Erin Harris Receives Award For In-House Work

Boston, MA: Boston University School of Medicine graphic designer Erin Harris has received a 2006 GDUSA American In-House Design Award for her work on promotional material for the Reach Out and Read National Conference.

“Reach Out and Read has hosted this conference for the past 6 years, but the previous direct mail campaigns did not mesh with the group’s existing promotional materials,” Harris said. “I wanted to use elements from those materials that their members and affiliates would recognize, in addition to the Reach Out and Read logo.”

The checkerboard design is a strong visual that carries through from Reach Out and Read’s informational brochures to their website to their instructional video cases. Because the conference brochure was only printed in two colors, Harris opted for the red of Reach Out and Read’s logo. This allowed Reach Out and Read’s official color to be used, which is also extremely close to the official red of Boston University School of Medicine, the accreditation sponsor for the conference.

Reach Out and Read is affiliated with Boston Medical Center, and works to promote literacy as a standard part of pediatric care. The group trains doctors and allied health professionals to advise parents on the importance of reading to their children, and how early literacy skills impact children’s success once they start school. Reach Out and Read also places special emphasis on children growing up in poverty.

Erin Harris is the graphic designer for Continuing Medical Education at Boston University School of Medicine. She is a founding member and contributing writer to NO!SPEC, a site devoted to educating designers and clients to the dangers of speculative work. She is also a member of the AIGA’s Boston chapter and Creative Latitude, a worldwide web-based community that unites various creative disciplines for collective promotion, education, and ethical business practice. Erin also runs Sanguine Theory, a creative strategy and graphic design firm in Boston, with experience in print, web, logo/identity, direct mail, and promotional materials. Sanguine Theory's portfolio and blog can be found at www.sanguinetheory.com.

Graphic Design USA, a magazine for creative professionals, has been in print since 1963, and has a readership of approximately 100,000. The magazine holds two competitions annually, one for the entire design community, and the other specifically for in-house creatives. This year, approximately 700 entries received the award, out of over 3,500 total entries.