Design awards are open

(Anna Kolosyuk/Unsplash)

Entries for the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards are now officially open for Victoria’s leading designers, creators and innovators, including those in Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay.

Creative Industries Minister Colin Brooks invited entries for the awards which have honoured Victoria’s leading designers, architects and design-led businesses.

The awards are presented in eight categories – Architectural Design, Product Design, Digital Design, Fashion Design, Service Design, Design Strategy, Communication Design and a tertiary Student Design category to recognise the next generation of creative professionals.

Now in its 28th year, the state government said the awards recognise the broad impact design has on people’s lives.

Past Awards have honoured Victorian design innovations that have led the way nationally and internationally including the Keep Cup, the International Indigenous Design Charter, and the DreamLab app, which harnesses the computing power of idle smartphones to aid medical research.

The 2023 winner of the prestigious Victorian Premier’s Design Award of the Year was the UNESCO World Heritage listed Budj Bim Cultural Landscape.

Other category winners included a project which used clothing off-cuts to create zero-waste bags and hats and a post-operation recovery device for transgender people.

Victoria’s design industry employs close to 200,000 people and earns more than $6 billion annually, including $400 million in exports.

In 2024 the awards will return to their traditional calendar year format with the winners to be announced at the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards ceremony in November.

Entries are open until July 19, and are free to enter for eligible Victorian designers, architects and businesses. For more information or to enter, visit premiersdesignawards.vic.gov.au