displayed at the Type Directors Club’s 56th Awards Exhibition in New York, to be held during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer.

Alt’s winning work will also be exhibited around the globe, in countries including the United States, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Russia and Spain.

- ends –

About the Type Directors Club and the TDC56 Competition

Founded in 1946 and based in New York, the Type Directors Club is a leading international organisation whose purpose is to support excellence in typography (type design).

The TDC56 is an international competition run by the Type Directors Club that recognises and celebrates excellence in the use of typography, calligraphy, hand-lettering and other letterforms.

About Alt Group

Alt Group is an Auckland based strategic design company, established nine years ago by directors Ben Corban, Dean Poole, Aaron Edwards and Toby Curnow. With a team of 17, the company’s long term vision is to be recognised as a boutique design firm that just happens to be based in New Zealand.

In 2009, Alt Group was awarded an impressive 58 national and international design awards, beating their 2008 awards total of 55. In December, the company won a highly prestigious red dot: grand prix award, the first ever to be given to a New Zealand design company. Other notable awards that the company took home in 2009 include a Webby, four red dot awards, two One Show Design pencils and a silver Cannes Lion.

Major clients include New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, Farmgate Wines, Formway Furniture and law firm, Hudson Gavin Martin.