Combined Locks, Wis. - Appleton Coated announces the 2011 Design Council, a panel of leading designers and print communications specialists. Each year, the Council gathers from across North America to share their observations from their geographical and professional areas. Appleton Coated will host the Design Council's first 2011 meeting in Chicago this January.

The 2011 Appleton Coated Design Council members include:
- Bill Thorburn, founding principal at The Thorburn Group in Minneapolis;
- Bryan Peterson, owner and principal at Peterson Ray & Company in Dallas;
- John Connolly, principal and creative director at Ideas On Purpose in New York;
- Justin Ahrens, principal at Rule29 in Geneva, Ill.;
- Kathleen Turaski, co-founder and principal at Resonance Marketing in Decatur, Ga.;
- Michael Eads, principal and director of production at Sametz Blackstone Associates in Boston;
- Ray Talamo, director of design at Roger Williams University's Department of Marketing Communications in Bristol, R.I.; and
- Tim Hale, senior vice president of design management and marketing at Fossil, Inc. in Richardson, Texas.

"Now in its 16th year, we meet to learn first-hand about issues and trends that they observe in their practice and to share trends that we see in paper and print. Engaging designers in a dialogue about their business and ours helps us to shape a relevant marketing program that supports our customers' success," says Ferkó Goldinger, advertising and promotion manager at Appleton Coated.

Along with discussing industry issues and trends, the Appleton Coated Design Council reviews the entries for the U360 Design Competition. The Council's selections recognize the effective, creative role that printed communication plays in marketing mix. The 2011 winners will be announced in the second quarter of 2011. The U360 submissions produced in 2010 were printed all, or in part, on Utopia and/or Curious Collection papers. Entries for the 2012 competition will be accepted through December 2011.