INDIGENOUS CHARTER TAKES OUT TOP VICTORIAN DESIGN AWARD

A groundbreaking international Indigenous design has taken out the top prize in the 2018 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.

Described as “revolutionary” by the jury, the charter provides guidance for the respectful representation of Indigenous culture in design practice and education worldwide.

It was developed by a team led by Dr Russell Kennedy from Deakin University’s School of Communication and Creative Arts and Institute of Koorie Education as well as representatives from Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria.

Presented by Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, the awards showcase the best in Victorian design.

“We know how important Victoria’s design industry is to the state’s economy, to the success of local businesses and to our community,” Mr Carroll said.

“The Premier’s Design Awards celebrate excellence in design, and the role design plays in improving our lives.

“It is just one of the ways we are backing the industry and strengthening Victoria’s design capability.”

Other award winners include Breathe Architecture for the Nightingale 1 sustainable housing development, Museum Victoria for communication design for the Beyond Perception exhibition and Transurban’s mobile tolling solution LinktGO for best digital design.

Neonormal won the service design category for the Karitane Early Parenting Concept Store, and the Last Knitting Mill project, which aims to reignite a local supply chain in the Australian textile and manufacturing industry, won the award for fashion design.

The winners demonstrate the impact good design can have on people’s lives.

Blamey Saunders Hears won the award for product design for their world-first modular hearing aid, Facett, which transformed a medical device into a beautiful personal artefact to encourage crucial early uptake of hearing aids.

This year a new category celebrated the work of VCE students, underscoring the importance of design to Victoria’s future.

Genazzano FJC student Megan Grimshaw won for her project reinventing plastic waste. RMIT students took out the tertiary design category for rescue Akja, a redesigned rescue sled.

The Victorian Premier’s Design Awards celebrate Victoria designers and design innovations and promote the value of good design.