Jury

Professor Donald Bates is the Chair of Architectural Design, and Associate Dean (Engagement) for the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, University of Melbourne.  He is a Founder and Director of LAB Architecture Studio.

Bates graduated with a B.Arch from University of Houston, and an M.Arch from Cranbrook Academy of Art.  He has taught at the Architectural Association, Cooper Union and other schools, and founded and directed the independent architecture school LoPSiA, in France, from 1990-94.

In 1994, Prof Bates and Peter Davidson founded LAB Architecture Studio, and in 1997, LAB won the competition for Federation Square, Melbourne.  LAB has designed award-winning large-scale commercial, cultural, civic and residential projects, with built works in Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

Prof Bates has lectured at more than 250 schools of architecture, and been published extensively in journals and magazines.  He has been a jury member or chair of more than 28 international architectural design competitions.

(Wailwan | Kamilaroi + Dharawal)

Jill Garner is a highly respected architect with 40 years experience extending across practice and government in Victoria. Jill became the first woman Victorian Government Architect in 2015. She leads the expert OVGA team, maintaining a hands-on role in many significant projects.

With a commitment to exemplary design, Jill's impactful advice and advocacy work with the Office of the Victorian Government Architect includes:

• Chair of the Victorian Design Review Panel
• Chair and/or jury member for diverse government project competition processes
• Chair and/or review member for assessment of diverse government and private sector projects
• Regular industry, government, public and university speaking engagements

Jill's qualifications include:

• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant services to architecture, to professional associations and to education
• Life Fellow (LFRAIA) of the Australian Institute of Architects
• Master of Architecture by Design (RMIT University)
• Bachelor of Architecture (RMIT University)

As a passionate advocate for architecture and design in government, and a commitment to building legacy for our community, Jill promotes the value of contextual, integrated design thinking and a collaborative approach across design disciplines.

Kate is a Creative Director at Ascender; a consultancy specialising in design for financial and professional services. With an affinity for finance, Kate has worked with clients like Zurich, Aware Super, the ASX and ANZ to create meaningful brand experiences. With 15 years of industry experience, Kate approaches each project with a design thinking mindset and a passion for collaborative problem solving that’s not daunted by complex propositions.

With over 25 years of multidisciplinary design experience—encompassing creative strategy, art direction, branding, graphic design, and UX/UI—San San Truong is dedicated to crafting meaningful communication and experiences. Her professional journey has been shaped by engagements with diverse design studios, creative agencies, and clients across various industries. Continually driven by her enduring passion for design, she integrates UX design methodologies into her practice to deepen her empathy with people, enhancing their experiences with organisations, products, or brands.

San San has played key roles in the creative community through her leadership at AGDA and contributions to NGV design events. Currently, San San collaborates with businesses, governments, and non-profits for purpose-driven outcomes, focusing on improving communication and enhancing user experiences through design.

Stuart Geddes is a graphic designer working mostly with books, and a lecturer, researcher and PhD candidate at RMIT University, where his research interests converge around the form of the book, through collaboration, emerging histories, and material practices. Together with Žiga Testen he is part of Graphic Design Work Pty Ltd, a design studio focused on book design and publishing for arts and culture. Stuart is also one of the Australian members of Alliance Graphique Internationale. In recent years Stuart’s work has earned more than 60 awards in Australia and internationally (including the Premier’s Design Award for Communication Design), and his work has been collected and exhibited including at the Design Museum London and the Walker Art Center. In 2016 his practice was the subject of a Reputations profile in Eye Magazine, and in 2020, with Trent Walter of Negative Press, Stuart was an invited artist of the 22nd Biennale of Sydney.

Tony is a co-founder of Melbourne based branding company Coowhi. For over 30 years, Tony has worked on branding projects catering primarily to government, education, health and corporate sectors. His work is characterised by a creative and results driven approach informed by research and underpinned by sound strategy. A commitment to continuous improvement has seen Coowhi assimilate and contribute to design driven business methodologies and co-design practices. Tony has applied this expertise to projects as diverse as branding for international trade missions, sustainability campaigns and large facility launches. He is particularly interested in the ability of communication design to drive the narrative towards environmental sustainability.

