Good design is inclusive and accessible

GEELONG Design Week 2024 is looking to be the biggest yet, with more than 70 exhibitions, workshops, talks, tours and unique experiences to inspire the community.

This year’s event will run 21–30 November, celebrating design excellence, innovation and creativity across the Geelong region.

As Australia’s only UNESCO Creative City of Design, Geelong is proud to bring the community together for a program highlighting design’s importance in our everyday lives.

Design is more than just architecture or fashion. It impacts us on a day-to-day basis, from the buildings we live in to the footpaths we walk on and even the sewerage systems that keep our city running.

Good design is accessible and inclusive of all in the community, regardless of age or ability.

Geelong Design Week brings local designers, industry leaders, design enthusiasts, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, students, creatives and the broader community together to collaborate, network and inspire new ideas to solve design issues.

Highlights include live show ‘MOTEL’ with comedian and design nerd Tim Ross and musician Kit Warhurst, which explores the nostalgia of Australian holidays.

Another exciting feature is the ‘Architect’s Homes – Building Tours’, which will take visitors inside the homes of architects and their clients along the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast.

Homeowners, renovators and design lovers can also enjoy a ‘Speed Date with an Architect’, offering 15-minute one-on-one consultations to get professional advice for their renovation or building projects.

For those interested in our water systems, the quirky ‘Do You Want to Build a Fatberg?’ will see participants create a giant reproduction fatberg to highlight masses of waste made of non-flushable items that block our sewerage system.

Or they can step back in time in the Designing Djilang walk, which delves into the role Wadawurrung Traditional Owners have played in shaping design outcomes around central Geelong.

This tour highlights the city’s deep connection to its First Nations heritage and how it informs contemporary design practices. It’s an opportunity to learn about design from a cultural perspective and reflect on the land we live and work on.

This year, the program also features more than 20 design studios in one place at the Rutland Street Design Hub event on Thursday, November 28.

Between 3.30pm and 7.30pm, you can explore a variety of creative spaces from Blink Dance Theatre and Jade and May’s textiles to jewellery designers and even a film and TV production studio.

These local businesses, all based in Newtown’s Rutland Street, are offering a unique opportunity to step inside and discover their craftsmanship, innovation and passion for sustainable practices.

Geelong Design Week isn’t just for designers or industry insiders. It’s a chance for the broader community to get involved, learn more about how design impacts our lives and see how talented locals are shaping the future.

Last year’s Geelong Design Week drew 17,288 attendances, up 172 per cent from the previous year, and saw attendees from outside our region inject $1.6 million into our local economy.

Our expanded program features both in-person and online experiences with a range of free and ticketed events.

The full program and tickets are available at geelongdesignweek.com.au

Ali Wastie

Chief executive officer,

City of Greater Geelong