Unlocking Australia’s Design Potential

Australia is home to world-class design talent, yet design capability remains an underutilised tool in shaping business strategy, policy and innovation. The Australian Design Council is determined to change that – embedding design capability as a critical driver of economic, social, cultural and environmental progress.

At the forefront of this change is Dr. Sam Bucolo, a seasoned Industrial Designer, academic and advisor with over 30 years of experience embedding design-led thinking into industry, research and government. Bucolo isn’t just advocating for design – he’s challenging outdated perceptions of it. For him, design is more than aesthetics and functionality, it’s a strategic process that reframes problems before solving them to deliver meaningful and scalable impact.

What does it take to become a design-led nation? We sat down with Dr. Bucolo, Executive Director of the Australian Design Council, to find out.

In this conversation, Bucolo examines why Australia is not truly leveraging design capability as a strategic tool and what it will take to change that. He discusses topics such as, the need for businesses and policymakers to move beyond the finished product, the role of design in reframing challenges and how the Australian Design Council is helping to drive the change to a more design-led nation.

GDA: What are some misconceptions about design? 

Dr. Sam Bucolo: We talk about design as a noun and a verb. And when you talk about design as a noun, it’s always about the artifact, what it creates. I encourage people to stand back and ask, ‘What’s the process of how that was created?’ 

Great design doesn’t just happen. It involves a rigorous, iterative process that takes time and deep engagement. We need to move beyond celebrating the finished product and start recognising the strategic thinking and design process behind it. I want people to be curious about how we created it, who created it and why they created it.

[Image: The Australian Design Council Members at the 2024 Australian Good Design Awards]

GDA: What do you see as the main barriers preventing Australian businesses and policymakers from fully embracing design as a strategic tool?

Sam: Businesses and policymakers face different challenges. For businesses, the key question is not just how to integrate design capability but how to ensure it delivers real value. Australia has a world-class design sector – design related industries contribute more than $60 billion to Australia’s economy. The challenge now is getting businesses to recognise the value that design capability can create and subsequently embedding this world-class capability into their businesses to create meaningful impact.

One major issue is that designers are often brought in too late, when problems have already been defined and solutions set. This limits their ability to shape strategy effectively. Businesses need to shift their perception of design from pure execution to include framing. 

Government, on the other hand, is generally better at involving designers early through workshops, co-creation and co-design activities. The challenge here is ensuring these processes lead to meaningful impact and accountability for delivering great design outcomes. Policymakers need to use design capability to define the right problems in the first place, rather than just refining predetermined solutions.

Ultimately, we need to ensure designers are engaged early on to ensure they are working on solving the right problems, and executing the best solutions. 

GDA: How does Australia’s design capability compare globally?

Sam: We’ve got great design education in Australia. Australian universities and colleges produce outstanding designers, many who go on to win international awards and work in global firms. We consistently punch above our weight.

Our goal is to cultivate a design-led culture where businesses use design strategically to solve pressing issues, such as affordable housing, homelessness and cost of living.

GDA: Can you share any recent examples of Australian businesses or projects that have successfully embedded design as a competitive advantage?

Sam: Success is often measured in economic terms, but the UK Design Council recently released a report that places ‘planet and society’ on the same level as ‘economy’. That’s the kind of thinking we are working to embed here in Australia.

A great example is Sea Forest – a 2024 Australian Good Design Award Gold Winner and also recipient of the 2024 Michael Bryce Patron’s Award, presented as part of the annual Australian Good Design Awards – which integrates strong design principles to drive economic, social and environmental impact. Their work demonstrates that good design naturally leads to positive outcomes. The key is using design thinking from the start to help define opportunities, rather than bringing it in late to fix predefined problems.

[Image: Sea Forest Design Team Lead Scientist Rocky de Nys]

GDA: The re-establishment of the Australian Design Council presents a fresh opportunity to influence policy. What specific changes or initiatives would you like to see the government implement to support design-led innovation?

Sam: The Australian Design Council operates through three key programs: Design Impact Reviews, Sector Challenges and National Challenges. These programs are aimed at ensuring we’re solving the right problems before jumping to solutions. A big part of our role is challenging government agencies to reframe their thinking and ask themselves, ‘Have we actually identified the right problem to be solved?’ That’s not an easy thing to do.

We know this isn’t going to be an overnight change, we’re trying to make generational changes. But, when you get it right and the light bulb goes on, and someone can say, ‘I didn’t realise design did that,’ and that’s a big step in the right direction. 

GDA: How can Australian industries be encouraged to integrate design thinking at a strategic level, rather than just at a surface level?

