HOW TO WRITE A WINNING ENTRY

Setting the benchmark for excellence in design and innovation, the Australian Good Design Awards honour projects from a broad range of disciplines and industries from around the globe. This year’s theme, Rewarding, Defining, and Celebrating Better _______, invites entrants to showcase what “better” looks like and be part of defining “better” design. 

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Ready to make an impact? Bring your entry to life with these top five tips to help you showcase why your project is award-worthy!

An independent expert Jury evaluates every entry against three key criteria – Good Design, Design Innovation, and Design Impact – tailored to each design discipline. Explore the evaluation criteria, review the supporting materials for your discipline, and keep reading for our top tips to craft a standout entry!

TOP 5 TIPS FOR A WINNING ENTRY

1. Keep It Clear and Concise

Less is more. The Jury reviews a high volume of entries, so make it easy for them to quickly grasp what makes your project award-worthy. Avoid unnecessary complexity – get straight to the point with a compelling and succinct explanation.

2. Speak to Designers, Not Marketers

Your audience is made up of designers, architects, and engineers who want to understand the design decisions behind your project. Skip the marketing fluff and focus on the why – what challenges you tackled, how you approached them, and the innovations that set your project apart.

3. Tell the Full Story: Problem, Process, Impact

Take the Jury on a journey. Clearly articulate the problem you set out to solve, the design process you followed, and the impact of your solution. What obstacles did you overcome? What research and insights shaped the project? How does it benefit users, the industry, or the environment?

4. Show, Don’t Just Tell

A picture is worth a thousand words – so use them wisely. High-quality images and video content make it easier for the Jury to understand your project. Include visuals that showcase the project in use to help provide real-world context and highlight key features.

5. Demonstrate Measurable Impact

What difference does your project make? Whether it’s environmental, economic, or societal, the Jury wants quantifiable proof of its success. Use measurable data to validate your claims and show how your design positively impacts users, businesses, and the broader community.

By following these five tips, you’ll create a strong, compelling entry that stands out to the Jury and maximises your chances of success in the 2025 Australian Good Design Awards.

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Tips for Each Design Discipline…

BUILT ENVIRONMENT 

To create an impressive entry, focus on how your design makes spaces more livable, beautiful, and sustainable. Highlight any innovative materials, technologies, or ideas that push the envelope, improving both the form and function of the space. Show how your project fits seamlessly into its surroundings, enhancing the experience for those who use it. 

Be sure to address important factors like safety, quality, and commerciality. Emphasise how your design improves lives, supports social impact, and protects the environment.

COMMUNICATION DESIGN

Emphasise how your project connects with audiences and delivers a powerful message. Does it stand out visually while ensuring clarity? The Jury will evaluate aesthetic appeal, usability, and commercial viability.

What makes it innovative? What unique approach sets it apart from conventional designs? Show evidence of market impact – has it enhanced brand credibility or driven engagement? A winning entry balances creativity, functionality, and impact.

CONCEPT DESIGN

Focus on bold ideas that push boundaries and offer innovative solutions – whether through new materials, technology, or fresh thinking. Show what makes your concept unique and how it could work in the real world. Highlight its feasibility and potential for development. 

Connect your concept to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to show its role in building a more sustainable future. A strong entry doesn’t just break new ground, it creates lasting impact across industries, sustainability, and society.

DESIGN RESEARCH

Start by clearly defining your research goals and the gap your work addresses. Show how your methods are rigorous and the analysis is thorough. Innovation is crucial – how does your research introduce new approaches or reveal new insights? 

Demonstrate the real-world impact. How can your findings influence industries, drive change, or shape the future of design? Highlight how your research introduces new approaches or reveals groundbreaking insights and its real-world impact. Lastly, emphasise its potential to inspire positive societal, environmental, or commercial impacts.

DESIGN STRATEGY

Demonstrate how your strategy ties into your organisation’s goals and market needs, with clear, measurable results. Share how insights from prototyping, testing, and customer feedback shaped your design approach. Emphasise how your design strategy is helping drive business success – whether by improving performance, expanding market share, or boosting customer loyalty – and how it’s setting new standards for the industry, inspiring positive change across the board.

DIGITAL DESIGN

When drafting your submission, focus on how you’ve achieved a seamless blend of visual appeal and functionality. Make sure to highlight how your design grabs attention, but also guides users effortlessly with an intuitive experience.

