Good Design Awards Celebrate 68 Years of Design Excellence

Australia’s leading recognition of design excellence, the Good Design Awards, has celebrated its 68th year with a landmark ceremony at ICC Sydney, honouring 500 projects across 13 disciplines and highlighting design as a critical driver of innovation, competitiveness and sustainable growth.

The ceremony, held at the International Convention Centre Sydney, welcomed more than 1,000 guests and industry leaders, including Minnie Moll, CEO of the UK Design Council, and the Governor-General of Australia, the newly appointed Patron of Good Design Australia. Throughout Good Design Week, 500 winning projects were recognised across 13 disciplines spanning architecture, product, service, engineering, fashion and social impact design, with tiered accolades building to the announcement of the Best in Class and Sustainability Award winners on Friday night.

The Australian Good Design Award of the Year was shared by two outstanding projects:

Deadly Democracy – a service design and social impact project co-designed by and for First Nations youth, addressing underrepresentation in electoral processes. Sponsored by the Australian Electoral Commission, it embeds culturally safe practices and partnerships with Indigenous organisations to foster stronger democratic engagement. The program has already seen participants become community leaders, driving ongoing social impact.

Hullbot – an innovative robotic device that cleans boat hulls using remote-controlled suction technology, reducing the need for harsh chemicals and expensive dry-docking. Designed by a former UNSW student award recipient, Hullbot improves fuel efficiency, reduces environmental impact and has the potential to scale to large commercial vessels, creating substantial economic and sustainability benefits.

The Good Design Award for Sustainability honoured The First Building – Bradfield City Centre, designed to showcase advanced manufacturing readiness facilities and sustainable design practices. Developed by Hassell and collaborators, the project sets a benchmark for environmentally conscious urban infrastructure.

The Michael Bryce Patron’s Award, presented by the Governor-General, recognised the First Responder, Portable Neurodiagnostic Device – a world-first portable tool for assessing severe head injuries in remote areas. The suitcase-sized device enables first responders or medical teams to quickly diagnose critical brain injuries on-site, accelerating treatment and improving survival outcomes, with applications in ambulances, rural clinics and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Rachel Wye, Managing Director of Good Design Australia, said the Awards highlight how design capability is an underutilised driver of economic growth and innovation.

“When businesses use design strategically, it drives productivity, competitiveness and customer loyalty,” Wye said. “Good design helps create better products and services, improve processes, and deliver better customer experiences. Embed it early, and organisations operate more efficiently and sustainably, with around 80% of a project’s environmental impact determined at the design stage.”

Wye emphasised that design should be a core business capability, not an afterthought. “At its best, design solves complex problems, unlocks innovation and creates measurable value for the economy, society and the environment,” she said. “Design-related businesses contribute $67.5 billion annually to the Australian economy. By elevating design capability across business, industry and government, Australia could become a global leader in design-led innovation and sustainable growth.”

More information: good-design.org