DALLAS (May 5, 2016) – Freeman, the leading global provider of brand experiences, is proud to announce the recognition of Chief Design Officer Bruce Mau as a winner of the 2016 National Design Awards. The prestigious awards recognize excellence and innovation across a variety of disciplines. Mau was awarded the Design Mind, given in recognition of a visionary who has had a profound impact on design theory, practice or public awareness. The award recipients will be honored at a gala dinner Thursday, Oct. 20, in New York City.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by Cooper Hewitt with a National Design Award and be amongst the leaders and visionaries in design,” said Bruce Mau. “It’s critical that design continues to be a recognized medium, as it has such an impact on our quality of life.”

Mau is also the co-founder of the Massive Change Network, which promotes the transformative power of design thinking to generate new ideas and help institutions and businesses innovate. He has worked with leading companies, including projects with Coca-Cola Company, McDonald’s, Herman Miller, Walt Disney Imagineering and Freeman; the governments of Denmark, Guatemala, Panama and Saudi Arabia; and the architects Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas and SOM.

“This award recognizes Bruce’s incredible contributions to experience design, and we are proud to have Bruce serve as Chief Design Officer for Freeman,” said Bob Priest-Heck, Freeman’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “He is the leader in design thinking, and his vision has been essential to our ability to support our clients by creating new and innovative ways to grow their business. We’re excited to continue transforming the industry and growing the brand experience channel with Bruce as a key part of our leadership team.”

The award nomination process begins with an open call for nominations, which are solicited from leading designers, educators, journalists, cultural figures, corporate leaders and design enthusiasts from every state in the nation. Winners are selected by a jury of design leaders and educators, convened by the museum, based on the level of excellence, innovation and public impact of their bodies of work. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum will celebrate outstanding achievement in American design this fall with its 17th annual National Design Awards program.

First launched at the White House in 2000 as a project of the White House Millennium Council, the National Design Awards were established to promote design as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world. The awards are accompanied each year by National Design Week, which will take place Oct. 15–23 and includes a variety of public education programs, panel discussions and workshops.

About Freeman

Recognized by Advertising Age as the world’s largest brand experience company, Freeman uses the power of integrated digital and live brand experiences to move markets, connect people, support growth and generate revenues for the world’s leading organizations. A design-driven company, Freeman generates insights that define program strategies, target audiences and deliver messages that generate meaningful results. Through its expansive global network of offices, talent and partnerships, Freeman has the reach and access that is unmatched in the industry. A family- and employee-owned company, Freeman is known for its 87-year history of stability, strength and customer service achievements. Freeman is a values-driven company with a strong and purpose-built culture that is dedicated to connecting people in meaningful ways. This is accomplished through a process of continuous innovation and improvement. Freeman produces more than 4,300 expositions annually and 11,000 other events worldwide. Freeman has been awarded six consecutive J.D. Power awards for the excellence of its Customer Call Center. For more information, visit www.freeman.com.