Nick Adam’s work has been recognized by AIGA, the Society of Typographic Arts, the Anthem Awards, Communication Arts, and other leading organizations in design and culture.

Nick Adam, Design Director Associate Partner, Span

Chicago, South Side, 47th Street

AIGA 365: AIGA Year in Design

AIGA 365 distills a year of design into a tightly juried selection across disciplines. Slow & Low was selected in consecutive years, and Inflorescence was also recognized.

Recognized work: Slow & Low · Inflorescence

AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers

One of the longest-running legacies in American graphic design, AIGA 50 Books | 50 Covers identifies 50 of the year’s best-designed books and 50 book covers. Nkemdiche was selected for its cover design.

Recognized work: Nkemdiche

Society of Typographic Arts

The STA 100 recognizes 100 examples of typographic excellence from around the world each year. Across the competition and Chicago Design Archive, Nick Adam’s work has received 30 recognitions, including Judge’s Choice for First Lady and Best in Show for Divvy and Slow & Low.

Selected work: First Lady · Divvy · Slow & Low · Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum · South Side Home Movie Project · Taste of Chicago · Span · The Arts Lawn

Anthem Awards

Dedicated specifically to purpose and mission-driven work, the Anthem Awards honored Help Stop Hate with Gold in Human & Civil Rights and recognized Copi for its work in sustainability.

Recognized work: Help Stop Hate · Copi

Fast Company Innovation by Design

Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards recognize work for its functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact. Divvy was named a finalist for its identity system.

Recognized work: Divvy

Core77 Design Awards

Spanning the full design profession, the Core77 Design Awards recognized the Archive13 Ritual Posters as a Professional Notable.

Recognized work: Archive13 Ritual Posters

Type Directors Club

Four projects have been selected by the Type Directors Club: the Veritiv Keepsake Book, Typeforce 3, the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival identity, and Typeforce 2.

Recognized work: Veritiv Keepsake Book · Typeforce 3 · Saskatchewan Jazz Festival · Typeforce 2

Tokyo Type Directors Club

Three projects have received recognition from the Tokyo Type Directors Club.

Recognized work: Taste of Chicago · Typecast · Typeforce 2

Communication Arts

Three projects have been recognized by Communication Arts across typography and interactive design.

Recognized work: Typecast · Taste of Chicago · South Side Home Movie Project

Additional Recognition

No Clear Goal and the Typeforce 4 Catalogue were selected for PRINT’s Regional Design Annual. Archive13 received a Merit Award from HOW International Design Awards, and Typeforce 3 was recognized by the FPO Awards.

Recognized work: No Clear Goal · Typeforce 4 · Archive13 · Typeforce 3

Nick Adam is a Chicago-based design leader at Span. He works with clients and teams to create brand identities, digital experiences, and environments that shift perception, strengthen organizations, and build cultural relevance and business value.

Nick(at)Span.Studio