Auckland based design company, Alt Group, has started off the year with a bang, picking up three Certificates of Typographic Excellence in the Type Directors Club TDC56 competition in New York.

Alt Group - who had an incredibly successful year in 2009 having been awarded 58 international and national design prizes (including what is considered to be one of the world's top design accolades, a red dot: grand prix award) - beat off over 1500 entries from 32 countries to take home the three certificates, two of which were awarded for their work on the Vigneron - a project designed to commemorate the life of Alt Group director Ben Corban's grandfather, Najib Corban, of the Corbans wine dynasty.

A "holey" poster designed to draw attention to climate change that was created using magnifying glasses and the sun to burn the word "OUCH" into the paper, was the third piece of Alt's work to be awarded a TDC56 prize.

Of the 1,500 entries submitted, just 245 designs were selected as winners in the prestigious international typography competition, which is judged by a panel of the world's leading designers.

Ben Corban, managing director at Alt Group said: "It is exciting to start the New Year with new awards, especially in a competition of this calibre."

Alt Group's three award-winning designs will be showcased in the Type Directors Club Annual, Typography 31 (which is available for purchase internationally), and will be displayed at the Type Directors Club's 56th Awards Exhibition in New York, to be held during the Northern Hemisphere's summer.

Alt's winning work will also be exhibited around the globe, in countries including the United States, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Russia and Spain.