ADG FAD

What ADG FAD does

ADG-FAD (Asociación de Diseño Gráfico y Comunicación Visual del FAD) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1961 in Barcelona, Spain, and operating under the umbrella of FAD (Fomento de las Artes y del Diseño). It is the oldest and most established professional body for graphic designers and visual communication professionals in Spain, serving individual designers, studios, agencies, design students, and educational institutions. Its flagship product is the ADG Laus Awards, an annual design competition running since 1964 that distributes 900+ awards across nine categories including Editorial/Art Direction, Typography, Packaging, Branding, Advertising, Digital Design, and Audiovisual Communication, judged by a 40-member jury and culminating in the Nit Laus ceremony.

The association extends the Laus brand through a portfolio of supporting programs: the monthly ADGTalk speaker series, the ADGPro professional development workshop series, the annual Magabook ADG Laus publication, the itinerant 'Diseño Presente' exhibition traveling across Spanish cities (Madrid, A Coruña, Hondarribia), the Latent Festival for emerging designers, and the Feria GG event tied to the Laus Empresas y Entidades award. It also hosts Spanish programming for the Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE). The underlying platform is conventional: a WordPress-based website (adg-fad.org), a self-serve membership portal (fad.cat), an online Laus entry system, and a presence at the Disseny HUB Barcelona headquarters where the 17-person staff operates.

ADG-FAD monetizes primarily through recurring annual membership fees (individual, junior professional, studio, agency, and student tiers), supplemented by Laus entry fees, ceremony and event ticket revenue, public-sector grants from Ajuntament de Barcelona, Generalitat de Catalunya, Diputació de Barcelona and the Spanish Ministry of Culture, and private sponsorships (e.g., Moritz). It also generates ancillary value through exclusive member discounts negotiated with creatiBEty, La Correccional, OFFF Barcelona, Blanc Festival, and Design Market. Revenue and pricing details are not publicly disclosed.

Name

ADG FAD

Legal name

Asociación de Diseño Gráfico y Comunicación Visual del FAD

Website

https://adg-fad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ADG-FAD is a Barcelona-based non-profit professional association founded in 1961 that serves graphic designers, studios, and students in Spain through the ADG Laus Awards, monthly talks, workshops, exhibitions, and membership services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: ADG-FAD generates revenue through annual membership fees from individual designers, studios, agencies, and students who join the association. Members pay to access benefits including discounts, networking, and professional development resources.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ADG-FAD is a non-profit professional association for graphic designers and visual communication professionals based in Barcelona. It operates the ADG Laus Awards (Spain's premier design competition since 1964), runs professional development programs (ADGTalk monthly talks, ADGPro workshops), publishes the Magabook ADG Laus annual catalogue, and tours the Diseño Presente exhibition of award-winning work across Spanish cities. The association is funded primarily through membership fees from individual designers, studios, agencies, and students.

Product overview

ADG-FAD (Asociación de Diseño Gráfico y Comunicación Visual del FAD) is a professional association for graphic designers and visual communication professionals based in Barcelona, Spain. Founded in 1961, the organization operates a comprehensive portfolio centered around the prestigious ADG Laus Awards — a flagship annual design competition since 1964 recognizing excellence across categories including Editorial, Typography, Packaging, Branding, Digital, and Audiovisual design. The association complements its awards program with professional development offerings including ADGTalk (monthly talks featuring creative professionals), ADGPro (workshops on studio management, sustainable practices, and creative skills), and the annual Magabook publication documenting award winners. Additional initiatives include the itinerant exhibition 'Diseño Presente' showcasing winning works, the Latent Festival for emerging talent, and collaborative partnerships with organizations such as ADCE (Art Directors Club of Europe). The association also facilitates competitions for design projects and maintains a directory of member professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ADG Laus: The flagship annual awards program for graphic design and visual communication in Spain, established in 1964. Includes categories for editorial design, typography, packaging, branding, advertising, digital design, audiovisual, and student work.
• ADGTalk
• ADGPro
• ADCE

Products and services

• ADG Laus Awards Prestigious annual awards recognizing excellence in graphic design and visual communication in Spain, with categories including Editorial, Typography, Packaging, Branding, Advertising Graphics, Digital Design, Audiovisual Communication, and Student work. Open to professional and student designers.
• Nit ADG Laus Annual ceremony marking the culmination of the ADG Laus Awards, featuring gallery exhibitions of winning work, networking events, and recognition of award recipients including the Laus de Honor and Laus Aporta winners.
• ADGTalk Monthly talk series featuring creative professionals, designers, and industry leaders discussing design culture, creative processes, and visual communication trends. Includes ADG Jury Talk sessions with award jury members.
• ADGPro Professional development workshops and masterclasses for designers covering topics such as studio management, sustainable printing, copyright protection, lettering creativity, and design management.
• Magabook ADG Laus Annual publication featuring winning works from the ADG Laus Awards, serving as a comprehensive record of excellence in graphic design. Available free to association members.
• Diseño Presente Exhibition Itinerant exhibition showcasing award-winning projects including Grand Laus, Young Talent, and Gold Laus recipients, displayed in various locations across Spain including Barcelona, Madrid, A Coruña, and Hondarribia.
• Latent Festival Annual festival celebrating emerging design talent, providing a platform for new creative figures in contemporary design and visual creativity.
• Feria GG - ADG Fair event held in conjunction with the ADG Laus award ceremony, celebrating design excellence and featuring presentations and gatherings for creative professionals.
• ADG-FAD Membership Annual membership program offering individual designers, studios, agencies, and students access to FAD library, Museu del Disseny documentation center, Materfad materials center, member discounts on ADG Laus entries and partner services, directory visibility, and event access.

