Two students in Hartford Art School’s Visual Communication Design program — Ren Frank of Southington and Marina Slivca of Westfield, MA — made GD USA’s 2026 list of Students to Watch. “We are proud to once again celebrate an outstanding group of students ready to step onto the professional design stage. Students to Watch has become both a celebration and a catalyst recognizing exceptional talent while energizing the broader creative community.”
“For 10 years we’ve gone out and talked to people about being kind, spreading kindness, and this year we are actually taking a step back and reminding people the most important thing to be kind to is yourself.” Fox61 went behind the scenes with the team at CashmanKatz, filming the latest video for their “Don’t Be Abominable” campaign. “Passersby were asked to address a decorative mirror in Statehouse Square and say something nice about themselves as the hulking snow-white Yeti stood by their side.”
Rebellion Group recently helped launch a new recruitment campaign for the City of Stamford. “We are excited to launch our ‘Unicorn’ campaign at a time when businesses in NYC will be closely monitoring the impact of recent elections,” said Leah Kagan, the city’s Director of Economic Development. “The City of Stamford continues to be a thriving, business-friendly, and diverse city that provides a welcoming home to Fortune 500 companies, burgeoning start-ups and everything in between. Thank you to the team at Rebellion Group for their brilliant work on this campaign.”
Art Director and Illustrator Steve Habersang was profiled in Connecticut Magazine’s December “Made in CT” issue along with other local makers. Through Habby Art, Steve creates detailed whimsical pen and ink illustrations blending fantasy and realism, often inspired by nature and animals. And in January 2026, Steve launched his companion design studio, Habby Design Co. “While I’m the creative brain behind Habby Art, my wife, Kristine, is the business powerhouse who keeps everything running. I’m especially glad they included a photo of both of us.”
At a Monday press conference at Kathleen E. Goodwin Elementary School in Old Saybrook, Connecticut officials debuted the CT Fresh Ed program, featuring brand work by Miranda Creative. “We’re proud to have partnered with the Connecticut State Department of Education to bring the CT Fresh Ed brand to life — from name and identity to visual storytelling — capturing the program’s mission to connect students with fresh, local food and hands-on agricultural learning.”
Faye Pite Beresner, Matt Curylo and Steve Habersang all made the list of 2025 GDUSA Designers For Good. All describe how they became involved in socially responsible design, and what unique challenges face them in today's society. “Creatives are uniquely positioned to translate complex issues into experiences that inform and mobilize action.”
For over a decade, Box 8 Creative has built brand identities for restaurants, hotels, and hospitality groups. This year, the studio turned the lens inward, taking on its most personal project yet: rebranding itself.
At the AD CLUB CT 70th Annual Awards Show, Best of Show went to Miranda Creative, for their rebranding of Lyman Allyn Museum — now simply Lyman Allyn, to include a new public park. “Their evolving story was unveiled with a brand reveal video at their annual fundraising gala, and continues to be gradually rolled out on social media alongside construction updates, in anticipation of the 2026 grand opening of Lyman Allyn Park.”
Firebrick Design's La Vie Bohème invitation for The Bushnell was selected as winner in the 365: AIGA Year in Design 2024 competition, cited for its ability to blend theatricality and historical reference into a memorable design object. “Through Art Nouveau details, typographic authenticity, and the inventive tunnel book format, it creates an immersive experience that captures the spirit of La Vie Bohème while driving record fundraising success,” said the AIGA jurors.
Group C were honored to receive the Spirit of Creativity Award and a Gold Award at the 49th CADC Awards for The Snuggery — “a simply decorated wooden box that, like the cabin our client created at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, contains magical surprises.” The project “brought two books to life: a pop-up book evoking our client’s art-filled cabin, and a companion volume celebrating the people who created the cabin and its art.”
Julia Balfour recently relaunched a new website for Williams School. “With just three shades of blue and a logo, we expanded Williams School’s brand into a full digital experience. We looked to the textures already present on campus—stone walls, ocean waves, linen classrooms—and translated them into visual elements that grounded the site in a sense of place. Paired with strong student photography and a clear type hierarchy, the result is a site that’s both rooted and refreshed. For us, it’s not about reinventing — it’s about bringing what’s real into view, then pushing it forward just enough to feel new.”
Alexander Isley, Inc. was honored to receive this year's Editors' Choice award (as well as first place in the Editorial Design category) for the design of a special edition of HUE, the magazine of FIT, The Fashion Institute of technology. “The creative team has designed the magazine for the past three years, working with the editorial team in commissioning FIT alumni to create the photography and illustrations. This richly layered publication showcases talent and poses a thoughtful meditation on the origins of creativity.”
Karl Heine's DesignerJournals has partnered with Bridgeport's beloved community radio station WPKN to produce a hand-crafted 7.25 x 4.75 notebook, for sale at their online shop. “Just as WPKN is a storied, Bridgeport-made institution, this collaboration came to life just miles down the road at AmFab studios, where we happened upon Karl Heine’s design work. Karl is a Bridgeport-based designer, educator, talent consultant, and supporter of WPKN.” Learn more about DesignerJournals here.
Rebellion Group announces a C-level realignment of its top people. “This is more than a realignment; it's a statement about where we're headed.” Congratulations to the team of Connecticut creatives on their new roles: BJ Kito (President), James Dowd (Chief Creative Officer & Chief Operating Officer), Bryan Czajkowski (Chief Technology Officer), and Grant Flannery (Head of Strategy, Executive Leadership Team).
Joe Treacy, the award-winning Owner/Creative Director of TreacyDesign/TFX and Director of Typography at Treacyfaces.com, recently joined the ranks of GDUSA's People to Watch for 2025, fielding questions about social impact and the future of design. “I’m forever approaching every new project with an inspired point of view, and I love to share that with our clients. Some clients have been with us over 20 years, and I’m grateful for the reciprocity we have with them. Fostering a positive attitude about what great things high quality design can do, a proper brief and comprehensive research, always leads to great results for our clients and their customers.”
HBX Branding's work for Schuman Cheese/Delve was a GDUSA 2025 Winner in both the Packaging and Digital Design competitions. “From positioning, packaging to GTM activation, HBX brought this innovation to life with a brand that’s as vibrant as its taste.”