Design Principles: What Makes Good Design In Australia?

what is good design australia

Good Design Australia is an international design promotion organisation that runs the Australian Good Design Awards, recognising achievements in industrial design. The awards were originally established in 1958 by the Industrial Design Council of Australia (IDCA) to promote the importance of design and its role in creating a better world. The awards have since been recognised by the World Design Organisation (WDO) as Australia's peak international design endorsement program. The awards span over 30 categories, including sustainability, best in class, design excellence, and more.

Characteristics Values
International design promotion organisation Good Design Australia
Annual international Good Design Awards Good Design Awards
Oldest and most diverse international design awards program in Australia Australian Good Design Awards
Recognised by the World Design Organisation (WDO) Australia's peak international design endorsement program
Spans 30+ categories Awards in multiple sectors
Recognises design excellence Australian Good Design Award Gold
Recognises best in class design in each category Australian Good Design Award Best in Class
Recognises excellence in sustainable design Australian Good Design Award for Sustainability
Highest design honour in the awards Australian Good Design Award of the Year
Recognises good design Australian Good Design Award Winner
Promotes high standards of design in manufactured goods Educates manufacturers and consumers on the value of design

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Good Design Australia's history

Good Design Australia is an international design promotion organisation that runs the Australian Good Design Awards. The organisation has a long history, dating back to 1958, when it was established as the Industrial Design Council of Australia (IDCA) by the Commonwealth Government. The IDCA's goal was to educate manufacturers and consumers about the value of design and encourage high standards in the design of manufactured goods.

In 1964, the IDCA opened the first Australian Design Centre in Melbourne, exhibiting selected products from the Australian Design Index. The IDCA also established the Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design in 1967, with the inaugural award given in 1968 to a self-propelled grain header designed by Kenneth Gibson. The prize continued for 20 years, recognising innovative and high-quality Australian-designed products. It became a promotional tool for manufacturers and designers, as well as a source of revenue for the IDCA.

In 2008, the awards programme celebrated its 50th anniversary and, for the first time, allowed internationally designed products available for sale in Australia to enter. This expansion of the awards reflected a broader recognition of the importance of design in various industries. In 2010, Standards Australia transferred the programme to Good Design Australia, and in 2015, the awards were officially renamed the Australian Good Design Awards.

Today, the Australian Good Design Awards is one of the oldest and most prestigious international design awards programmes. Recognised by the World Design Organization (WDO), it spans over 30 categories, including workplaces, electronics, furniture, buildings, apps, services, branding, and user interfaces. The awards ceremony brings together companies, designers, and industry experts, fostering connections, innovation, and a celebration of design excellence.

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The Good Design Awards

There are five types of accolades issued in the Good Design Awards:

  • Australian Good Design Award Winner: Recognising good design
  • Australian Good Design Award Gold: Recognising design excellence
  • Australian Good Design Award Best in Class: Recognising best-in-class design in each category
  • Australian Good Design Award for Sustainability: Recognising excellence in sustainable design
  • Australian Good Design Award of the Year: The highest design honour in the awards, awarded to only one project

The Awards bring together companies, designers, and industry experts, providing opportunities for networking, building relationships, and gaining insights from cutting-edge innovations. They also increase visibility and awareness of the winning designs and help differentiate them in the market.

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Benefits of good design

Good design has a wide range of benefits across economic, social, and environmental dimensions.

Design can be a powerful catalyst for change, sparking innovation, solving complex problems, and shaping the way we live. It can be used to address societal challenges and drive industry progress, resulting in a better, safer, and more prosperous world. In Australia, design-related industries contributed more than $60 billion to the economy, with the potential to foster a thriving, design-led economy. Businesses that strategically utilise design are more likely to succeed and outperform their competitors, as design can enhance pricing potential and foster stronger customer loyalty.

Good design can also have social benefits, promoting community pride and leaving a lasting legacy. It can transform places, making them more inclusive and inspiring, thus positively impacting the lives of those who interact with these spaces.

Additionally, design has the potential to drive sustainability and environmental progress. Ecologically sustainable design can lead to the creation of green buildings, reducing operating costs and providing higher total returns.

Furthermore, design is a rigorous and iterative process that requires time and deep engagement. By recognising the strategic thinking and process behind the final product, businesses can ensure that design delivers real value. This involves integrating designers early in the product development process, enabling them to anticipate issues, devise effective solutions, and deeply understand end-user needs.

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Sustainable design

The Design Files + Laminex Design Awards also celebrate sustainable design, with their Sustainable Design or Initiative Award. Finalists and winners of these awards include projects such as closed-loop terrazzo made from construction waste, small-scale urban compost systems, and the Grow/Source/Eat project, which focuses on sustainably sourced and locally grown produce.

The Australian design industry is committed to creating a better world, and sustainability is a key part of this. Sustainable design is about ensuring a project is healthy, comfortable, efficient, and has a smaller carbon footprint. This can be achieved through the use of sustainable materials and practices, such as the use of recyclable products, reducing waste, and minimising environmental impact.

The Green Building Council of Australia has also recognised the benefits of ecologically sustainable design, producing publications such as "The dollars and sense of green buildings" and "Valuing Green", which provide guidance on the value and benefits of sustainable design. OVGA (Office of the Victorian Government Architect) also promotes the social, economic, and environmental benefits of good design, highlighting the importance of design in creating high-quality, enduring spaces that serve and inspire.

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Design principles

Good design is essential in place-making, promoting community pride and serving as an enduring legacy. Good Design Australia, an international design promotion organisation, has been committed to promoting the importance of design and its role in creating a better world since 1958.

The Australian Good Design Awards, formerly known as the Australian International Design Awards, is an Australian awards programme that recognises achievements in industrial design. The awards span over 30 categories, including workplaces, electronics, furniture, buildings, apps, services, branding, and user interfaces.

The awards recognise design excellence and best-in-class design in each category, as well as excellence in sustainable design. The Australian Good Design Award of the Year is the highest design honour, awarded to only one exemplary project from all design disciplines and categories.

The Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) provides strategic advice and leadership to the government regarding architecture and urban design. OVGA aims to encourage high-quality public spaces and buildings that offer inclusivity, accessibility, and imaginative play in a natural setting.

Good design is also ecologically sustainable, as evidenced by the Green Building Council of Australia's publications on the benefits of green buildings. The greatest impact on reducing building operating costs can be made during the design stage, which constitutes only a small percentage of the total building cost.

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Frequently asked questions

Good Design Australia is an international design promotion organisation that runs the Australian Good Design Awards.

The Australian Good Design Awards are an annual international design awards program that recognises achievements in industrial design.

The awards were originally established in 1958 by the Industrial Design Council of Australia (IDCA). In 1967, the Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design was set up to promote greater awareness of good design in Australian engineering. In 2008, the awards were opened to internationally designed products available for sale in Australia. In 2010, the awards program was transferred to Good Design Australia and, in 2015, the awards were renamed the Australian Good Design Awards.

There are five types of accolades: Winner, Gold, Best in Class, Sustainability, and Award of the Year.

The Australian Good Design Award for Sustainability is awarded to only one project that demonstrates excellence in sustainable design.

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