Design is Human Awards Honor Innovation Across Disciplines at Atlanta Design Festival 2024

The Design is Human Awards return to the Atlanta Design Festival, spotlighting the most innovative and transformative work across architecture, digital design, and film.

The Design is Human Awards stand out by celebrating a diverse range of design talent across architecture, digital innovation, and film, making it one of the few awards to truly honor creativity in multiple forms. What sets these awards apart is their commitment to recognizing the depth of the creative process across disciplines—whether it’s designing a physical space, crafting a digital interface, or creating a visual story through film. The awards highlight how thoughtfulness and innovation in design have the power to shape the world around us.

While many awards focus on specific categories of design, the Design is Human Awards provide a broad view of the impact that design has on both local and global communities. The awards’ connection to the Atlanta Design Festival also gives them a unique cultural relevance, showcasing how Atlanta is a critical player in the global design conversation. Atlanta’s design sector contributed $39.5 billion to the city’s GDP in 2021, representing 8.3% of the total, and employing 111,800 people—an impact that surpasses even major cities like New York. This growth, with design-related productivity doubling that of the average worker, underscores the city’s significance as a design leader.

Beyond recognizing design excellence, the awards emphasize the social impact of design. Honorees such as MASS Design Group and The Rural Studio reflect the awards’ focus on projects that improve communities, tackle social challenges, and use design as a tool for meaningful change. This commitment to acknowledging the role of design in addressing social issues is what makes the Design is Human Awards uniquely powerful and relevant today.

2024 Winners Across Multiple Disciplines

This year’s winners have been recognized for their groundbreaking contributions to their industries:

1. MASS Design Group | Architecture | massdesigngroup.org
   MASS Design Group is honored for its groundbreaking work, including the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, which confronts the legacy of lynching and racial injustice in America. Their architecture serves as a powerful medium for truth-telling, healing, and reconciliation in communities affected by historical trauma.
2. Morris Adjmi | Architecture | ma.com
   Morris Adjmi is recognized for his transformative architecture, including the FORTH Hotel in Atlanta, which blends Southern hospitality with modern European influences. His work emphasizes placemaking, creating environments that are visually striking and deeply connected to their cultural contexts.
3. John Ferguson | Digital | work.co | johnferguson.design
   John Ferguson is a designer who navigates the confluence of culture, visual language, narrative systems, and craft. He works across various media, including print, brand expression, digital products, creative coding, art direction, and mentorship. He founded The Black Bauhaus Mvmt, a passion project to promote diversity, design education, and foster design talent in underserved communities.
4. Matteo Caimi | Architecture | matteocaimi.com
   Matteo Caimi, a Milan-based architect, is honored for his architectural contributions that emphasize sustainability and cultural exchange. As a long-time supporter of the Atlanta Design Festival, he has also designed this year’s award trophies, collaborating with Alberto Menichini Marmi and Lavorazioni.
5. Adeboye Brothers | Film | thepalettegroup.com
   David and Matthew Adeboye, an Atlanta-based director duo, have been producing and directing documentaries since 2016. Their work includes films on Shamel Pitts’ TRIBE, Lauri Stallings’ GloATL, and projects for the Atlanta High Museum of Art’s Picture the Dream exhibition, as well as animations for the Alliance Theater.
6. Adam Saleh | Digital
   Adam Saleh is recognized for his innovative contributions to design and new media, including his work on the NASA-sponsored PRESQ tool that enhances accessibility in advanced design. As a fellow at the Steve Jobs Archive, Adam pushes the boundaries of digital design, focusing on accessibility and inclusivity.
7. Tabea Fahr | Architecture | bkar.ch
   Tabea Fahr’s architectural research on Atlanta’s Vine City is honored for addressing critical issues like urban sprawl, segregation, and sustainability. Her work provides innovative design solutions to reshape urban spaces for a more resilient and connected future.

Design is Human Icon Award

The Rural Studio is awarded for pioneering work in creating affordable, sustainable housing for underserved communities. Their architecture prioritizes social responsibility, blending practicality with visionary design to serve marginalized populations. ruralstudio.org

Award Ceremony at Fourth Ward Atlanta

The Design is Human Awards ceremony is a highlight of the Atlanta Design Festival, bringing together industry leaders and creative minds to celebrate the transformative power of design.

The evening offers a unique opportunity to recognize honorees for their contributions to architecture, digital design, and film.

Attendees experience firsthand how design shapes both global and local communities, with the awards ceremony serving as a key moment to network with pioneers across disciplines.

About the Award’s Design

Each Design is Human Award is a work of art, designed by Matteo Caimi and fabricated by Alberto Menichini Marmi and Lavorazioni. The award design draws inspiration from brutalist architecture, paying homage to iconic structures such as the Barbican, with its emphasis on raw materials and bold, geometric forms.

The use of concrete and stone in the award’s construction is a deliberate nod to the brutalist movement’s ethos of honesty in materials and functional design. By choosing these materials, the award symbolizes strength and resilience and also reflects the essence of the honorees’ work—groundbreaking, impactful, and enduring.