2017 Premier’s Design Awards winners announced

Unique exercise equipment that makes child’s play out of a serious gym workout has taken out the top prize in the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.

Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll presented the awards, which showcase the best in Victorian design across categories including architectural, product and industrial, communications, digital and service design.

Designed for parents and carers of babies and toddlers – the YMCA Playnasium is a unique outdoor gym that combines children’s playground favourites like see-saws and swings with adult exercise equipment.

Richmond-based industrial designers Bayly Group joined forces with marketing agency McCann and YMCA to develop the Playnasium.

The innovative design uses the child’s weight to help generate the parent’s workout – and the parent’s workout powers the child’s ride.

Other Best in Category winners include:

Tanderrum Bridge – a footbridge that links Melbourne’s CBD to the sports precinct

Interactive media art project – The Storytelling Machine

Architectural design service – My Architect

The City of Melbourne’s Single Digital Customer Interface.

Graphic designer and illustrator Wendy Fox’s project celebrating women’s Olympic Gold Medallists was joint winner of the Communications Design category, with Museums Victoria’s Design Studio for the Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery.

The Victorian Premier’s Design Awards celebrate the state’s best and brightest designers and innovators.

The Andrews Labor Government’s Creative State strategy is growing the design industry, which currently generates more than $5 billion for the local economy every year.

2017 VICTORIAN PREMIER’S DESIGN AWARD WINNERS

OVERALL WINNER:

YMCA Playnasium by Bayly Group, McCann and YMCA

BEST IN CATEGORY WINNERS:

Best in Category, Architectural Design: Tanderrum Bridge by John Wardle Architects and NADAAA in collaboration with GHD, Oculus, ElectroLight and Buro North

Best in Category, Communication Design (Joint Winner): Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery, Melbourne Museum by Museums Victoria Design Studio

Best in Category, Communication Design (Joint Winner): Women’s Gold Medalists, Rio Olympics 2016 by Wendy Fox Design

Best in Category, Digital Design: The Storytelling Machine by Dr Betty Sargeant, Justin Dwyer, Peter Walker and Andrew Ogburn

Best in Category, Design Strategy: City of Melbourne Single Digital Customer Interface by Today and The City of Melbourne

Best in Category, Product Design: YMCA Playnasium by Bayly Group, McCann and YMCA.

Best in Category, Service Design: My Architect by My Architect

Best in Category, Student Design: Water Our World Conference by Eslyn Heng Jeen Yii, RMIT