Professor Dan Hill is Director of Melbourne School of Design, the graduate school in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne, Australia. A designer and urbanist, Dan's previous leadership roles include the Swedish government’s innovation agency Vinnova in Stockholm, Arup in London and Sydney, Fabrica in Treviso, the Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA in Helsinki, and the UK's Future Cities Catapult and BBC in London. Dan is also a Visiting Professor of Practice and Advisory Board member at UCL's Institute for Innovation and Public Practice and a founder member of the Council on Urban Initiatives. Dan was one of the inaugural Design Advocates for the Mayor of London and a Trustee of Participatory City Foundation. He is the author of the books 'Dark Matter & Trojan horses: A strategic design playbook' (Strelka Press, 2012) and 'Designing missions' (Vinnova, 2022).

Jirra Lulla Harvey is a Yorta Yorta / Wiradjuri woman raised on Kulin land.

She started Kalinya in 2012. The 100% Aboriginal owned and operated consulting company sits at the intersection of First Nations knowledge, entrepreneurship, and design with an ongoing commitment to spend 80% of project budgets in the Indigenous economy.

The Kalinya vision is:

• Design in reciprocity with nature
• Economic freedom for Indigenous peoples
• International Indigenous collaboration

Jirra has travelled to 20+ countries learning from First Nations people. She was a National Scholar at the University of Melbourne and the inaugural Wesfarmers Indigenous Arts Leadership Fellow at the National Gallery of Australia. Jirra is an active community member and brings a unique perspective spanning hyper local, national, and global insight.

Kalinya, which means good, beautiful, and honest in Yorta Yorta, will soon launch a Melbourne events space, with a program of international Indigenous guests.

Dr Mathan Ratinam is passionate about taking design to where it isn’t. He has worked globally in international development, innovation, and entrepreneurship with a successful track record of employing creative and design-led approaches to solve complex problems that span the public and private sector. Mathan is currently Principal Practitioner in the Aboriginal Youth Justice team at the Dept of Justice and Community Safety in the Victorian Government. Prior to this role he managed the Service Design team within the Dept of Premier and Cabinet and was the inaugural Managing Director of CivVic Labs, a public-private program bringing startups and government together to solve public sector challenges. Previously, he was the Lead Design Specialist in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit at the World Bank working on climate technologies and has also been engaged as a strategic designer by the White House during the Obama administration, various UN agencies, the US Dept of Defense, international NGOs and has been an advisor to the Australian Government’s Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Bio Coming Soon.

Deb Polson is the Professor of Digital Design at RMIT University, School of Design.

Over the last 25 years, Deb has designed large-scale data visualisations for policy makers, strange immersive experiences for gallery curators, digital distractions for young patients in terrible pain, intelligent energy modelling systems for urban developers, playful simulations for cyber security organisations, and more. Expert in developing design strategies and custom methods for precision intervention in messy systems to tweak efficiencies and reduce harmful impacts.

Deb collaborates with a range of partners from Marvel Studios LA to Plastics NZ and has led teaching and research teams in universities across Australia, China, UK, and as the inaugural Head of Design at the University of Auckland, launched a new School of Design in 2020.

After 2 years in the role of Associate Dean (School of Design) at RMIT, Deb has recently become the Director of a new research centre, CODE (Centre of Digital Environments).

Rachel de Sain is an internationally regarded digital strategist and thought leader on the future of health and social care delivery in a connected world, with over twenty years of global experience having worked with governments, Fortune 500 companies, and leading academic institutions.

Rachel has led a range of health and social services projects and is passionate about the opportunity for design-led innovation to deliver measurable improvements for patients, providers, funders and the broader community. Understanding how new technologies can be woven into the fabric of how we live our lives that enable us to radically shift the health system from a “Find and Fix’ model to a design-led, data-driven “Predict and Prevent” system of care.

Simon Goodrich is Co-Founder of Portable, a purpose-driven digital design agency with a mission to address social need and policy failure using human-centred design and technology. Since 2006, Portable has delivered over 850 projects around the world.

Simon is an Honorary Senior Fellow at both Melbourne Law School and Melbourne School of Government. He is the Australian Ambassador for the New York-based International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, dubbed the Oscars for Online and is a past National President of AIMIA, at the time the peak digital body in Australia.

Tristan Cooke is dedicated to making new things that deserve to exist. Sometimes he succeeds. This comes under many banners, namely service designer, product owner, community organiser and lecturer. He currently leads a product teams in digital banking and advising startups. He has also previously lectured at RMIT in the Masters of Design Futures and ran a design conference called SDNOW.

John Condilis, Chairman and Co-founder of Nobody denim and board member of the Australian Fashion Council, is passionate about growing and re-establishing the clothing manufacturing industry in Australia. The Nobody story began with a small, family-built denim laundry in the back streets of Melbourne, Australian in 1999. Founded on the belief that, making jeans could be imbued with integrity and creativity, Nobody Denim has continued to go from strength to strength. From fabric sourcing to fit and finish, the Nobody team show a dedication to their craft, a commitment to quality and a genuine understanding of their customer needs.

