Awards shine a spotlight on Victorian Design

Parliament-of-Victoria-Member’s-Annexe-by-Peter-Elliot-Architecture-and-Urban-Design-with-TCL (supplied)The Victorian Government is calling on the state’s design innovators to enter their ground-breaking projects for 2020 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.

Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley has opened the call for entries which, for the first time, will be held as part of Melbourne Design Week in March 2021.

“From architecture to fashion, typography to industry, designers change the way we see things and the way we live.” said Minister Foley. “They create products, systems and places that touch every aspect of our lives. Victoria is home to a highly-skilled design community and we look forward to celebrating our local talent through the awards.”

Entries are open for projects across eight categories – architecture, product and industrial design, communications design, fashion, digital and service design, design strategy, and projects by tertiary design students.

Established in 1996, the annual awards seek to shine a light on the many facets of Victoria’s $6 billion design sector, to celebrate and showcase the achievements of local designers. The awards profile businesses that have used design to transform the way they work, the products they offer or how they interact with the public.

All Best-in-Category winners go into the running for the coveted Victorian Premier’s Design of the Year, awarded each year to a project that embodies excellence in design and innovation.

Previous major winners include the YMCA’s ‘Playnasium’ which brings together play and exercise for kids and their families and the Blackmagic studio camera which enables high-end, broadcast quality filming for a fraction of the price of more traditional cameras.

Last year’s Design of the Year winner was Peter Elliott Architecture + Urban Design with TCL for the Parliament of Victoria Member’s Annexe, chosen from an overall field of more than 200 projects.

Judging for the awards is conducted in a two-stage process, with entries first assessed by a jury of Australian and international experts to determine finalists in each field.

Entries for the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards 2020 are now open and close on Friday 18 September. Entry is free to eligible Victorian designers and businesses. For more information, visit www.premiersdesignawards.com.au for details.

Image: Parliament of Victoria Member’s Annexe by Peter Elliot Architecture and Urban Design with TCL (supplied)