Swinburne’s University of Technology graduate Anna Pogorelova took the top design award at this year’s Design Institute of Australia (DIA) Graduate of the Year Awards for Victoria and Tasmania (GOTYAVICTAS).

Also named as the Interior Design Graduate of the Year, Ms Pogorelova, who made the trip from Singapore for the awards ceremony, said that she was thrilled to receive the award.

“I actually couldn’t believe it! I was so happy. It felt as though the last four years of long hours and hard work had paid off,” Pogorelova said.

As part of wining the Victoria Tasmanian Overall Graduate of the Year 2013, Pogorelava received 12 months interior design mentoring and $500.

Victoria and Tasmania’s top design graduates were joined by industry leaders, educators and sponsors’ representatives for the awards ceremony held at INLITE’s designer showroom, Melbourne.

In its 6th year, the awards encompass a number of design disciplines including Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Furniture Design, Jewellery Design, Textile & Fashion Design, Interior Design and Interior Design & Decoration.

 

Anna Pogorelova was the 2013 Graduate of the Year. Image: DIA

 

A panel of judges from each discipline assess anonymous portfolios from nine participating Victorian and Tasmanian Tertiary Institutes who all nominated their most talented 2013 graduates.

 They included:

  • Academy of Design Australia
  • Box Hill Institute
  • Grenadi School of Design
  • Monash University
  • NMIT - Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
  • RMIT University, Swinburne University of Technology The Gordon and University of Tasmania

Each portfolio is evaluated on apparent design solutions, transferrable workplace skills and the graduates’ predicted impact on the Australian design industry. Up to four finalists are then selected from each category for interview by the same panel of judges.

Dominic Russo, DIA Victoria Tasmania President said “The Design Institute of Australia is proud to have established GOTYA which each year attracts entries from a high calibre of graduates across the design disciplines.” 

Each Category GOTYA recipients will be automatically entered into the DIA Australasian Graduate of the Year Awards to be announced in Sydney at designEx in May 2014.Interior Design

 

 

The Winners and Runners Up for the 2013 Graduate of the Year Awards, Victoria and Tasmania. Image: Courtesy DIA

 

The 2013 DIA GOTYAVICTAS were:

Graduate of the Year             Anna Pogorelova, Swinburne University of Technology

Runner Up                                  Harriet Collins, Monash University

Interior Design & Decoration

Graduate of the Year                  Hoda Afra, RMIT University

Runner Up                                  Lynette Lohrey, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Industrial Design

Graduate of the Year                  Andrew Godin, Monash University

Runner Up                                  Richard Benson, RMIT University

Furniture Design

Graduate of the Year                  Matthew Pearson, University of Tasmania

Runner Up                                  Ed Turner, RMIT University

Jewellery Design

Graduate of the Year                   Bethwyn Mell, RMIT University 

Runner Up                                   Jeremy Bryant, Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE

Graphic Design

Graduate of the Year                   James Silvestro, Swinburne University of Technology 

Runner Up                                   Will McKenzie, Swinburne University of Technology

Fashion & Textile Design

Graduate of the Year                   Michelle Catling, Academy of Design Australia 

Runner Up                                   Rachel McGuigan, RMIT University