Sam: Whether it’s a small business or a large corporation, businesses don’t initially realise the strategic value of design. But when challenged and asked whether their strategy is truly creating value, they are often surprised by the insights design can offer.

Done right, this process can be transformative, and lead to profound changes in strategy, workforce engagement and meaningful impact. Unfortunately, designers are often brought into a project way too late with predefined briefs, limiting their ability to create real value. We need to shift perceptions so that design capability is seen as integral to business and not just a function that ‘makes things look pretty’. 

GDA: The Australian Design Council advocates for integrating Indigenous design principles and promoting cultural diversity in the sector. How can Australia better harness Indigenous knowledge systems and design practices in mainstream projects?

Sam: This is a very important topic. In our Design Impact Review program, we focus on designing for impact across four key pillars: People, Planet, Prosperity and Culture. When we talk about Culture, it’s about designing to acknowledge, respect, and shape Australia’s culture. How can we encourage businesses to embrace Australia’s rich and diverse culture when designing a new product or service? What does it mean to be Designed in Australia and how do we get businesses to embrace this? How do we embed First Nations design principles such as circularity and regenerative design into our design practices?  

Projects like Australia Post’s ‘Embrace your Place’ campaign – the 2024 Australian Good Design Award Best in Class Winner for Advertising Design – which encouraged the use of Traditional Place names on mailing addresses, show how a seemingly small act can help connect people to a language and culture that’s been around for more than 60,000 years and adds value to the business and society as a whole.

Businesses should view Indigenous design principals as part of a holistic approach to good design, ensuring that Indigenous perspectives are included as a sum, not the parts. 

[Image: How Sending Mail Encouraged Australian to Learn About Their Local First Nations History – Project by Australia Post and Carbon Creative]

GDA: What challenges do we face in making Australia’s design sector more inclusive, and how can we ensure diverse voices are represented?

Sam: The Australian Design Council’s advisory board consists of 35 diverse design leaders, representing different disciplines, genders, First Nations voices and geographic footprints. This diversity ensures a broad perspective in helping to shape the sector.

While we won’t always get it perfect, inclusivity is an ongoing effort. Bridging the gap between business and policy perspectives, with diverse design advisors strengthens the sector as a whole.

GDA: How will we know if Australia has truly become a ‘design-led nation’?

Sam: That’s a very good question! We are not going to wake up one morning and go, ‘Wow, we’re a design-led country.’

I think we’ll know we’re on the way to being design-led when there are visibly less friction points across our economy – more services that work seamlessly, more businesses that thrive by understanding their customers at an empathetic level, and a more balanced approach to solving societal challenges.

When businesses, governments and communities instinctively turn to design as a problem-solving, value-adding tool, rather than an afterthought, we’ll know we’re getting there.

Becoming a design-led nation isn’t about a single moment of transformation – it’s about incorporating design into the way we think, plan, identify and solve problems. The key lies in shifting perceptions and educating government and businesses in the potential value and impact design capability can create, to ensure we are integrating design as early as possible and positioning design capability as a strategic advantage rather than an aesthetic afterthought. It’s more about the journey to become a design-led nation vs. the destination. 

To learn more about the Australian Design Council’s work and how design can be leveraged for impact, visit their website. 

DESIGN STORIES: TACKLING FLOODING WITH SMART DRAINS

To confront today’s climate challenges, innovative solutions are essential. Design thinking – a human-centered approach driven by creativity, empathy, and collaboration – provides the framework for addressing these issues. By focusing on the needs of both people and the environment, it fosters the creation of adaptable, practical systems.

A prime example of design thinking in action is the Solid Waste Resistant Smart Drain, created by Dr Nadeesha Chandrasena (Inventor) and her expert team. This world-first, dual-layer, clog-resistant smart storm drain is designed to trap solid waste and ensure the free flow of stormwater. This pioneering design helps mitigate flood risks, contributing to more resilient cities in the face of growing climate and pollution concerns.

TACKLING URBAN FLOODING

For Dr Nadeesha Chandrasena, the innovation is deeply personal. Growing up in Sri Lanka, she witnessed monsoon rains overwhelm streets as clogged drains caused severe flooding. Driven by a desire to find a solution, she earned a PhD in Civil Engineering, leading to the patenting of her Smart Drain in 2022 – a breakthrough that has since garnered global recognition, including the 2024 Best in Class Engineering Award at the Australian Good Design Awards.

Dr. Chandrasena explains the motivation behind her invention.

“Consider the drains in compact cities of the low and lower-middle income countries. When drains get blocked, it’s like heart arteries becoming clogged with cholesterol. Once that threshold is reached, the heart can’t pump properly, leading to a heart attack,” Dr. Chandrasena said.

