Communication Design seniors win advertising design awards

Sammi Micklewright
Milwaukee has its ‘Oscars’ for advertising design, and at this year’s United Adworkers 99 competition for professionals and students, two Communication Design seniors at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) received coveted awards.
Sammi Micklewright ’24 received the 2nd place Merit Award and Megan Huss ’24 the 4th Place Merit.
Mickelwright’s project aimed “to create a fresh new brand strategy for CoCo&Blu: a cafe in Arlington Heights, IL,” she says.” This project is close to my heart because CoCo&Blu is my favorite coffee shop in my hometown, and I have many good memories there!”
“I feel very honored to … have my work recognized at the United Adworkers Awards,” Micklewright adds. “This has provided me with encouragement to continue honing my skills as a designer and professional.”
Huss created her project, TeaLift, in her junior year packaging design class. “I have always had a love and appreciation for packaging design, so it was really fun to see my work in a physical form like that,” Huss says.

Megan Huss
The 2024 (professional) Best of Show in the United Adworkers 99 competition was won by BVK, where Katie Parlow ‘16 is senior art director and Charity Ekpo ‘15 is graphic designer/illustrator.
Micklewright and Huss are now preparing for the MIAD 2024 Senior Exhibition, on view April 19 – May 11.
Micklewright’s project, Koda, “is an animated miniseries for children suffering with PANDAS syndrome, a debilitating pediatric autoimmune disorder. Our goal is to inform and nurture PANDAS children, providing them with support on their journey to recovery,” she says.
Huss’ project is Happier Hour – an app that connects sober young adults with one another.
MIAD Galleries are open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., at 273 E. Erie St., Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Learn more about MIAD’s Communication Design major. Visit MIAD.
News
MIAD Task Award: Alum pays it forward with generous mentoring
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) alum Amy Cannestra ’06 (Communication Design) believes in giving back, in mentoring and in the supportive nature of the Milwaukee art and design community. By founding Task Creative and the MIAD Task Graduate Award, the incredibly busy creative exemplifies all three beliefs. The Task awardee, Ashley Osorio ’26 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice), will receive five consecutive days to use the Task Creative space for a project of their choosing this summer.
Meet Michaela Prischman and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Cloth
Michaela Prischman ’26 (Communication Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Tinley Park, Ill. She created “Cloth,” a tool to help guide young professional women to find and organize alternative work attire through a personalized style subscription box.
Flagship Madison museum features exhibition by FYE faculty
The First-Year Experience (FYE) at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) blends contemporary and traditional techniques, an approach embraced by FYE faculty David R. Harper in Good Morning Sweetheart, a solo exhibition on view at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) through August 30, 2026.
Illustration seniors land NASA and Disney internships
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design seniors Grace Weisner ’26 and Allison Stras ’26 have landed the internship of their dreams: Weisner at NASA and Stras at Disney. Both are Illustration majors with minors in Communication Design.
Meet Kas Cook and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Mcallaster’s Special
Cas Kook ’26 (Animation Track in Illustration) is a Dean’s List student from the Greater Chicago area and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. “Project Calvin Sazerac” is about Calvin Sazerac, a seasoned barkeep, who creates new cocktails for his favorite regulars. When he is challenged to meet the demands of a picky saloon patron, he creates something life changing.