Avison Young wins accolades for its newly redesigned website
Leading commercial real estate services firm wins 2012 Awards Certificate by Graphic Design USA, and honourable mention in 42nd Creativity Media Awards
TORONTO, June 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company, announced today that Graphic Design USA (GDUSA), a New York-based national news magazine for graphic designers and other creative professionals, has presented Avison Young with an Awards Certificate for its newly redesigned website: www.avisonyoung.com.
For nearly five decades, GDUSA has sponsored design competitions that spotlight areas of excellence and opportunity for creative professionals. GDUSA's online design competition - the American Web Design Awards - is a celebration of the power of well-designed websites and online communications to attract audiences, disseminate ideas and information, generate responses, and promote products, services and ideas.
In 2012, the American Web Design Awards competition exploded, with entries doubling to nearly 1,000 from across the U.S. A selective 140 design firms, departments and organizations were honoured with an Awards Certificate, placement in GDUSA's Online Awards Gallery, and a listing in the May 2012 edition of GDUSA Magazine.
"We are honoured to receive this prestigious award for our website. Launched earlier this year, the new Avison Young website meets our goal of providing a useful tool for our clients, as well as highlighting the dynamic growth of our company," comments Rose. "We are continually witnessing increases in our website traffic, which is a testament to the company's reputation as a credible source of commercial real estate market knowledge and expertise. We look forward to continuing to provide the most comprehensive and strategic client-centric real estate services to our clients."
In 2011, Avison Young retained Chicago-based web design firm StudioNorth to create a new design and improve the functionality of the company website. StudioNorth's design team collaborated with Avison Young staff and clients to develop a leading-edge website that reflects the culture and energy of Avison Young while providing easy navigation of comprehensive company information.
"We are very excited to receive this recognition for the new Avison Young website. With StudioNorth's guidance, and input from our clients and Avison Young staff, we have created a website with a fresh look and feel along with improved search and navigation capabilities," says Lyndal Hanna, Avison Young's Vice-President of Information Technology. "The site provides easy access to Avison Young's property listings, information on the company's real estate professionals and services, market reports and press releases, and links to social media. A full French version is available as well."
"One of the most important goals for Avison Young's new website was to further improve the client experience and make it easier to do business with Avison Young," notes StudioNorth CEO Mark Mohr. "The site was designed to promote the strong brand positioning that distinguishes Avison Young as a forward-thinking industry leader. Intuitive navigation allows users to quickly self-identify by broker or client audience, as well as by need and purpose, so each audience segment can access the relevant solution information with as few clicks as possible."
He adds: "The Avison Young steering team remained committed to this vision, and that shows in the final product. We enjoyed the collaborative partnership and look forward to development of the mobile version."
According to GDUSA, nearly three in four professional graphic designers now design for web, interactive, mobile and app projects.
"The judges selected the Avison Young website for its elegant combination of imagery, typography, iconography and ease of navigation," notes Gordon Kaye, editor of GDUSA, which named the winners of its annual American Web Design Awards on May 22, 2012 in New York.
In addition, Avison Young received an Honourable Mention last week in the 42nd Creativity Media Awards, in the website, B2B category for design excellence.
Based in Louisville, Kentucky and sponsored by Creativity International Awards, the Creativity Media Awards are one of the longest-running independent international advertising and graphic design competitions. Established in 1970, the awards honour leading-edge design in the form of an annual book known as the Creative Awards Annual. The 400-page book features the best designs, advertisements, marketing materials, websites, and commercials from all over the world. Advertising and design professionals serve as volunteer judges.
"There were hundreds of entries in the web design categories, so to receive an Honourable Mention is quite an accomplishment," says Kathleen Ritchie, Marketing Director for Creativity International Awards. "Thousands of entries are received every year and only about one-third of entries are awarded, so Avison Young has been inducted into an exclusive club."
"Online communications have come of age, and more so than ever, a company's brand must break through the marketplace clutter and information overload," adds Sherry Quan, Avison Young's National Director of Communications. "We are proud of our brand and our reputation, and are very pleased to be the recipient of the Honourable Mention and the Awards Certificate."
Over the past three years, Avison Young has grown from 11 to 31 offices and from 300 to more than 900 real estate professionals across Canada and the U.S.
In February, Avison Young was also named a winner of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies program for 2011, sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post and Queen's School of Business.
About Avison Young
Founded in 1978, Avison Young is Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Avison Young is also the largest Canadian-owned, principal-managed commercial real estate brokerage firm in North America. Comprising more than 900 real estate professionals in 31 offices across Canada and the U.S., the full-service commercial real estate company provides value-added, client-centric investment sales, leasing, advisory, management, financing and mortgage placement services to owners and occupiers of office, retail, industrial and multi-residential properties.
About StudioNorth
StudioNorth helps its innovative client companies achieve real results with breakthrough brand communications and advanced technologies. Founded in 1978, StudioNorth provides strategic marketing and award-winning creative communications supported by in-house multimedia and marketing technologies. This platform comprises a comprehensive partnership for marketers in the education, healthcare, technology and manufacturing industries.
About Graphic Design USA
Since 1963, Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) has been the business-to-business magazine for graphic design professionals. GDUSA covers news, people, projects, trends, technology, products and services of interest to creative professionals. The brand now includes a 50,000 visitor-a-month website, two monthly e-newsletters, an iPad app, and print and online Design Annuals in critical areas of interest to creative professionals.
About Creativity International Awards
Creativity International Awards is one of the longest running, independent advertising and graphic design competitions. Open to professionals and students, Creativity was initially established as a travelling exhibit, in conjunction with Art Direction Magazine, in 1970. Creativity International Awards is judged by a rotating panel of advertising and design professionals who volunteer their time and knowledge without personal agenda or bias. Creativity International Awards follows all guidelines for ethical contests recommended by the Graphic Artists Guild. The Creativity International Awards is currently based in Louisville, KY and is a subsidiary of Four Colour Print Group.
•Editors/Reporters: please click on link to view Avison Young's award-winning website:
For further information/comment/photos:
- Sherry Quan, National Director of Communications & Media Relations, Avison Young: (604) 647-5098; cell: (604) 726-0959
- Mark Rose, Chair and CEO, Avison Young: (416) 673-4028
- Lyndal Hanna, Vice-President, Information Technology, Avison Young: (312) 957-7613
Avison Young is a winner of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies program for 2011, sponsored by Deloitte, CIBC, National Post and Queen's School of Business
Follow Avison Young on Twitter:
For industry news, press releases and market reports: www.twitter.com/avisonyoung
For Avison Young listings and deals: www.twitter.com/AYListingsDeals
Follow Avison Young Bloggers: http://blog.avisonyoung.com
SOURCE Avison Young (Canada) Inc.
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