The Andrews Labor Government has teamed up with the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) to deliver a new dedicated program to celebrate, promote and strengthen Victorian design.
The Victorian Design Program will offer a curated year-round calendar of events for the design industry, students, businesses and the broader public, culminating in a new Melbourne Design Week each March.
Speaking at the 2016 Premier’s Design Awards, Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said the program would be developed and presented in collaboration with the design industry.
The 2017 Melbourne Design Week will run from 16-26 March, curated by the NGV in collaboration with an industry advisory panel. The program will include exhibitions at the NGV and other venues; local and international guests and keynote speakers; business-to-business programs; product launches; children’s projects and more.
It will also feature a new open-access program developed in partnership with Open House Melbourne that will connect Victorians to design-led businesses, manufacturers, facilities and institutions.
The Premier’s Design Awards, now entering into its 21st year will be another annual highlight of the Victorian Design Program. The awards celebrate and showcase the best of Victorian design.
The winner for 2016 was a clever take on the traditional ‘bicycle bell – Oi: The Knog Bike Bell’, designed and developed by Victorian-based industrial design consultancy Catalyst Design Group.
The 2016 Premier’s Design Awards attracted a record number of entries and included two new categories for Fashion and Student Design.
Design is one of Victoria’s fastest growing sectors and a major part of the state’s $23 billion creative economy. In addition to being a thriving industry in its own right, design is a critical capability behind innovation in other industry sectors.
Victorian design professionals and organisations are now invited to submit proposals for Melbourne Design Week events responding to the theme ‘Design Values’. Details are available at designweek.melbourne. The full program for Melbourne Design Week 2017 will be announced in early February 2017.
For a full list of 2016 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards winners, visit .
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley
“This is a major investment in the future of Victoria’s design industry and one of the signature initiatives of Creative State – Victoria’s first creative industries strategy.”
“This year’s Premier’s Design Award winners show how diverse and high-calibre Victoria’s design industry is.”
Quotes attributable to NGV Director Tony Ellwood
“The Gallery’s vision is to present and make accessible design and architecture for a broad range of audiences, from business to creative professionals to families.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020