2018 Design Forecast

Design Institute of Australia

– Peter Coombs

Last year the Design Institute of Australia celebrated its 70-year anniversary and the 25th DIA SA/NT Design Awards. The DIA supports the design disciplines of interior architecture/design, graphic design and illustration, furniture design, industrial design and product design. This is a good opportunity to thank all those who entered our awards last year and celebrated with us.

We are currently collating our SA nominations in the Graduate of the Year Awards (GOTYA) and will be judging and presenting these awards soon. The winners in each local category will go on to compete in the Australasian GOTYA awards – flying the banner for the next generation of SA/NT designers.

Our events and activities calendar is shaping up to deliver what we think will be some fantastic opportunities for our members and our friends. These will include Student Speed Meet, Site Visits, Members Mingle and World Industrial Design Day.

Once again we will have Live Design, which has become a favourite challenge on our annual calendar. Teams made up of folk from secondary schools, tertiary institutions and practitioners  design something – anything – from a 2400mmX1200mm sheet of material and assemble it in real time with an audience watching. In the past the material has been cardboard, plywood, dybond, SMART-X®, with this year’s material yet to be announced.

Keep up to date by checking design.org.au

Planning Institute of South Australia

– Kym Pryde

In 2018 the Planning Institute of South Australia (PIA SA) has two main priority areas: elections (state and local government) and planning reforms. As the Divisional Committee President, I will be responsible for advocacy and engagement. My three Vice-Presidents are responsible for planning policy and design, governance and delivery, and thirdly, education including university degrees and continuing professional development for the profession.

Heading into the state election in a few weeks and the local government elections later this year, PIA SA has created six key areas it advocates each political party, independent or councillor to ensure good planning and liveable communities. They are:

A COMMITMENT TO SHAPE GREAT PLACES
A government that is dedicated on behalf of the South Australian community to supporting the critical role good planning and passionate planners play in making our regions, towns and cities great places to live.

A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO OUR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Guided by evidence and expertise, a government that makes planning and infrastructure investment decisions which build on our state’s strategic advantages and build the long term health and prosperity of all South Australians.

LISTENING TO COMMUNITIES AND LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE
Leadership that learns from past experiences and is willing to collaborate with local communities to build future places that are inclusive, prosperous, safe and uniquely South Australian.

REALISING THE BENEFITS OF ONGOING REFORM
A commitment to continue to roll out the most comprehensive overhaul of South Australia’s planning system in more than 20 years through benchmarking our processes against the best in Australia and recognising the importance of quality local planning, both for our capital city and across the regions.

STRIVING FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
Recognition that our settlement patterns (how we live) and our mobility (how we move) – with a focus on active and public transport – must continue to evolve and work in a manner complementary to our climate as our population, technologies and patterns of employment change.

EMBEDDING THE IMPORTANCE OF GREAT DESIGN
Renewed vigour in the government’s pursuit of processes which place a high priority on the achievement of universal design principles in new developments which positively respond to context, are environmentally responsible and enhance a unique sense of place.

PIA SA, without question, has a continuing role in supporting and facilitating the new planning system role out alongside the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. This year is where the rubber hits the road for planners and the SA community. This is the year we all decide the rules that will govern planning decisions into the future. The look and feel of built form and what goes where will be decided during the course of this year and into the next.

Once prepared the community will be consulted on these rules. As an Institute we are heavily invested in ensuring any rules are sound, and make sure South Australia continues to support sustainability, building healthy environments and neighbourhoods and encouraging new and emerging industries. Underpinning the new system is ensuring the correct people are making decisions. PIA’s position is that good urban and regional planning can only be achieved by good planners – professionals with a broad but particular mix of skills and knowledge not found in other professions. PIA nationally, for several years, has a Register Planner process where skilled experienced planners undergo testing and review to become registered. This allows members of the community to easily recognise a qualified, skilled and experienced planner. PIA SA will be advocating that any process for accrediting decision makers under the new planning system aligns with Register Planner.

PIA SA encourages all South Australians to keep abreast of the planning reforms. The reforms don’t just affect one area of the state but the whole state. There will be opportunity to have your say through voting in an election to public consultation of plans, policies and strategic directions that will decide the future look and feel of our state. If you don’t like something or think something could be better, your opportunity to say something is now.

planning.org.au

Australian Institute of Architects

– Nicolette Di Lernia

Design is something people engage with every day. From our houses and the furniture and objects within them, our places of work and leisure and the broader environment. We are surrounded by and interact with design constantly. The Australian Institute of Architects provides a range of events and activities that enable the public to experience architecture and design, to engage with the profession and to participate in architectural discussion.

