The board of directors of AIGA, the professional association for design, has chosen JetBlue and Patagonia to each receive the 2009 AIGA Corporate Leadership Award at the Design Legends Gala on September 17, 2009. Both companies are recognized for the roles they play as perceptive and forward-thinking organizations that have been instrumental in the advancement of design by applying the highest standards as a matter of policy.
Since inception nearly a decade ago, JetBlue has stood apart from the competition by embracing design at every level and demonstrating a new, human-centered approach to the air travel experience. From the ease and accessibility of its website and the interface design on each seatbacks video display to the companys advertising and newly reopened Terminal 5 at John F. Kennedy Airport, design with an interest in simplicity, usability and individuality is at the core of the companys actions. JetBlue also encourages customers to fly responsibly by purchasing carbon offsets through its Jetting to Green initiative. For its commitment to design excellence and a corporate philosophy that puts people first, JetBlue has earned our admiration.
Patagonia has earned the Corporate Leadership Award not only for being a company that sells well-designed outdoor clothing and equipment. Patagonia clearly embraces an ethos that demonstrates respect for its customers, employees and the environmentand the company has been doing so since long before it became popular to practice sustainability. From pledging transparency about the companys manufacturing consequences and using recycled materials, to ensuring that production takes place under safe, legal and humane working conditions, Patagonia as a brand represents quality, innovation and authenticity. Additionally, by ensuring that communications are clear, informative, engaging and effectiveon Patagonia.com and all its websites, as well as in its beautiful cataloguesPatagonia deserves recognition for considering both design and responsibility across materials, manufacturing and message.
The AIGA Corporate Leadership Award was established in 1980 to recognize the role of perceptive and forward-thinking organizations that have been instrumental in the advancement of design by applying the highest standards, as a matter of policy. The recipients of this award demonstrate respect for the millions whose lives they touch, a rare commitment to consistency and quality, and a model for the successful interaction between aesthetics and pragmatics.