Graduates of the Year Awards 2024

Australian tertiary institutes that are registered training organisations or registered higher education providers holding a current DIA Registered Entity Membership are invited to each nominate in each primary category, PLACE, USE and INTERACT.

Nominations are open to graduates who have completed their formal studies in 2023 in a full time or full time equivalent undergraduate and honours tertiary course.

Educational institutions are invited to submit their nominations into either of two qualification levels HIGHER EDUCATION and VOCATIONAL and the categories PLACE, USE and INTERACT. Entries are judged not only on the graduate’s work but also the graduate’s work ethic and perceived ability to transfer their skills to the workplace. Before nominating, educators must review the Entry Information Pack. Submitting a nomination indicates that you have read and agree to all GOTYA conditions. First step is to select the qualification level and category you wish to enter, please note winners will be acknowledged and awarded at State and National level.

For each graduate, institutions are required to purchase an entry and complete the nomination form identifying:

• Nominated graduates name
• Course name + AQF Level
• Graduate personal email + mobile number

Tertiary institution details

• Tertiary website
• Educator name
• Educator email + mobile number
• DIA membership number for education members

Start the process by clicking the Nominate Here button, and the tertiary institution will be asked for total entries and payment. Once the entry is paid your receipt will be forwarded by email with a link to the nomination form.

On completion of an educators nomination, each graduate will be sent advice officially notifying them of their nomination and what is required to submit an entry:

• Personal Details
• 3 x digital presentation boards Demonstrating projects that illustrate your design skills, up to 20 MB each. Include drawings and illustrations that will assist in demonstrating your development and decision-making process through to design resolution. For judging purposes, your boards should be anonymous. Do not include any identifiable features including your name, course or institution. Suggested Format: Landscape orientation, PDF, high resolution 300 DPI, A3
• Academic transcript
• Skill showcase – 500 Characters (100 words) per answer
• Approach to practice - methodology, goals, and aspirations.
• Achievements - academic and practical achievements.
• Work Experience - Work Ready File upload - Profile picture.
• Profile Picture
• Links – any online portfolios
• Links – any social media handles
• Nominaiton certificate - would you like a PDF or hard copy verison - if hard copy please include a home address
• Waiver – Agree to the T & Cs

Judging Panels

The DIA will appoint a panel of practicing designers and industry figures and DIA members.

Committed to forming diverse and balanced judging panels, the DIA will ensure that judging composition will be representative, where possible of design disciplines, geography, cultural backgrounds, age, gender and ability.

Tertiary educators who taught in 2023 participating tertiary institutes are not eligible to judge the GOTYA 2024 program.

Judges will not serve on the same judging panel more than two years consecutively.

Round 1 – An Online review of each nomination is assessed anonymously and shortlisted.

Round 2 – Shortlisted graduates will attend an online interview with a selection of the judging panel to present their work and discuss their methodology, goals, aspirations, academic and practical achievements and any design related work experience.

Judges Duties

The judges shall:

• Review entries impartially based on a graduates merits using the GOTYA judging process and criteria based on international awards regulations and best practices.
• Uphold the integrity of the DIA, and adhere to the DIA code of conduct
• Complete judging during the allocated timeframes.
• Attend all judging sessions as appropriate.
• Maintain the confidentiality of the judging process at all times including prior to, during and following the judging rounds.
• Be available if necessary to participate in any pre produced video component for the Awards celebration

Category Convenor

In addition to the Judges duties the Jury Convenor is required to:

• Ensure that judging proceeds in accordance to process outlined in the GOTYA Judging Information Pack.
• Select the date and assist in facilitating in the online interviews.
• Provide judging notes, 50-100 words on the overall category winners including key observations and positive advice for graduates .
• Provide judging notes, 50-100 words on the State and National GOTYA Winners outlining why each graduate was awarded their prize.

Judging Process

The judging panel will assess all of the Graduate of the Year Awards entries, across all states.

