Welcome to the Year of the Design Effect

In a world where design has the power to change the way we live, work, play and grow – it is more critical than ever that design, is good design. That is, design with purpose, humanity and integrity.

This year’s Australian Good Design Awards theme, the Design Effect, aims to showcase the profound ripple effects that exceptional design can have on individuals, communities and the world. It’s about pushing boundaries, co-designing closely, challenging conventions and harnessing the power of imagination to positively transform the ways we live, work, interact, strategise and lead.

The Design Effect is a movement, an idea, a set of principles and a clarion call coined by design figurehead, social entrepreneur and the Patron of Good Design Australia, Dr. Jan Owen AM in her speech at last year’s Awards Ceremony.

Jan described the Design Effect as possibly the most powerful design lesson we can give to the next generation and called on designers around the world to join the cause.

Dr. Jan Owen AM at the 2023 Australian Good Design Awards Ceremony. Photo: Kit Photography

“It got me thinking that this is a great design lesson to give the next generation right now, that the future must be co-designed, that it’s imperative that the next generation of designers reach across sectors and disciplines to help solve the wicked, intractable problems of today.

“Push yourself beyond what you thought was capable by bringing everything and everyone into play in your design.” Said Jan.

New Policy Design Category Launched

The 2024 Awards, sees the establishment of a new category for Policy Design. The main objective of the Policy Design Discipline is to uplift the role of design in the policy-making sphere and support the required changes to culture, mindsets, skills, tools and processes that support the development of well-designed policy.

Jane MacMaster, aerospace, mechanical and systems design engineer, Good Design Ambassador and figurehead in the development of the Australian Government’s strategic policy methodology, worked closely with the Good Design Australia team to outline the transformational criteria for the new Discipline.

Jane MacMaster, aerospace, mechanical and systems design engineer and Good Design Ambassador. Image: Canberra Daily

Jane shares her aspirations for the new Design Discipline, “I'd love for this new Discipline to contribute to raising the profile and awareness that design plays a really important role in policy, and that good policy is well-designed policy.

“We’re here to achieve change. Recognising that good design is an essential part of the process in achieving effective and positive change will help us all get there faster and encourage lasting and meaningful impact for a broader range of people.”

Good Design Australia’s Director, Rachel Wye commented, “Good Design Australia is very proud to launch this new Design Discipline. We believe it has enormous potential to create large-scale impact, for a wide range of people in our society. By showcasing examples of well-designed policy and how to achieve it, we aim to raise the awareness of the importance of good design in effective policy.

“Through the Australian Good Design Awards, we aim to recognise and showcase the powerful ways in which design helps to shape better outcomes, products, experiences, services, spaces and places, for people and our planet. That’s really what the Design Effect is all about – being part of the positive change, through design.”

Read the full Design Effect interview with Dr. Jan Owen AM here.

Read the full Policy Design interview with Jane MacMaster here.

ENTER THE 2024 AUSTRALIAN GOOD DESIGN AWARDS

The Australian Good Design Awards recognise design excellence across the following categories:

Architectural Design
Communication Design
Design Research
Design Strategy
Digital Design
Engineering Design
Fashion Impact
Next Gen (Student Design)
Policy Design
Product Design
Service Design
Social Impact

Early Bird Entries for the 2024 Australian Good Design Awards are now open, with submissions closing at midnight Friday 15th March. Entries will close 3 May.

START YOUR ENTRY NOW

Architecture & Design Team

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Good Design Australia

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