Illustrate innovative technologies or design techniques that set your project apart – show how these elements directly benefit the user experience. Be clear about the measurable outcomes: did it boost business performance or improve customer engagement? Remember, it’s not just about creativity, but also about tangible results. Keep the client’s goals and user needs front and centre, and showcase how your design contributes to the bigger picture in the digital space.

ENGINEERING DESIGN

Showcase how your project balances safety, functionality, and quality. Make sure to clearly highlight its practical benefits and how it meets safety standards. Remember, innovation doesn’t just mean new materials or techniques; it’s about rethinking possibilities in a way that pushes the boundaries.

Focus on tangible results. How has your design improved lives or impacted businesses? Can you pinpoint measurable outcomes, like improved efficiency or cost savings? Also, think about the broader effect. How might your design shift industry norms or open up new avenues for future innovations? Keep it clear, keep it impactful, and demonstrate how your work contributes to a better tomorrow.

FASHION IMPACT

Clearly define what sets your project apart – how does it address a critical problem in the fashion industry? Detail how your solution advances sustainability, improves supply chains, or introduces pioneering materials and techniques. Demonstrate strong industry engagement through partnerships, marketing, or commercial adoption.

Highlight the design aesthetic – is it desirable and market-ready? Showcase how your project pushes industry boundaries with innovation in production, circular economy principles, or technology.

Most importantly, quantify your impact. Provide verified data on waste reduction, efficiency improvements, or environmental benefits. How does your design contribute to a more sustainable fashion industry? A compelling entry will inspire change and set new benchmarks for good design in fashion.

NEXT GEN (Under 30s)

The Next Gen category is all about, purpose, process and outcome. Highlight how the project addresses any social, environmental, or economic challenges, and be sure to showcase the design process you went through, including any research, user-testing and prototyping and how this impacted the outcome of your project. Emphasise originality and innovation – what makes your design stand out? Ensure it’s feasible and demonstrates a practical, long-term impact. 

When submitting, be clear on how your project addresses real-world challenges and its potential for positive impact.

POLICY DESIGN

Demonstrate a clear and holistic design process, ensuring that stakeholder engagement, co-design with beneficiaries, and iterative testing have informed the policy’s development. Explain how the policy aligns with user needs, integrates multiple perspectives, and anticipates unintended consequences. Highlight how implementation is structured, efficient, and well-governed, ensuring long-term viability.

Illustrate the innovative aspects of your policy – does it challenge conventional approaches, introduce new frameworks, or set a benchmark for best practice? Provide measurable impact data to show improvements in economic, social, or environmental outcomes. Can your policy be scaled or replicated for broader adoption?

PRODUCT DESIGN

Showcase a holistic design process, detailing how user insights, research, and problem-solving shaped the product’s development. Demonstrate how form and function work together – does the design clearly communicate its purpose, enhance user experience, and respond to its environment? Address safety, quality, and commerciality, explaining how the product meets industry standards, is well-constructed, and delivers value for both users and businesses.

Highlight innovation – does the product introduce new materials, technologies, or manufacturing techniques? Does it challenge industry norms or present a breakthrough solution?

Finally, emphasise impact. Provide measurable outcomes that show improvements in user well-being, environmental sustainability, or business performance. Is the product designed for longevity, repairability, and responsible production?

SERVICE DESIGN

Make your entry stand out by showcasing how your service improves the user journey – does it remove friction, boost efficiency, or enhance accessibility? Use real-world impact to back up your claims, from customer satisfaction to business growth. Highlight innovations, whether in delivery, technology, or process design. Show adaptability – can it scale and evolve? Finally, connect your service to broader change, demonstrating social, economic, or environmental benefits. Strong entries don’t just describe a service; they prove its value with tangible results.

SOCIAL IMPACT

Showcase a human-centred design approach, detailing how co-design with beneficiaries, consultation with those with lived experience, and prototyping shaped the solution. Demonstrate how the project has been executed effectively, ensuring that all elements are well-integrated and function cohesively to create a seamless experience.

Explain the scalability and sustainability of the project – can it be replicated across different communities, demographics, or cultural contexts? If so, what strategies are in place to support expansion and long-term viability?

Highlight innovation – does the project introduce new thinking, systems, or technology that push the boundaries of social impact design? Finally, provide measurable impact data to show how lives have been improved, communities strengthened, or policies influenced. A well-structured, evidence-based entry will maximise your chances of recognition as a leader in social impact design.

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READY TO ENTER?

Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to crafting a standout entry. 

Enter now!