SAN JOSE, Calif.--Aug. 16, 2001--Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced the winners of its first annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards, a component of the Adobe Partners by Design program. In a ceremony last evening at Paramount Studios, the awards presented recognized the most promising student graphic designers, illustrators, digital filmmakers and computer artists from U.S. design schools. Students from Partners by Design member schools, which include 21 prestigious U.S. design schools, submitted projects created exclusively with the latest versions of Adobe software gifted to the schools. A seven-member panel of renowned professionals in the creative design community served as judges, reviewing 688 entries in five categories. First place award recipients received ten Adobe software products, a $2,000 grant, a trip to Los Angeles to attend the awards ceremony, and the opportunity meet with and showcase their work to design industry professionals attending the event. "With Adobe's support through its Partners by Design program, we can ensure that our students have extensive experience on the tools they will need to succeed in the real world,'' said Lita Talarico, co-chair, M.F.A. Design, School of Visual Arts. "The program is mutually beneficial because it provides our students and teachers with access to new Adobe technology, while providing Adobe with insight into training issues and user experiences. This partnership allows me to incorporate new software advancements into the MFA program, ensuring that students are skilled in the latest Adobe design tools, making them extremely marketable upon graduation.'' The awards were distributed in ten categories and a complete list of winners can be viewed at www.adobe.com/education. The Adobe Partners by Design program promotes design education and lifelong learning for design professionals by providing member schools with the latest design tools, training and techniques to help students fully develop their skills. The program also facilitates communication between the academic and commercial design communities, providing exposure for students, and award winners in particular, to distinguished industry professionals. "We are extremely impressed with the effort and talent applied by the students that participated in the Partners by Design contest,'' said Alison Norris, senior marketing manager, Education, Adobe Systems Incorporated. "These students represent the top talent in this industry and their dedication to the program made this inaugural year a huge success. We hope that providing them with knowledge, training and software tools, has also helped to jumpstart their careers.''