DaytonDailyNews.com

Growing up in Pennsylvania, Ken Botts says he was fortunate to attend a high school that emphasized the arts and offered commercial and fine art.

"Many high school programs today do not distinguish between the two areas of study," says the Germantown man who says his school's graphic design program enabled him to utilize creative and entrepreneurial skills.

He's obviously used both well, having just been named an AIGA Fellow by the Professional Association of Design. The prestigious national award is granted to mature designers who have "made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community, as well as in their local AIGA chapter."

Botts was in New York this month to accept the award at the black-tie Design Legends Gala at Chelsea Piers and was recognized Friday, Sept. 26, by AIGA Cincinnati and the Art Academy of Cincinnati. Included in the Fellows Design Exhibition are examples of his work that may be familiar to folks in the Miami Valley: the Firefly Building in downtown Dayton and the new Litehouse "green" dwellings.

"The Litehouse single-family detached home allows more families to take advantage of lower monthly utility bills and lower monthly maintenance expenses," says Botts, who serves as the project's creative director and says the homes start at $159,900. "We feel that we have achieved a good balance between being green and being affordable to get more people living within sustainable means sooner."

A founding principal of Visual Marketing Associates launched in 1985, Botts holds a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from Carnegie Mellon University and frequently teaches at Miami University. He served as assistant art director for Cincinnati Magazine and then joined the Design Center at the Dayton-based Huffy Corp. two years later. He's been contributing his talents to the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm for years.

Botts says he's always appreciated a multidisciplinary approach to his work — both as a student at Carnegie Mellon and continuing today in the business world. He enjoys collaboration — blending architectural design, graphic design, industrial design, marketing and more.

"This interdisciplinary approach creates experiences that are unique, appeal to multiple senses, and have more impact than working as an individual."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or mmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.