Bierut, Rucci, Stowell Among National Design Award Winners

The jury has spoken, and the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum has just announced the winners of the 2008 National Design Awards, which gives you just over five months to figure out what you’ll wear to the October gala. This year’s “Design Mind” award recipient is none other than Michael Bierut, a “visionary individual that has affected a shift in design thinking or practice through writing, research, and scholarship” if ever there was one. Meanwhile, we’re thrilled that our tireless campaign to see the 2008 NDA for fashion design in the hands of Ralph Rucci has succeeded (although we would have worn Rucci-designed frocks for the duration of National Design Week even if the award had gone to someone else). Meanwhile, Scott Stowell of open takes the communication design category. “I’m deeply honored and shocked and thrilled,” notes Stowell. “I’m also relieved that we don’t have to keep it a secret any longer! Whew.” Below, the full list of winners and finalists:

Lifetime Achievement: Charles Harrison

Design Mind: Michael Bierut

Finalists: Bruce Nussbaum, Michael Sorkin

Corporate Achievement: Google

Finalists: JetBlue, OXO International

Architecture Design: Tom Kundig

Finalists: LOT-EK, Weiss/Manfredi

Communications Design: Scott Stowell

Finalists: Stephen Doyle, Prologue Films

Fashion Design: Ralph Rucci

Finalists: Thom Browne, Zac Posen

Interior Design: Rockwell Group

Finalists: Deborah Berke & Partners, Diane Lewis

Landscape Design: Olin Partnership

Finalists: Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Stoss Landscape Urbanism

Product Design: Antenna Design

Finalists: Boym Partners, Karim Rashid

Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. The online event and workshop will feature speakers including The Onion‘s Baratunde Thurston (left), Facebook’s Morin Oluwole, and bitly’s Tim Devane. Register now.