More innovative and creative designers from across Victoria have been celebrated for their achievements, with the Victorian Premier’s Design Award of the Year shining a light on the people who take Victoria’s design industry from strength to strength.
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks today congratulated all the winners and finalists of the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards, which showcase the best of Victorian innovation and design from the past 12 months – backed by the Victorian Government.
“The Victorian Premier’s Design Awards celebrate the incredible achievements of Victorian designers, whose innovations impact our everyday lives, from what we wear and how we communicate, to the buildings we inhabit,” said Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks.
“Congratulations to all finalists and winners who showcase the very best of our design industry, which supports thousands of jobs across the state and continues to produce world-leading innovations.”
This year’s award was won by UNESCO World Heritage listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, with the tourism infrastructure project featuring a Visitor Information Centre, café and boardwalks that pays homage to the area’s history as one of the world’s most extensive and oldest aquaculture systems.
The design reflects the rich history of the Gunditjamara Traditional Owners who have worked and fished on the land for more than 30,000 years while the projects supports them to care for Country and share their stories with the growing number of visitors to the site which gained World Heritage status in 2019.
The project was commissioned by the Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Corporation and was designed by Hamilton architectural firm Cooper Scaife Architects.
Founded in 1996, the Government’s annual awards celebrate design across eight categories – architectural, communication, digital, product, fashion, service, student and design strategy, with this year’s winners chosen from more than 330 entries.
Other winners include the CYBERTONGUE Food Testing System, a tool that analyses food samples in minutes, and a The Social Studio, Kay Abude and Alpha60 collaboration which uses off-cuts to create zero-waste bags and hats.
Swinburne University product design graduate Lily Geyle took home the Student Design category award for a post-operation recovery device for transgender people, while the Service Design winner was One Stop One Story – an online information hub where users tell their story before being connected to multiple corporate and community services.
The Design Strategy award went to the Fashion Futuring Toolkit which helps fashion designers and students learn ways to combat climate change, while design agency AKQA won the Digital Design award for its Nike campaign which used AI and machine learning to create a live virtual tennis match between two versions of Serena Williams.
“I want to congratulate all the finalists and winners showcased through these awards – each project tells a unique design story, reflecting the vibrant and diverse culture here in Victoria,” said Victorian Premier’s Design Awards Chair Dr Leah Heiss.
“The incredible talent represented in these awards clearly defines our State as a creative capital, and I am looking forward to seeing what is possible as our design community continues to push boundaries and strive for excellence.”
Design is an economic powerhouse of Victoria’s $38.4 billion creative industries sector, employing almost 20,000 people and injecting $6 billion annually into the state economy.
For more information about the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards, including a full list of winners and finalists, visit: www.
Image: Budj Bim Cultural Landscape – photo by Tess Kelly