2008 SEGD Fellow

Ronald Shakespear was born in Rosario in 1941. He has been Chair Professor at the University of Buenos Aires and Past President of ADG. He founded Diseño Shakespear in Argentina 50 years ago and is now directed with his son Juan (DI Uba). Lorenzo, another son,  worked with them for 25 years and established his own firm in 2012.  Ronald has been International Jury for the Art Directors Club of New York ADC, 1990,Segd Design Awards DAP 2008, Wolda Awards 2008, Innovar Awards and many National and International Contests. He has also given seminars, lectures and workshops in 42 cities of the world. His last book “Señal de Diseño”, was re-published in 2009. He received the Silver Pencil Award in 1987, the Konex Award in 1991 and the Golden Brain in 2006.

Ronald was the recipient of the 2008 SEGD Fellow Award from the Society of Experiential Graphic Design – for the first time given to a South American designer.

In 2013 Ronald was named Honorary Professor at the University of Buenos Aires and Master of Design at the University of Palermo.

Ronald has been the God Father of the Trimarchi's Congress and he gave a conference presentation in Mar del Plata in October 2013.

He was a speaker in TEDex - River Plate, Buenos Aires.

Diseño Shakespear has executed wayfinding and branding mega-projects as the Buenos Aires Underground (Subte), Buenos Aires Hospitals, Tren de la Costa, Temaiken Biopark, Ausa High Roads and many more. His work has been published in many important books and publications in China, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Italy, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, Spain, Brazil,and more.

He has also exhibited at the Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris) and the Triennale di Milano, ICCID, (Italy ). Mayor exhibitions on Ronald Shakespear have been held at Iteso University in Guadalajara and Bienal del Cartel in Xalapa,(Mexico), Centro Recoleta and National Fine Arts Museum, (Buenos Aires).Exhibition in Buenos Aires – 45th Anniversary of Diseño Shakespear- at Centro Borges in 2005. Anthological Exhibit and workshop at Virginia Center for Architecture, AIA,(Richmond),2006, and at The Katzen Arts Center (Washington DC),2008. He has been lecturer at the Icograda Congress in Nice, Montreal,Sao Paulo,and Beijing.Also Visiting Professor at University of Alberta and the Simon Fraser University,Canada.

In 2013 Diseño Shakespear Anthological Exhibition was held at the Museum of Modern Art in Buenos Aires.

He co-author of the Buenos Aires City Wayfinding Project (1971-72). This is perhaps his most well known project and has been published by Eye Magazine,Abitare, Domus, Archigraphia, Graphis, Idea,and more.

Diseño Shakespear has designed 1600 brands in the last fifty years. Ronald’s portraits book “Caras y Caritas” has been puplished by Jorge Alvarez Editor in 1966 and a new edition called “Visiting the Sixties” has been published by AA2000.

In 2012,Unit Editions -London- posted this article and this one on his work and life.

His photos are now in private collections and Museums in EEUU,Switzerland,Canada,Argentina and Italy.”Borges in the National Library”, perhaps his most well known portrait, is at the Jorge Luis Borges Foundation and his poster for Hamlet was declared as one of the 100 best posters of history in Mexico and can be seen at the Buenos Aires Modern Art Museum (Mamba).

Ronald lives,writes and works in Buenos Aires. His friends call him Rolan.

Read more about Ronald on his website and about his design firm Desigño Shakespear

Read an in-depth interview by SEGD's Leslie Wolke about his life and work.

Read SEGD's feature on Ronald Shakespear in 2008.