AIGA named renowned jeweler Tiffany & Co. and home-care innovators Method as the recipients of the esteemed AIGA Corporate Leadership Award, for their contributions to design excellence and the development of the design profession.
"A commitment to design excellence, deep in the DNA of an organization, is not limited to any legacy or market segment. It is built through enlightened corporate management and respect for those customers you choose to serve," according to Richard Grefe, executive director of AIGA, the professional association for design. "Tiffany & Co. and Method demonstrate individually and share an unrelenting commitment to design-in order to make their products more appealing and their brands more recognizable, of course, but also out of genuine consideration for their consumers and the environment."
An Integrated Approach to Design
Both companies incorporate design throughout their businesses, not just when it's time to think about a product's packaging or advertising.
AIGA selected Method for applying design from within and demonstrating outstanding business performance by using design as a key differentiator. Since its founding a decade ago, Method has made a deep and lasting impact on the home-care market, changing the way that consumers perceive environmentally friendly cleaning products. Case in point is the company's revolutionary laundry detergent, where a focus on design at every stage helped create a smaller package, more efficient formula and pump cap to prevent common "overdosing" that happens when people over estimate the amount of detergent needed.
Tiffany & Co. was selected for utilizing design in a distinctive manner and setting new standards for excellence in both its products and customer experience. The "Tiffany Blue" box is synonymous with quality and is representative of the company's excellence in brand building through design. In fact, the Tiffany & Co. brand has remained vital and relevant for so long by making surprising and inspired choices, such as working with collaborators from a wide range of creative disciplines-including Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso and Frank Gehry.
A Shared Commitment to Sustainable Design Practices
From the careful science and research invested toward making safe, effective products to the design of its packaging, which aims to reduce waste and utilize materials that are 100 percent recyclable, Method has built brand authenticity by putting people and the planet first. The success of Method has resulted in other companies' following suit to make their products more sustainable and their practices more transparent.
Tiffany & Co. works hard to ensure that its precious materials are sourced through socially and environmentally responsible means-no small feat in an increasingly complex marketplace. Tiffany's namesake foundation further demonstrates remarkable leadership-through vital support extended to organizations committed to the conservation of natural resources and to distinguished academic and cultural institutions dedicated to the decorative arts.