Good Design Awards 2015

May 31st saw the return of the Australian International Design Awards and this year the winner was the environment with the two top awards recognising products that put sustainability at the forefront of their design ethos. This just goes to show that designing for a better future can not only save the environment but can also earn the company and developers the recognition and success that comes with good design.

Cars for the Environment

Ironically it was two cars that took out the top prizes, and while the humble automobile is not typically thought of as environmentally friendly, these cars set the benchmark for redefining ‘gas guzzlers’ and potentially the future of the automobile industry.

Winner - Tesla Model S

The top prize went to the Tesla Model S, an electric vehicle (EV) built from the ground up without a combustion engine. The Model S is the world's fastest ever four-door vehicle with a top speed of 250km/h showing that environmentally friendly doesn’t need to be boring. Tesla allows consumers to recharge their cars using renewable energy and as such is paving the way towards a global transition to sustainable transport.

Award for Sustainability - BMW i3

The second prize, the Good Design Award for Sustainability, went to the BMW i3, the first fully electric vehicle to be produced by the German company. The i3 is produced using 100% renewable energy, it is manufactured using 95% recycled materials and the batteries can be recycled at the end of their life. BMW has clearly displayed that is it possible to develop something new without the need for it to have a negative impact on the environment.

Designerline - An energy free solution

Bayly’s entry into this years design awards was in collaboration with entrepreneur Pheonix Hanna and his product, designerline which is based around the ethos of ‘why use power when you don’t need to’. Designerline is an indoor clothesline that extends out to provide plenty of hanging space for all your washing and folds away neatly when not in use. Designerline removes the need to for power hungry dryers saving potentially hundreds of dollars a year but most importantly reducing greenhouse emissions and helping to save the environment.  Click here to see designerline's entry for the Good Design Awards.

Sustainability in Design

With sustainability as one of the core components of the judging criteria it is becoming apparent that to win one of these prestigious awards it must be considered as a part of the design and implementation of the product. Looking back from the future this could be seen as a time that redefined transportation as we know it and if this is anything to go by, products in all aspects of life may need to be sustainable to be globally accepted. If you are interested in leading the sustainable revolution in your industry or looking to develop with sustainability in mind please contact Lee Baker or Mark Bayly on +61 3 9413 9000 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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