John is committed to maintaining an ethical and sustainable operational facility, with transparency at the core of Nobody’s business activities. The label is accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia, ensuring everyone involved in making their designs receive fair wages and are provided with safe working conditions.

Kristy Barber is a businessperson and fashion designer with 20 years of dedicated experience in the slow fashion industry. Renowned for her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, Kristy has carved her mark in the fashion world by pioneering a uniquely Melbourne style: her journey is a testament to her drive and unwavering commitment to sustainability and craftsmanship. Kristy's ascent saw her single-handedly build a multi-million-dollar brand from the ground up, showcasing her exceptional leadership and strategic ability. Through her innovative designs and ethical practices, she continues to inspire change, pushing boundaries, and help to shape the future of fashion.

Virginia Dowzer is a leader in Victorias creative industries whose expertise covers major projects and campaigns with the State Government of Victoria; City of Melbourne; Melbourne Fashion Week; Melbourne Fashion Festival; the NGV; Business of Design Week Hong Kong; Melbourne Design Week and the award-winning MPavilion. She has a passion for grass-roots creativity, emerging artists and designers and is a champion of ‘bricks and mortar’ retail, art and design experiences.

Her cultural intelligence was honed during her time working in the Textile and Dress Department at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Virginia is a collaborator and connector between government, corporate and creative industries and who brings ideas to life that offer social, economic and creative value. She has been a guest judge on numerous creative and design award panels nationally and has held the position of creative consultant on local, national and international projects. Virginia works and lives between Melbourne and Hobart in Australia.

Karen is an accomplished Creative Director with 20 years of international experience in Industrial Design, Design Strategy and Branding. From spearheading design research initiatives in China to overseeing transformative product ranges at Philips Design in Hong Kong and managing multimillion-dollar design programs for Boeing at Teague Design in Seattle, Karen's commitment to user-centric design and sustainability has propelled her as a well-rounded leader. Co-founding Play&Co Creative Group in 2015, Karen and her team operate from offices in Melbourne, Australia, Portland, Oregon, and Brooklyn, New York, serving a diverse clientele ranging from ground-breaking start-ups to renowned global brands like Philips, HP, Ergobaby, Meta, and Disney.

Bio Coming Soon.

Sam is an innovative and strategic business leader with significant experience in strategy, sales and operations with a successful track record in the global commercialization of technology-rich products. In addition to his role at PI, Sam is Executive Chair of Lumos Diagnostics and a non-executive director of Paragon Funds Management. Previously, Sam was the International Sales Director for Vision BioSystems where he was responsible for establishing the sales, marketing, customer support, and service operation throughout the EU, Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Sam holds an Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Melbourne, a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from Melbourne Business School and strategy training from London Business School.

Jeremy Yuille is a Melbourne-based innovator and educator, with a strong reputation in human-centered design and communication. As Principal at Meld Studios since 2016, he has been instrumental in shaping design strategies for major Australian organisations. Prior to Meld Studios, he spent 16 years at RMIT University, transforming undergraduate design programs and introducing innovative online postgraduate courses. He has also held a key role with the Interaction Design Association (IxDA), collaborating with international peers to develop new design initiatives and support global curriculum renewal.

A maker and community builder, Jo wants to live in a fair and healthy world where services are co-designed with communities. Her design practice is grounded on intersectionality, advocacy and human rights. Jo collaborates deeply to roll out services and experiences that improve access for all and advocate for community needs.

She is trained in Industrial and Social design, lecturing and mentoring diverse community members to push service design and co-creation practice.

An award-winning multidisciplinary designer she has a solid background in research. Jo has worked globally in research and development, access to justice, sustainability and healthcare. She is the Design Practice Lead working at cohealth, Board member of the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival and founder of co-design tools.

A recognised design leader, Louise has honed her service design skills over 15 years of professional practice. She is passionate about translating the relevancy of design methods and mindset to business value and outcomes that make society better for all.

Louise created the National Australia Bank’s human-centred design practice over a period of 10 years resulting in organisational wide adoption of design thinking, and a team that grew to 100 design professionals.

As Service Design Director at Today Strategic Design she led a team that delivered world-class projects for social and environmental impact. As Director of Digital, Design & Service Experience at The University of Melbourne she focused on the experiences of and services to staff, academics and students, building a team that delivered human-centred business improvements while the University pivoted in response to the Pandemic.

