When RECORD first launched the Good Design is Good Business Awards in 1997, attitudes toward the impact of design on profit were changing. According to the editors at the time, corporations and entrepreneurs were just beginning to recognize the benefits of a thoughtful, well-executed workplace or business environment. Today, design excellence is a growing movement, as indicated by the range of this year's nine winning projects. From innovative facilities for nonprofits like London's JW3 and Boston's District Hall to the reconsidered environments of such established industry icons as Macy's Herald Square and McCann New York (its Gensler-designed office shown here), each is the result of a successful collaboration between the client and design team'one that never loses sight of the business plan, the employee and user experience, or the bottom line.

Photo © Garrett Rowland