A report published by RMIT University highlighting the potential of using design to aid Australia’s transition towards a circular economy has won the Good Design Award for Design Research.
Developed by RMIT in collaboration with Arcadis and One Planet Consulting, the report titled “Enabling Design for Environmental Good” outlines the use of design to improve the sustainability of production processes, materials, products, and business models across local Australian industries, as well as the risks of not doing so.
The report, commissioned by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, and Environment and Water, is intended to help establish a coordinated approach to designing sustainable products.
“The research and passion behind this project should set a new standard for Circular Design strategies in Australia — well done,” said The Good Design Awards Jury.
RMIT project lead and Associate Professor Simon Lockrey said the award is crucial to aiding Australia in its journey towards achieving a circular economy by 2030.
“We need an approach that ties together the interests of the federal, state and local governments, which will help businesses and industry work towards a common goal,” Professor Lockrey said when the report was first unveiled in March.
The Good Design Awards recognises the country’s design and innovation projects and initiatives and reward diverse projects across 11 Design Disciplines covering more than 35 categories and subcategories.
“This Good Design Award for our project represents national recognition by the design industry that both co-design research and sustainability strategy are timely and pertinent for the sector,” said Lockrey. “We hope this will lead to greater awareness and uptake of circularity by both those who design and those who manage and fund the design process.”
The annual awards event celebrates the best emerging products and services on the Australian and international market, and excellence in architectural design, engineering, fashion, digital, and communication design. The event recognises new and emerging areas of design including design strategy, social impact design, design research, and up-and-coming design talent in the next-gen category.