One such opportunity is the Architecture Awards Program. On Saturday, March 24 architects who have entered the awards present their work to a jury of their peers. The public is invited to attend the jury presentations to learn more about significant South Australian projects, why they are worthy of consideration for an award and the thinking that informs their design. Entries range from domestic alterations and additions to education, heritage and public projects, to interiors, including the New Royal Adelaide Hospital and the O-Bahn.

This year we will also be hosting tours of Modernist Adelaide architecture and holding a range of activities in Leigh Street throughout the day. We welcome you to come join us for this informative and entertaining day. See the projects eligible for The Adelaide Review People’s Choice Awards and join in the voting.

Juries then conduct site visits to entered projects prior to the announcement of the awarded projects. You can read about the awarded projects in The Adelaide Review and on the Institute’s website, following the presentation dinner on June 30. In addition, join us at the Lightning Talk showcasing ten of the best awarded projects on July 6.

Another key public program delivered by the Institute and The Adelaide Review is the Design Conversations Series. Three talks are held each year to explore different design themes and issues. This first for 2018 will focus on the design of winery buildings and how this supports the branding and tourism associated with winemaking. The August Design Conversation will explore the design of regional arts facilities and their importance in fostering community and culture outside the metropolitan area.

architecture.com.au/sa

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects

–  Ben Willsmore

AILA SA is part of Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA), the growing national advocacy body representing more than 3000 members across Australia. Landscape architects contribute leadership, creativity and innovation as they strive to collaborate to achieve better health, environmental, social and economic outcomes.

In 2018, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects – SA Chapter (AILA SA) will be actively engaged with the State Government, local communities and industry partners to promote the importance of design in the shaping our cities and regional centres to address the challenges posed by social and economic shifts, as well as a changing climate.

AILA SA will continue to work with the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure to provide advice towards the ongoing development of the State Planning System. This significant reform enables the opportunity to better consider the qualities that make attractive and liveable neighbourhoods and ensure the development of design standards as well as the inclusion of informed experts. All make a positive contribution to the health and wellbeing of our community, the resilience of our suburbs and the respect of our natural environment.

In addition, AILA SA will continue to work with the Department of Health and Ageing and Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources as co-sponsor to the Healthy Parks Healthy People – Quality Green Public Space Action Plan. The Action Plan elevates the importance of green infrastructure and quality of green open spaces in ensuring we are creating healthy neighbourhoods for the people of South Australia. From citywide strategies to the redesign of local parks and gardens, landscape architects are building stronger, healthier communities through making places and spaces more sustainable and productive, and we are pleased to share our local knowledge with these Government agencies.

In 2018, AILA is committed to better engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, recognising their culture as the oldest living culture in the world. AILA SA is committed to leading a local Connection to Country engagement and education series that aims to build stronger relationship with the Kaurna and other traditional custodians of the land to develop shared learnings, understanding and the benefits of a stronger relationship to the landscape.

2018 provides our profession with a diversity of opportunities to add value to the social, cultural, economic and environmental future of South Australia and reflect on the importance of landscape architecture in shaping the quality of our communities.

aila.org.au

Australian Graphic Design Association

–  Damian Hamilton

This promises to be an exciting year; with lots of unique events and professional workshops planned for the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA. As a national initiative, we aim to hold more free events for AGDA members; to reward them and entice non-members to join. Importantly, we will continue to nurture students, graduates and young professionals to assist their educational and professional development so they add value to the design industry.

The first event scheduled for March is a fast-paced ‘Pecha Kucha’ style presentation; an A-Z explanation of the creative process presented by a mixture of designers from various disciplines. This event is aimed at students but will certainly be valuable for anyone interested in an insight into how and why different designers structure their design process and how they ‘think’ about design. At this event we plan to launch a Graduate Mentor Program, too. This will be designed for professional mentors to team up with like-minded graduates, set a project and provide guidance over a six-month period.

Following the first event, an award-winning motion designer from Sydney plans to run a workshop that will focus on motion design for branding, and how to translate design concepts into motion. This progressive event should be of great value to South Australian creatives, particularly brand designers. Other notable events planned throughout the year include old favourites; Shot Down, First Five Out and After Hours. Shot Down is a fun event with speakers discussing a project or projects that were rejected by clients. First Five Out features speakers discussing their first five years after graduating from tertiary education and working as a professional designer. After Hours is a social event for members to mingle with other designers over a beverage or two in a studio environment.

The highlight of the calendar year for many is undoubtedly the annual, national AGDA Awards. This prestigious event will be held in Melbourne over a weekend towards the end of 2018. The best graphic design projects, produced over the past year and entered by AGDA members, will be revealed at an awards dinner ceremony. These works will be judged by a team of jurors, including invited and esteemed international designers. As with previous years, the plan is for the international judges to tour the nation and speak at a series of inspirational events.

Being an AGDA member has many benefits and it’s great to be part of Australia’s largest communication design community. Become a member today or sign up to our mailing list to keep up to date with regular industry news.

agda.com.au