Graduates of the Year Awards 2022 announced
Graduates of the Year Awards
The Design Institute of Australia announced the Australian National winners for its flagship program for emerging designers—the Graduate of the Year Awards 2022 (GOTYA). From 181 ambitious nominations and 27 State winners, 8 extraordinary young designers have been awarded the prestigious Australian prize, with a student also named the Madeleine Lester Award recipient. This year, an enormous undertaking the DIA collaborated with 24 institutions and 40 + design departments from around the country.
2022 Gotya jurors include Daniel Dalla RIva, James Harper, Dean Norton, Jo Ann Kellock, Brett Capron, Alisha McGilp, Claire Bramich, Sally Evans and Bernadette Wilson. This year the graduates were able to develop and make work showcasing a responsibility to the industry, especially new ways around sustainability and repurposing. They were able to design and create products that benefit people and the planet. By presenting a mix of concept developments, technical drawings and prototypes, the winners displayed a clear understanding of the skills required in the commercial marketplace, and a clear understanding of ethics or moral obligations required to practices as a design professional.
Australian Graduates of the Year 2022
• Australian Design Graduate of the Year | Madeline Lester Excellence Award
Kirsteen James, Queensland University of Technology (QLD)
• Australian Fashion Design Graduate of the Year
Maddison Robinson, University of Technology Sydney (NSW)
• Australian Interior Decoration Graduate of the Year
Lauren Coleman, TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore (NSW)
• Australian Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year
Dorcas Chu, University of New South Wales (NSW)
• Australian Interior Design Graduate of the Year
Kirsteen James, Queensland University of Technology (QLD)
• Australian Jewellery Design Graduate of the Year
Lorissa Toweel, Queensland College of Art Griffith University (QLD)
• Australian Furniture Design Graduate of the Year
Alexei Todd, RMIT University (VIC)
• Australian Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year
Michael Smith, Swinburne University of Technology (VIC)
• Australian Textile Design Graduate of the Year
Emma Daley, North Metropolitan TAFE (WA)
• Australian Textile Design Graduate of the Year Emma Daley, North Metropolitan TAFE
"GOTYA is a critical program as it brings together Australia's emerging designers and connects them to our most respected educators and designers from leading design practices. This year, we had a remarkable 181 nominations and worked closely with over 40 university design departments—the graduates' proposed human-centred design solutions with a focus on wellbeing. Using design process to utilise natural materials, they promoted sustainable development. It was wonderful to also see design and technology delivering thoughtful solutions to affect social and environmental problems."
Jo-Ann Kellock, juror and DIA CEO
The GOTYA program mentoring students since 2005 is a unique awards program created to support and celebrate exceptional designers from around Australia in the early stages of their careers. The program is instrumental in providing tertiary institutions and design graduates with vital, real-life feedback from experienced designers and industry figures, and is sponsored by Stylecraft.
• Australian Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year Michael Smith, Swinburne University of Technology
New South Wales / Australian Capital Territory
• NSW ACT Design Graduate of the Year
Dorcas Chu, University of New South Wales
• Fashion Design Graduate of the Year
Maddison Robinson, University of Technology Sydney
• Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year
Dorcas Chu, University of New South Wales
• Interior Design Graduate of the Year
Lia Pipolo, UNSW Sydney
• Interior Decoration Graduate of the Year
Lauren Coleman, TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore
• Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year
Emily Savage, University of Technology Sydney
• Australian Interior Design Graduate of the Year Kirsteen James, Queensland University of Technology
Queensland
• QLD Design Graduate of the Year
Kirsteen James, Queensland University of Technology
• Fashion Design Graduate of the Year
Rachel Johnston, Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University
• Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year
Epifanio Pereira, Queensland University of Technology
• Interior Design Graduate of the Year
Kirsteen James, Queensland University of Technology
• Interior Decoration Graduate of the Year
Natalie Boyd Mordehai, Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University
• Jewellery Design Graduate of the Year
Lorissa Toweel, Queensland College of Art Griffith University
• Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year
David A. Cardenas Cordova, Queensland University of Technology (Joint winner)
Emily Child, Queensland College of Art Griffith University (Joint winner)
• Australian Interior Decoration Graduate of the Year Lauren Coleman, TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore
South Australia
• SA NT Design Graduate of the Year
Isabelle Dick, University of South Australia
• Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year
Henry Shaw, University of South Australia
• Interior Design Graduate of the Year
Isabelle Dick, University of South Australia
• Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year,
Darrien Oudih, University of South Australia
• Australian Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year Dorcas Chu, University of New South Wales
Victoria / Tasmania
• VIC TAS Design Graduate of the Year
Aaron Nguyen, RMIT University
• Fashion Design Graduate of the Year
Rachel Shugg, RMIT University
• Furniture Design Graduate of the Year
Alexei Todd, RMIT University
• Industrial / Product Design Graduate of the Year
Aaron Nguyen, RMIT University
• Interior Decoration Graduate of the Year
Elizabeth Kuehne, The Interior Design Institute
• Interior Design Graduate of the Year,
Alecia Mostert, Collarts
• Textile Design Graduate of the Year
Antonia Papasergio, RMIT University
• Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year
Michael Smith, Swinburne University of Technology
• Australian Fashion Design Graduate of the Year Maddison Robinson, University of Technology Sydney
Western Australia
• WA Design Graduate of the Year
Emma Daley, North Metropolitan TAFE
• Fashion Design Graduate of the Year
Dimitrije Simic, North Metropolitan TAFE
• Furniture Design Graduate of the Year
Jo Gaunt, North Metropolitan TAFE
• Interior Design Graduate of the Year
Lisa Henley, Curtin University
• Textile Design Graduate of the Year
Emma Daley, North Metropolitan TAFE
• Visual Communication Design Graduate of the Year,
Lucas Marques Faim, North Metropolitan TAFE
