From Kutztown to NYC: Ian McDonald Wins Big on the Global Creative Stage

We’re thrilled to share some exciting news that continues to make waves for our KUCD community: recent graduate Ian McDonald has been named a 2025 D&AD New Blood Portfolio Winner — one of the highest honors a design student can receive. And the momentum doesn’t stop there.

Ian is currently interning at the legendary Ogilvy New York, one of the most iconic advertising agencies in the world. He was one of over 9,000 applicants for the position, and now joins their hybrid team, further solidifying his place among the next generation of creative leaders.

Earlier this spring, Ian was recognized internationally for winning in the Multidisciplinary Portfolio category at The One Club for Creativity’s Young Ones Portfolio competition. This elite contest brings together top students from colleges, graduate programs, and portfolio schools around the world to showcase their best work — and Ian rose to the top with a six-piece portfolio judged by a panel of global industry leaders.

To give you a sense of the scale: the second round of judging alone included 134 standout portfolios. Other winning schools included heavyweights like ArtCenter College of Design (Pasadena), RISD, MICA, Pratt, FIT, the Royal College of Art (London), and many more. For Ian — and for Kutztown University’s Communication Design (KUCD) program— to be recognized on this level is a tremendous accomplishment.

The award ceremony took place on May 13 at Sony Hall in New York City, where Ian was officially honored for his exceptional talent and creative vision. You can catch a glimpse of him at the event in the video here (timestamp: 1:14:20), or in the photo gallery here.

Congratulations again to Ian — and to all the KUCD faculty who have helped shape the kind of work that can stand confidently beside the best in the world. It’s very good to be KUCD. And it’s always good to be golden.

Check out Ian’s award-winning portfolio here: https://www.imcd.design
#YoungOnes2025 #KUCD #DesignExcellence #CreativeTalent #DandAD #Ogilvy