HOUSTON, Aug. 5, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Houston Chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, announces that Paula Savage Hansen will receive the 2008 AIGA Houston Fellow award, and Hines will receive the 2008 AIGA Houston Corporate Leadership Award. Both recipients will be recognized for their significant contributions to raising the standards of excellence in design and demonstrating leadership within the design community.

Senior design professionals are nominated by their peers to be considered for the AIGA Houston Fellow Award. Only a handful of professionals are chosen each year to receive this honor nationwide. Education, writing, professional leadership and reputation, as well as the practice of design are given equal consideration in determining Fellow Award winners. Hansen, who founded Savage over 35 years ago, was an early pioneer in interactive media and Website design and formed a number of technology-related graphic and communications companies. She has led Savage to become one of the most prestigious branding firms in the nation, attracting top Fortune 100 corporate and nonprofit clients headquartered worldwide. Hansen is a past AIGA Texas Board Member and President and most recently served on the national board of directors for the Association of Professional Design Firms. Hansen has played an instrumental role in establishing a strong reputation for Houston design and mentoring the next generation of design leadership.

The AIGA Houston Corporate Leadership Award recognizes the role of perceptive, forward-thinking organizations that have been instrumental in the advancement of design by applying the highest standards as a matter of policy. Since its inception in 1957, Hines, headquartered in Houston with more than 100 offices in 16 countries around the globe, has created commercial real estate developments of the highest quality, aesthetic relevance and enduring value. Working with such notable architects as Cesar Pelli, Frank Gehry, I.M. Pei and Philip Johnson, Hines has helped transform the built environment, promoting a balance between function, beauty and sustainability as it reshaped skylines around the world. Hines has placed equal emphasis on using outstanding graphic design to market its buildings. Relying on local designers Chris Hill, Jerry Herring, Lowell Williams and Mark Judson, along with some of the best designers in the world to create collateral materials that reinforce its standards of quality, Hines has forged a remarkable creative vision and helped give Houston design national recognition.

The 2008 AIGA Houston Design Legends Gala will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2008 at the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa. Debbie Millman, Director on the National Board of the AIGA and Partner and President of the design division at Sterling Brands, will present the awards.

For more information about the upcoming Gala, or to inquire about reservations and sponsorship opportunities, contact Robin Tooms at president@houston.aiga.org or at 713-522-1555.

ABOUT AIGA

AIGA, the professional association for design, is the place design professionals turn to first to exchange ideas and information, participate in critical analysis and research and advance education and ethical practice. AIGA sets the national agenda for the role of design in its economic, social, political, cultural and creative contexts. AIGA is the oldest and largest membership association for professionals engaged in the discipline, practice and culture of designing. Founded as the American Institute of Graphic Arts in 1914 as a small, exclusive club, AIGA now represents 22,000 designers through national activities and local programs developed by 59 chapters and 240 student groups. For more information on AIGA Houston, visit http://www.aigahouston.org.

ABOUT SAVAGE

Savage, Inc. specializes in branding and corporate design including the creation of identities, annual reports, marketing collateral and websites. Founded in 1973 by Paula Savage and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the firm's work has received numerous awards and has been published in most of the profession's juried books and publications. Visit http://www.savagebrands.com for more information.

ABOUT HINES

Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm's historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes more than 1,000 properties representing approximately 435 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. With more than 100 offices in 16 countries around the globe, and controlled assets valued at approximately $22.9 billion, Hines is one of the largest real estate organizations in the world. Visit http://www.hines.com for more information.

          AIGA Houston
          Robin Tooms, President
          713-522-1555
          president@houston.aiga.org