Louise has a human-centred worldview she applies to approaching problems and complex systems, and is ardent about bringing optimism, empathy and curiosity to her design practice.

Michael Eales is a Strategy Design and Innovation Partner at Business Models Inc. He has over two decades of corporate leadership experience working with some of the most visible companies in the world. Applying creative thinking and design techniques, Michael's focus is on helping his clients embrace uncertainty while providing practical frameworks to ensure better strategic decision-making. He is an ambassador to Design for Good and Good Design Australia, and a contributor to the book 'Design a Better Business' and ‘Business Model Shifts’, both valuable resources for those seeking to innovate and strategise in today's dynamic business environment​.

Stefanie is a Strategy Director at Fabric; a strategic design and sustainability consultancy based in Tokyo, Japan.

Stefanie has worked at the intersection of design, business strategy, marketing, tech, and human behavior. Prior to joining Fabric, Stefanie was responsible for leading organizational transformation on design thinking capability for 7-Eleven Australia. Stefanie’s career has also enabled her to work for companies such as NAB and Deloitte, as well as across education, telco, government, retail and utility sectors.

Stefanie is an expert in the field of design thinking, holding a Doctor of Philosophy focusing on design thinking in complex practice. Stefanie also holds a Masters in Sustainable Design and is an alumna of the Stanford Executive Program (SEP ’22). She has a passion for education and has spent the last 9 years teaching into undergraduate and masters courses in design, brand & CX, product, strategy, entrepreneurship and innovation across various universities in Australia.

Professor Blair Kuys is the Dean of the School of Design and Architecture at Swinburne University of Technology. He graduated from Swinburne in 2003 with a Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) (Honours) and worked as a furniture designer until returning to Swinburne to complete his PhD in 2010. He is now an active researcher who is instrumental in embedding industrial design research, theories and practice in traditional manufacturing fields to sustain and grow productivity. He has been awarded over AU$15M of research income, has 22 products go to market, and won three consecutive Good Design Awards for his products with Atlite Skylights (2018, 2019 and 2020). He is also the recipient of seven Vice-Chancellor's Awards which is the highest accolade at Swinburne University of Technology.

Olivia Hamilton is the Senior Lecturer, RMIT School of Architecture & Urban Design at RMIT University. She is an academic, designer and researcher with a strong focus on creating community and interdisciplinary and collaborative engagement. In her teaching, she is committed to fostering student empowerment, a sense of belonging, and the capacity to engage with Indigenous knowledge articulated through curriculum innovation, meaningful collaborations, and cross-disciplinary, multimodal teaching and learning. Her teaching approaches have been recognised by two teaching awards from RMIT. She is the editor of the peer-reviewed IDEA journal and has published and presented work locally and internationally. Most recently, her research has focussed on spaces and systems for improved health futures and strategies for creating more meaningful engagement with shared activities and resources. All aspects of Olivia’s practice are guided by principles of commoning and mutuality.

Dr. Rowan Page is an award-winning Industrial Designer and researcher at Monash University, Melbourne Australia. Rowan’s research is currently supported by an Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship. Through this fellowship, he is exploring the role of design in facilitating a vibrant innovation ecosystem, and the translational role design plays in connecting research through to impact in the community. Rowan’s practice-based design research has resulted in multiple Good Design Australia awards, including Best in Class for Design Research. He works across multiple disciplinary contexts and has had designs produced with iconic Australian brands such as Blundstone, Cochlear, General Motors Holden. As the former Program Director of Industrial Design at Monash University, Dr. Page has supervised hundreds of students in their capstone projects.

Shay is a proud Eora / Yuin women and Indigenous Design Lead, her practice, advisory and design interests are geared towards an aim of Indigenising design. Shay speaks regularly at architecture and design conferences and panels and contributes to design publications. She holds an undergraduate degree in Architecture from the University of Newcastle, a post graduate degree in Planning and Urban Design from Deakin University and is currently undertaking a postgraduate in Architecture at Deakin University.

Dr. Tonya Meyrick is an award-winning designer, educator, and research leader in the areas of typography, branding, and design practice. Tonya’s cross-cultural design research merges systems design with interactive experience design, to develop creative applications of user experience and interface design. Her research, recognised by 7 awards has received funding from industry and government, with published outcomes showcased at national and international events and exhibitions. Tonya is a Senior Lecturer in Screen & Design with the Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University, a research fellow with the Deakin Motion Lab and a nominated member of the International Society of Typographers UK (ISTD).