Quantifiable outcome

• ADG Laus awards have been recognizing excellence in graphic design since 1964
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered major, moderate, core and minor.

• Ajuntament de BarcelonamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government of Barcelona as a key institutional partner supporting ADG-FAD and design culture in the city. Located in the same metropolitan area and provides ongoing support for ADG Laus awards and activities.
• Generalitat de CatalunyamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government of Catalonia as institutional partner supporting design promotion and cultural activities.
• Diputació de BarcelonamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial government providing institutional support for design and cultural initiatives.
• Ministeri de Cultura (Gobierno de España)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish Ministry of Culture as national government partner supporting design and arts promotion.
• FAD (Foment de les Arts i del Disseny)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization FAD is the umbrella institution for ADG-FAD and other design-related associations. ADG-FAD is an integral part of the FAD group which includes architecture (ARQUIN-FAD), interior design (ADI-FAD), and other design disciplines.
• ADCE (Art Directors Club of Europe)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerADG-FAD is the Spanish representative for ADCE, the European Art Directors Club. Hosts ADCE Night Spain events and ADCE Awards competitions, connecting Spanish designers with the European creative community.
• creatiBEtymoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive partnership providing ADG-FAD members with discounts on legal advisory and copyright services. creatiBEty specializes in legal services for creative professionals.
• La CorreccionalmoderateGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive partnership offering 15% discount for ADG members on correction, translation, and linguistic advisory services.
• MoritzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand partner supporting ADG-FAD activities and events. One of the listed sponsors for awards and events.
• COAC (Col·legi Oficial de Dissenyers)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial College of Designers providing library access to ADG-FAD members. The COAC library contains the FAD bibliographic collection.
• Museu del Disseny de BarcelonamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Museum of Barcelona provides documentation center access to ADG-FAD members as part of membership benefits.
• MaterfadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaterials center in Barcelona providing ADG-FAD members with access to design materials reference and resources.
• Estudio Follow (A Coruña)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for the itinerant ADG Laus exhibition 'Diseño presente' in A Coruña, bringing award-winning design work to different cities.
• Auditorio Itsas Etxea (Hondarribia)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExhibition venue partner for ADG Laus itinerant exhibition in the Basque Country.
• Studio Visit Spaces (Madrid)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venues for ADG Laus exhibitions in Madrid, promoting award-winning design work in the Spanish capital.
• OFFF BarcelonamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival partner providing exclusive discounts for ADG-FAD members. OFFF is a major digital art and design festival.
• Blanc FestivalmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign festival partner offering exclusive discounts for ADG-FAD members. Annual design and creativity festival.
• European Creativity FestivalmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerADCE-organized festival that ADG-FAD participates in and promotes to members as part of European creative community engagement.
• Design MarketminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign marketplace event partner offering exclusive member discounts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Red Dot Design Award: International design award covering product, communication, and design concept categories. Overlaps with ADG Laus categories but operates at a larger global scale across multiple design disciplines.
• Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: Global benchmark for creative and advertising awards. Competes for the same Spanish creative community that ADG-FAD serves, but at a much larger international scale.
• The One Show: International creative advertising and design awards run by The One Club for Creativity. Comparable awards-based recognition targeting the same advertising and design creative community ADG-FAD serves.
• Clio Awards: International awards program for creative work in advertising, design, and communication. Competes for the attention and entries of the same creative professionals that participate in ADG Laus.
• FAD (Foment de les Arts i del Disseny): Parent organization and Barcelona-based umbrella institution covering architecture, interior design, and other design disciplines in addition to graphic design. ADG-FAD operates as a member association within this broader federation.

Direct peers

• D&AD: UK-based organization running one of the world's most prestigious creative awards (D&AD Pencils) and professional development programs. Most direct peer to ADG Laus in awards-based recognition of graphic design and creative excellence.
• Type Directors Club (TDC): New York-based international organization for typography professionals running the TDC Annual Typography awards and member programming. Comparable to ADG-FAD as a discipline-specific professional association running flagship design awards.
• Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI): Invitational global association of leading graphic designers with country chapters. Highly comparable to ADG-FAD's role as the leading national professional body for top-tier graphic designers in Spain.
• ADC (Art Directors Club): Global organization (with European branch ADC*E) running annual awards recognizing creative direction and design. Highly comparable to ADG-FAD's positioning within the Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) network.
• AIGA: The American professional association for design, the most direct global analogue to ADG-FAD. AIGA runs a comparable membership model, professional development programming, and advocacy for the graphic design profession, but at much larger US scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@adg-fad1587
• Facebookfacebook.com/ADGFAD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adg-fad
• Instagraminstagram.com/adgfad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ADG FAD