Stevens named to GDUSA ‘People to Watch’ list honoring leaders and innovators in graphic design

Renée Stevens, associate professor and chair of the visual communications department at the Newhouse School, has been selected for inclusion on the 2022 “People to Watch” list, published by GDUSA (Graphic Design USA).

The prestigious honor recognizes individuals and organizations from throughout the graphic design industry who “embody the spirit of the creative community,” according to GDUSA.

Stevens is an award-winning motion and augmented-reality (AR) designer whose creative research explores how AR can help overcome learning disabilities. She is the creator of tagAR, an AR mobile app that helps users remember peoples’ names, and the author of “Powered by Design: An Introduction to Problem Solving with Graphic Design” and “Designing Immersive 3D Experiences: A Designer’s Guide to Creating 3D Experiences for Extended Reality.” She was named a 2017 Educator to Watch by GDUSA and earned Syracuse University’s Meredith Teaching Recognition Award in 2018.

“I am more optimistic about the role of graphic design influencing so many aspects of our daily life than ever before,” Stevens told GDUSA. “From a growing number of design-first companies setting the bar high for the rest of the industry to the power of designing for social good to the potential of emerging technologies in XR, the future is bright.”

GDUSA began compiling the “People to Watch” list in 1963. Over the years, the list has included graphic design legends such as Milton Glaser, Saul Bass, Stefan Sagmeister, Massimo Vignelli, Chip Kidd and Margo Chase.