The Good Design Awards were celebrated in style last night, with a glittering ceremony at the iconic Sydney Opera House honouring design and innovation.
The event marked 60 years for the awards, which celebrate the best new products and services, excellence in architectural design, digital and communication design, engineering design and fashion design as well as emerging areas of design such as business model innovation and social impact.
The awards had a record 536 entries this year with 269 projects receiving a Good Design Award. Of these, there were 30 Best in Class Award winners from which the Good Design Award of the Year was chosen.
“The Australian Good Design Awards has one of the most diverse design categories in the world and the winners this year are an amazing representation of the value of professional design and the potential it has to make a positive impact on our quality of life,” says Dr Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia.
Indeed, the night’s theme was all about sustainability and how designers can actually help create a better world―a big responsibility but one that is necessary in today’s climate.
This also includes the new sustainably designed and made Good Design Award winner’s trophy. The new trophy design uses a clever combination of discarded plastic harvested from the ocean and a plant-based bio-resin that has been injection moulded into an elegant ‘Good Design Tick’.
“Designers play a critical role in deciding what material to use and specify when designing and manufacturing products and in many cases, these materials can be harmful to our environment. Our oceans are currently being polluted with single-use plastic with recent studies predicting that by 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish.
“Designers and manufacturers have the choice to use recycled, renewable, bio-based materials that reduce the dependence on fossil fuel based products and materials that will never break down. By utilising sustainably designed materials, the new trophy embodies Good Design Australia’s mission to create a better, safer and more sustainable world, through design.”
This year’s top award went to two outstanding finalists, Melbourne-based Blamey Saunders for their Facett modular hearing aid and Sydney-based Meld Studios for their project, Growing Human-Centred Design Across Queensland Government.
The furniture and lighting category also saw two winners including Jumpseat, an innovation from the US which has been very quickly recognised internationally for its unique function and form.
According to the judges the seat is a practical and super elegant solution that removes the need for hinges and parts.
“The seats create a gorgeous space when used as auditorium/theatre seating and the clever use of fabric also provides great acoustic advantage in large spaces. Fit for purpose design and so very simple. The design takes away the risk of pinch points so often found in theatre seating design. Overall, this is an outstanding piece of design that meets a need in an elegant and innovative way. So simple in appearance and use, but fabulously clever in design and engineering.”
The housewares and objects category saw the HuskeeCup take out the award for sustainability. HuskeeCup and accessories are made from a custom ecocomposite polymer formulated with 33 per cent waste coffee bean husk, reducing waste from the coffee plantations and landfills through to the cafes who adopt HuskeeCup.
The judges absolutely loved this design. “The form is superb, the functionality just brilliant…The designers have made a ‘keep me cup’ and not only made it sustainable but beautiful at the same time. Clever details such as the side ribs to protect the user from heat and drip guides in the base of the cups and saucers is genius. Overall, this is a brilliant piece of product design that deserves to be recognised at the highest level in its category.”
Aussie kitchen tools design company Dreamfarm walked away with two gold awards for its Fledge cutting board and Spindry toilet brush, adding to its expanding collection of awards already won this year.
The 2018 winners and a selection of winning projects from the last 60 years will be on display at the Good Design Showcase from 25 to 27 May 2018 at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay.
By Marion Gerritsen
