Unique exercise equipment that makes child’s play out of a serious gym workout has taken out the top prize in the 2017 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.
Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll presented the awards today, which showcase the best in Victorian design across categories including architectural, product and industrial, communications, digital and service design.
Designed for parents and carers of babies and toddlers – the YMCA Playnasium is a unique outdoor gym that combines children’s playground favourites like see-saws and swings with adult exercise equipment.
Richmond-based industrial designers Bayly Group joined forces with marketing agency McCann and YMCA to develop the Playnasium.
The innovative design uses the child’s weight to help generate the parent’s workout – and the parent’s workout powers the child’s ride.
Other category winners include:
- Tanderrum Bridge – a footbridge that links Melbourne’s CBD to the sports precinct
- Interactive media art project The Storytelling Machine
- Architectural design service My Architect
- The City of Melbourne’s single digital customer interface.
Graphic designer and illustrator Wendy Fox’s project celebrating women’s Olympic gold medallists was joint winner of the Communications Design category, with Museums Victoria’s Design Studio for the Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery.
The Victorian Premier’s Design Awards celebrate the state’s best and brightest designers and innovators.
The Andrews Labor Government’s Creative State strategy is growing the design industry, which currently generates more than $5 billion for the local economy every year.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Industry and Employment Ben Carroll
“Victoria’s design sector is second to none – we’re the doers, thinkers and creators that turn ideas into exciting innovations.”
“The Premier’s Design Awards program celebrates our exciting industry and the role it plays across every part of our society – and we’ll keep backing local designers.”
2017 Victorian Premier’s Design Award
Overall Winner:
YMCA Playnasium by Bayly Group, McCann and YMCA
Best in Category Winners:
- Best in Category, Architectural Design: Tanderrum Bridge by John Wardle Architects and NADAAA in collaboration with GHD, Oculus, ElectroLight and Buro North
- Best in Category, Communication Design (Joint Winner): Pauline Gandel Children’s Gallery by Melbourne Museum Museums Victoria Design Studio
- Best in Category, Communication Design (Joint Winner): Women’s Gold Medalists, Rio Olympics 2016 by Wendy Fox Design
- Best in Category, Digital Design: The Storytelling Machine by Dr Betty Sargeant, Justin Dwyer, Peter Walker and Andrew Ogburn
- Best in Category, Design Strategy: City of Melbourne Single Digital Customer Interface by Today and The City of Melbourne
- Best in Category, Product Design: YMCA Playnasium by Bayly Group, McCann and YMCA.
- Best in Category, Service Design: My Architect by My Architect
- Best in Category, Student Design: Water Our World Conference by Eslyn Heng Jeen Yii, RMIT
Reviewed 19 August 2020