Megan Norgate is the Founder and Design Director of the Architecture and Interior Design studio Brave New Eco in Melbourne, Naarm. Megan has a holistic approach to creating design solutions by integrating the built, interior and ecological environments. She has developed a framework of design ethics and principles for her own practice, seeking to resolve design problems with minimal, considered interventions using a resourceful and deeply responsive approach. Over 15 years, Megan has worked on over 150 projects, bringing diverse influences to her work. She has trained in fine art, interior design, permaculture design and as a Sustainable Design Consultant. Megan speaks and writes regularly on sustainable design topics for various publications and organisations, has developed sustainable and ethical design electives at the School of Architecture and Design RMIT, and is endlessly curious about design as a tool for ecological resilience and social change.

John is a sustainability practitioner across diverse industries with a focus on product stewardship, good design and communications. His policy, stewardship and design projectscover appliances, automotive, consumer electronics, office furniture, floor coverings, textilesand plastic products used in healthcare. He is a member of the Ministerial Advisory Group on the Circular Economy established by the Australian Government, and an adjunct professor (industry) with the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS. John is also a Good Design Ambassador with Good Design Australia, and a member of the Australian Repair Network steering committee.

Associate Professor Leah Heiss is the Eva and Marc Besen International Research Chair in Design at Monash University and the recipient of the 2022 Australian Women in Design Award. Through collaborative projects Leah has brought humanity centred design to solutions for hearing loss, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health and loneliness. Her design work has been recognised with six Australian Good Design Awards, including the 2018 Australian Good Design Award of the Year, two Premier’s Design Awards and the CSIRO Design Innovation Award. Leah’s design work is part of Australia’s heritage collections at Museums Victoria and the Museum of Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse) and has been exhibited internationally to audiences exceeding 700,000 people.

Leah is committed to the role of design in improving the lived experience of technologies, systems and services. Her Tactile Tools co-design method has been used to evolve new systems of care for low birth weight, cancer care, eating disorders, aged care, voluntary assisted dying and acquired brain injury. She is currently working with the World Health Organisation, using design strategies to improve the uptake and implementation of WHO guidelines. She co-leads Monash University’s ambitious Future Healthcare initiative, leveraging the University’s deep sector expertise, and using interdisciplinary co-design processes to understand and address the challenges of complex health ecosystems.

Read the full profile on Leah Heiss

Celina Clarke is a Melbourne based Industrial Designer who co-founded ISM Objects in 1990.  She has a passion for contemporary design and architecture and has a keen interest in lighting space.

Her folio of design work includes packaging, furniture and homewares but over the past 15 years she has specialised in luminaire design.

Together with Simon Christopher, their designs have won many awards and their work has been exhibited widely including at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.  Their design partnership successfully spans more than 20 years.

Celina continues to develop designs for ISM and has a particular interest in materials and manufacturing.  She enjoys the detailed design process of getting products to market and she has particularly enjoyed working with the Sparks designers.

Dr Ken Cato AO (ADIA AGI AIGA ARMIT AWADA FAMI FDIA) is an Australian designer with an international reputation. He is chairman of Cato Brand Partners established in 1970, and has worked in 112 countries on many diversified brand building projects. Having celebrated 52 years, Cato Brand Partners has offices in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and the United States of America.

Ken’s work has afforded him immense global acclaim and as such he and his team have been recognised with many international awards.

Notable honours include being recognised as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2013 as well as being bestowed Hall of Fame status with ICOGRADA, The Premier's Design Awards, AGDA and The Design Institute of Australia. Ken has received honorary doctorates from Swinburne University and The University of the Sunshine Coast whilst becoming an Honorary Fellow of Monash University. In August of 2022 Ken was appointed Professor of Practice in the Faculty of Business and Management at UIC (Beijing Normal University – Hong Kong Baptist University United International College).

Ken is a long-standing member of Alliance Graphique Internationale and is a past AGI President (1997 - 2000).

Ken’s passion for design extends beyond that of Cato Brand Partners; in 1991 he established the world's largest student design conference. Originating in Melbourne it now has substantial presence in China.

His work encompasses all facets of corporate and brand management and design. His work is represented in museums and galleries throughout the world.

A regular speaker at both design and business conferences, Ken has presented in over 30 countries and is an acclaimed author of over 20 books about design and business. His latest book ‘Recognise Me’ detailing 50 years of brand strategy and management learnings has recently been released internationally.