LONDON, UK — Every year, D&AD honors an industry hero, a legend whose contributions to the industry have been nothing short of inspirational. This year’s D&AD President Jack Renwick has selected Jessica Walsh, CEO, Founder, and Creative Director at &Walsh, for the 2024 D&AD President’s Award.
Jessica expressed, “I’m deeply honored to receive the D&AD President’s Award. It’s humbling to join such a prestigious group of past award recipients, many of whom have inspired my path and continue to inspire me today. I’m grateful for this opportunity to reflect on the work that has brought me to where I am. The greatest joy for me is creating work that touches people, is relatable, gives back, and starts a dialogue. Design has the unique ability to shape perspectives and drive change, and I’m passionate about continuing to push boundaries and inspire others in our field. Thank you to D&AD for this prestigious honor and for supporting the transformative power of design.”
Jack commented, “Jessica Walsh epitomizes what a modern female creative leader can be. Her award-winning work forms new conversations and pushes design and branding into new, exciting places. With Jess as a role model, I hope to see more Bold, Unapologetic, Formidable women coming into the industry.”
Jessica is a renowned designer and art director based in New York City. She was previously a partner at the design studio Sagmeister & Walsh and now leads &Walsh, a creative agency specializing in branding and advertising. She works with clients from the initial brand strategy phase to design, art direction, and final production. “We believe in creating beautiful, emotion-driven work that functions for our clients’ goals and resonates with their audiences.”
One of &Walsh’s core missions is using their creative skills to start dialogues and create change. The studio dedicates significant time to self-initiated projects for social causes, including events, books, exhibitions, and entire organizations.
In launching &Walsh, Jessica joined the 0.1% of creative agencies founded by women and is determined to help change the leadership gap in the industry. She also founded Ladies*, Wine** & Design, a global non-profit initiative with chapters in 280 cities worldwide, to support women and non-binary people in the creative industry through mentorship circles, portfolio reviews, talks, and creative meetups.
Her company values are outstanding: Zero Bullshit, Crazy High Standards, Endless Passion, Celebrating Emotion, Taking Risks, Trusting Our Instincts, Being Human & Making Work That’s Human, Taking Work Seriously, and Not Taking Ourselves Too Seriously.
Jessica teaches at the School of Visual Arts and speaks internationally about her work. Her designs have won numerous awards from the Type Director’s Club, Art Director’s Club, Tokyo TDC, SPD, D&AD, Print, and Graphis. She has worked with clients such as Adobe, The New York Times, Levis, the Museum of Modern Art, and Barneys, among many others.
Notable past recipients of the D&AD President’s Award include Paula Scher, Coleen de Courcy, Steve Henry, Dan Wieden, Spike Jonze, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Sir Jonathan Ive, Philippe Starck, Dave Trott, Wally Olins CBE, Paul Weiland OBE, Paul Arden, Sir John Hegarty, Sir Ridley Scott, Sir Terence Conran, Sir Frank Lowe, David Abbott, and Bill Bernbach.
adobo Magazine is an official media partner of the 2024 D&AD Awards.
