2021 GOOD DESIGN JURY INSIGHTS

Published on: 20 October 2021

2021 JURY INSIGHTS

Every year, Good Design Australia invites renowned design experts from Australia and around the world to participate in the Australian Good Design Awards evaluation process. Jury Members consist of leading design experts and are selected based on their area of expertise and ability to bring an individual perspective to the design evaluation process.

This year we took the opportunity to ask our jurors what Good Design means to them.

Q: WHAT DOES GOOD DESIGN MEAN TO YOU?

ROBERT JURGENS – “For me, Good Design is design that delights… whether through beauty, functionality, semantics, usefulness, sustainability, business or cultural impact or other beneficial qualities.”

SHAUN GREENBLO – “For me, Good Design is considered design. It’s putting the customer at the heart of creation and keeping sustainability top of mind.”

BESSI GRAHAM – “For me, Good Design is intentional creation that doesn’t stop at the first iteration but continues to explore until uncovering the win-win.”

KAZUO TANAKA – “For me, a Good Design is one which suggests a better society of tomorrow. It will solve arising problems through innovation, leading to new businesses. Above all, designing is an act to enrich human hearts.”

DANIELLE BRUSTMAN – “For me, Good Design is pushing an idea or concept to its fullest potential and executing at the highest level.”

RACHEL DE SAIN – “For me, Good Design is about blending the EQ and IQ, function, form AND fabulousness.”

NANCY DOUYON – “Good Design is considering inclusiveness and universal access.”

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF BEING A DESIGNER?

GAVIN IVESTER – “My favourite thing about working in design is seeing products I influenced being used in ways never anticipated, in unfamiliar settings, by people I’ve never met. Whether they’re being used to solve big problems or just bring joy, the reason we design is to make life better.”

JAMES TOOMEY – “My favourite part of being a designer is having the opportunity to create social cohesion through design.”

TERRI WINTER – “My favourite part of being a designer is the opportunity to change the mindset of people through the spaces they inhabit and the products they interact with. I love being a designer because I can lift the spirits of people by providing them with spaces and products that delight them on a day to day basis. Not just giant wow products – all the little details that can change your day.”

SHENG-HUNG LEE – “I love being a designer because it helps me to see things beyond the surface to truly understand design challenges, resonate with people’s pain points, needs, and desires, and come up with solutions through being empathetic.”

JAMES SOLARI – “I love seeing the joy my work brings to the people who live in the homes I design. It’s such a fulfilling profession. I still get a buzz every time I drive by a building I’ve designed.”

Q: WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

NICOLA MANSFIELD – “I am inspired by the unexpected, where the simple beauty of a solution is so outstanding that it makes you stop and marvel.”

MIA FEASEY – I’m inspired by the endless possibilities. I get inspiration from the knowledge that creative thinking can help solve some of the biggest issues our world is facing. I’m hungry to get out there and do more of it.

BEN CROTHERS – “I know it’s a cliché, but my inspiration comes from nature… Nature has already solved every problem there is; we just have to improve our powers of observation and reframing.”

MISHA KAUR – “My inspiration comes from a diverse array of places. From the small interactions with people that may seem benign, from reading and hearing from thought leaders, from the teams I lead who create magic every day, from the creative tension that sprouts from the gap between the expectation of the world we should live in and the reality of the world in which we do. It comes from seeing people walk away happier, more content, better off as a result of great design.”

WILLIAM COX – “My inspiration comes from young and emerging professionals. At home I’m often learning about new tech from my son and at work, seeing how Aurecon’s digital natives harness technology is a constant source of inspiration.”

TIM KOBE – “I’m inspired by the times we live in. Much of the work we create needs to have purpose and in order to have purpose, it requires a context. To me, that context is the inspiration.”⁠

PAULA ADAMSON – “Inspiration for me is being able to play a part in bringing innovative ideas into a public domain where it connects us to each other in our community and to the world around us.”

Q: WHAT DOES WINNING A GOOD DESIGN AWARD REPRESENT?

ANDY HOMAN – “Ever since my days studying design at uni I always considered the Good Design Awards as the highest accolade in the design industry. Winning a Good Design Award is about recognising and rewarding those who are pushing the boundaries in terms of innovation and have excelled at the highest level.”

RICHARD FERLAZZO – “Winning a Good Design Award not only recognises creativity and innovation, but more importantly it acknowledges the valuable contribution to society.”

NICOLE LARKIN – “It means recognition from peers in the industry, but it also exposes you to some of the best design work and designers currently working.”

LUCIANO PAPI – “There is no better feeling than being recognised by your peers.”

PROF. KEN MCBRYDE – “I think the most important aspect is the process of entering… This process of reflection is an important part of our journey as a designer. In this program we get to see so many entries from such a talented community of designers, sharing knowledge and experience across so many different aspects of the design world – this is an absolute treat that comes as being part of this awards series. Once you enter you’re never a loser.”

JANE MACMASTER – “Winning a Good Design Award is a wonderful honour – the art and science of design is perhaps the most valuable skill we can have, because good design is what’s required to have lasting and meaningful impact in the world.”