A dynamic trio of Pittsburgh design innovators will receive national recognition this week as the first Western Pennsylvania recipients of the coveted
AIGA Fellow Award.
Reed Agnew, Don Moyer, and Grant Smith, founders of the Pittsburgh design firm ThoughtForm, will be honored for their commitment and contributions to excellence in the field of design. Founded in 1980, the firm has carved a unique niche for itself as innovators in the field of information architecture, making complex information clear and engaging through thoughtful design and visual communications.
The three began their careers together in the 1970s when they joined a sophisticated group of visual thinkers at the new Westinghouse Corporate Design Center. From articulating a new corporate strategy to building a cheeseburger, ThoughtForm has grown to 40 and gone on to produce award-winning work for such clients as McDonalds Corp., Staples, GlaxoSmithKline, Eaton and Caterpillar Inc.
What gives ThoughtForm its leading edge is the rare chemistry that exists between the partners, an openness and sharing of ideas that is encouraged company-wide, says Grant Smith, now retired. “In the creative field it’s easy to have a prima donna. We have taken that classic outlook 180 degrees and consider all ideas, improving and honing them.
“We love projects that involve complex information. It might be about nuclear fuel or how a complex furniture system goes together. We love to talk to an expert, understand what that person is doing and articulate it in a language people can understand. That’s the sweet spot of this company.”
The celebration will be held at the Carnegie Museum of Art, Oakland, this week and will be followed by a national AIGA event in New York City this September.
Writer: Debra Smit
Source: Grant Smith, ThoughtForm
Image courtesy ThoughtForm