“Similarly, when city drains get clogged with solid waste, a flash flood attack happens – sudden and disastrous. This is what occurs in many cities, like Mumbai. In 2013, for instance 1,000 people died due to flash floods in Uttarakhand, India.”

The Smart Drain’s modular design captures waste at entry points, filters it mid-flow, and prevents pollutants from reaching waterways. It’s a cost-effective, sustainable solution for cities seeking to reduce flooding and combat plastic pollution.

REDESIGNING THE FUTURE

Dr. Chandrasena argues that to tackle today’s climate challenges, we must rethink outdated systems and embrace innovative design thinking.

“Climate change is real, and we experience its effects daily. We cannot face this challenge with 100 or 150-year-old designs and infrastructure systems,” she said.

“We need an updated system, regularly updated, to deal with these challenges. This is 2025, and we cannot survive with 1875 infrastructure,” she added.

She also points to the ongoing issue of neglected urban drains, particularly in lower-income countries.

“Urban drains in our countries have often been neglected because in many low and lower-middle income countries, other issues take priority over urban drains. We can’t even request the government to address these drains before education and healthcare,” Dr. Chandrasena explained.

“But in 2025, we can no longer ignore the damage caused by this dilapidated infrastructure. We need updated systems and new engineering solutions,” Dr. Chandrasena added.

COLLABORATION: THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Collaboration is central to the success of the Smart Drain. Dr. Chandrasena credits her team, including Dr. Zahira Mustaffa, Dr. Khamaruzaman Wan Yusof, Dr. Ransirimal Fernando, Sujeewa Kokawala, Janaka Kuruppu, and Darshana Wimukthi.

“I’m an individual with certain knowledge in specific areas, but because I’m working in a broad field like urban planning, collaboration is essential,” Dr. Chandrasena said.

She acknowledges that the design is smarter because of this collective approach.

“Collaboration is key – it’s everything. Right now, I’m working with computer science engineers, a mechanical engineer, an urban planner, a hydraulics engineer, and a sociologist on developing the smart drain version 2. Knowledge is power, and in this information technology era, information is the key. This knowledge comes from collaboration,” she explained.

“I didn’t create this alone. We are a team, each bringing expertise in specific areas. At this point, we can’t survive or succeed as individuals. Collaboration is a must, especially in knowledge and development,” Dr. Chandrasena added.

USER-CENTRIC DESIGN

Dr. Chandrasena’s vision goes beyond just creating infrastructure – it’s about creating solutions that foster a deeper connection with people. She’s dedicated to developing user-centric designs that engage communities.

“I have a PhD in Civil Engineering, and my background is in Urban Planning. I work with people, and that’s the essence of Smart Drain,” she said.

The design features sensors that provide real-time data on waste levels and flow rates, enhancing the system’s responsiveness to potential clogs and flash floods.

“Smart Drain uses an IoT system with sensors that connect citizens, authorities, and garbage collectors. Citizens can receive updates on the process and contribute to the system via a dashboard, engaging with the Smart Drain as part of the solution,” she explained.

“This isn’t just roadside infrastructure – it’s designed to engage with people, enabling a more connected, community-driven, citizen science approach to urban drainage management,” she concluded.

CITY-SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS

Not only were people at the heart of the design, but so too was the specific environment. Dr. Nadeesha explains the importance of custom solutions to address unique urban challenges.

“Stormwater management systems should be city-specific and region-specific,” she said, emphasising the need to adapt solutions to each city’s environmental, cultural, and infrastructural context.

“Sri Lanka’s main issue is choking plastic and polythene in waterways, while India struggles with sludge, siltation and sedimentation in urban drains,” she continued. 

“Each country’s unique problems require different solutions – Sri Lanka focuses on plastic pollution, while India faces sludge management challenges.”

“We are discussing with INRM-IIT Delhi on designing a unique system to manage silt and sediment in urban drains in India,” Dr. Chandrasena said, highlighting their focus on India’s densely populated urban environments.

“In Australia, we are creating pollutant systems with smart pollutant traps instead of a continuous drain design,” she added.


With a focus on local needs, collaboration, and user-centric design, the Smart Drain is leading the way to smarter, more resilient cities. By addressing both climate change and pollution, it offers a sustainable solution to some of the most pressing urban challenges. The revolution in stormwater management has only just begun, and the future looks brighter, cleaner, and more connected.

Discover more about this groundbreaking design project and its vision to transform the future of sustainable cities here: https://smartdrain.network/