Melbourne Design Week is just around the corner and here’s a glimpse of what to expect.

Now in its ninth year, Melbourne Design Week (MDW) returns in 2025 bigger and better than ever. From the 15th May through to 25th May, Melbourne will come alive with all manner of design that is guaranteed to delight and inform, with more than 350 events planned over the eleven-day period.

MDW is a major event on the Australian design scene and showcases emerging as well as established designers. As an initiative of the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria MDW is curated and delivered by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).

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Image: Catherine Griffiths, Wellington Writers Walk, Denis Glover / Bruce Connew

Last year 100,000 visitors engaged with the event and this year promises to be even larger with the quality and quantity of offerings that address the theme, Design The World You Want.

Just some of the events that will be happening at the NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne and at various locations throughout metropolitan and regional Victoria are mentioned below but be aware that the list is incredibly extensive.

An exhibition,100 Lights by Friends & Associates will be held in North Melbourne’s Meat Market Stables with a spectacular display of lighting designs by more than 100 artists, designers, and makers. Those participating include emerging and iconic designers such as Adam Goodrum, Ross Gardam, Tantri Mustika, Marlo Lyda, Jay Jermyn and many more.

A New Normal is an exhibition of designs that investigate how to make Melbourne a self-sufficient city by 2030 and 12 Melbourne architects will present designs and policy recommendations in an exhibition at the Boyd Baker Compound in Bacchus Marsh. Some practices involved are, MUIR, Baracco + Wright and NH Architecture.

As part of the Melbourne Art Book Fair satellite program an exhibition of acclaimed New Zealand artist, designer and typographer Catherine Griffiths’ 40-year practice will explore the intersection of typography and language in public space. The presentation at the Design Gallery, Melbourne School of Design marks the largest exhibition of Griffiths’ work ever presented in Australia.

To mark Volker Haug’s career milestone, the studio will present 20 Years of Volker Haug Studios, an exhibition that traces the evolution of Haug’s design philosophy from early works to his most iconic pieces.

Image: Binatang Press / supplied

There will also be a survey of Trent Jansen’s career, titled Trent Jansen: Two Decades of Design Anthropology. The exhibition will showcase his early works repurposing road signs into stools to his award-winning collaborations with First Nations makers such as designers Johnny Nargoodah, Errol Evans and Tanya Singer and artist Maree Clark.

Sibling Architecture’s Deep Calm exhibition is the culmination of a year-long research project into how architecture can cater for neurodivergent audiences.

Designer talks by the Dancing Pumpkin sees Sarah Lynn Rees, Danielle Brustman, Fiona Lynch and Jessie French in pop-up talks with NGV Curator Timothy Moore at NGV International to discuss themes of memory and materials.

While a dinner at Smith & Daughters hosted by Leyla Acaroglu and Alice Blackwood will explore the themes of food systems, climate impact on the design and construction sectors and building resilience. And Open House Melbourne will present Beyond the Grave a two-day symposium focused on the architecture, places, issues and practices associated with the end of life.

Leading design studios, brands and showrooms will exhibit during the festival including lighting brand Objects For Thought presenting their first collaboration with Melbourne-based designer Jordan Fleming, Jardan will lead factory tours and repurposing workshops and there will be presentations from KFive, Tait, Muji, Zuster, and Dowel Jones with Curio Practice.

Galleries across the city will activate with exhibitions from Sophie Gannon Gallery, Craft, Cordon Salon and Oigall Projects. While Artbank and Agency Projects will present Catch: Tales of First Nations Fishing through the Artbank Collection, which highlights the design talent of First Nations designers.

The 11th iteration of the Melbourne Art Book Fair stallholder fair will be a highlight of the week as it brings together the best publishers and designers from the Asia-Pacific region from 16th to 18th May at NGV International.

In 2025 the Fair features a strong presence from South-East Asian publishers including Cahyati Press (Indonesia), Spacebar Zine (Thailand), and Suburbia Projects (Malaysia), along with leading and emerging publishers from New Zealand.

The Melbourne Design Week Award, presented by Mercedes-Benz Australia is now in its sixth year and the prestigious accolade will be awarded to a designer or project for their outstanding contribution to Australia’s largest international design event. The winner will be announced at the opening of Melbourne Design Week.

With so many extraordinary happenings to attend it’s challenging to mention just a few, however, the full program and bookings will be available online from mid- April 2025. The majority of Melbourne Design Week is free to attend with some events requiring bookings due to venue capacities.

Melbourne Design Week is on its way so Australia get ready to be amazed.

Image: The NGV presented Yayoi Kusama, Australia's largest ever exhibition of art by leading contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama / supplied

Jan Henderson

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