All judges are expected to review entries impartially and uphold the integrity of the Design Institute of Australia.

The judging panel, will shortlist finalists to be interviewed, Shortlisted finalists are invited to attend an online interview with a selection of the Jury.

Winners will be identified and awarded at State level initially, and are then eligible to be selected at national level.



Throughout all rounds of the assessment process, the judges should seek a high level of consistent performance and presentations that make the design solution immediately apparent.

The judging panels will assess the entries in each of category against the following equally weighted criteria:

Concept

Clear understanding of the parameters of the original brief from tertiary course work. Evidence of research, development and resolution of the original brief from tertiary course work.

Creativity

Innovative ideas translated from conceptual approach. Effective communication of ideas.

Space / Function / Materials / Technology

Design intent reflects and is supported by spatial arrangement. Demonstrated functional practicality. Appropriate and innovative selection of materials. Demonstrated understanding, integration and resolution of manufacturing processes.

Sustainability

Demonstrated understanding and use of sustainable resources. Consideration of economic, social, ecological and life cycle design practices.

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For each category, the judges will assess the following:

• USE

Fashion Design

Wearable applications: designs should include a focus on functional and aesthetic aspects, pay particular attention to relationship of the apparel to the human form and sustainable design practices.

Furniture Design

Movable object applications: designs should consider human usage and behaviour, product appeal, aesthetics and sustainable design practices.

Industrial / Product Design

Object, light fixtures or packaging applications: designs should focus on ergonomic, functional and aesthetic aspects, human usage and behaviour, and sustainable design practices. Particular emphasis on analysis of user's needs, limitations and contexts, showing appropriate and innovative application of the 5 dimensions (words, images, physical objects, time & behaviour) to provide solutions, application of evolving technologies and sustainable design practices.

Jewellery Design

Wearable applications: designs should pay particular attention to ergonomic, functional and aesthetic aspects, craftsmanship and sustainable design practices.

Textile Design

Fabric applications for use in furniture, soft furnishings, clothing, vehicles, finishes, plastics or other products: designs should consider aesthetic and functional aspects, materials, weights, textures and sustainable design practices.

• PLACE

Interior Decoration

Residential, commercial or retail applications: designs should consider surface decoration including colour applications in paint, fabric and furnishings, overall lighting plans and sustainable design practices.

Interior Design

Residential, commercial or retail applications: designs should consider and resolve the treatment of space and spatial volume, structural requirements, traffic flow, furniture, fixtures, furnishings, overall lighting plans, surface finishes and sustainable design practices.

• INTERACT

Visual Communication Design

2D text, symbol or picture based applications: designs should have particular emphasis on clarity of communication, the matching of information styles to audience requirements, application of evolving technologies in visual communication and sustainable design practices. Particular emphasis on analysis of user's needs, limitations and contexts, showing appropriate and innovative application of the 5 dimensions (words, images, physical objects, time & behaviour) to provide solutions, application of evolving technologies and sustainable design practices.

Before completing your GOTYA nominations or submitting an entry, please carefully read these Terms and Conditions.

1. Entry into this awards program is deemed to be an acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.
2. Information on the awards portal and the prizes themselves form part of the Terms and Conditions.
3. The Organiser may extend the program dates or vary the awards program at any time in its absolute discretion.
4. The Organiser may cancel the awards program at any time without the awards being presented.
5. Every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, currency and reliability of the information included in this document and elsewhere. However, changes in content and process may become necessary at the absolute discretion of the Organiser. The Organiser accepts no liability for any use of the said content or reliance placed upon it.
6. Failure by the Organiser to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.

Nomination + Entry Information

1. Nominations are open to graduates who are Australian permanent residents or international students residing in Australia with a valid Student Visa.
2. Nominations are open to graduates who have completed their formal studies in 2023 in a full time or full time equivalent undergraduate course. Nominations are also open to honours graduates who have completed their formal studies in 2023 immediately after their Bachelor degree.
3. In certain circumstances, the Organiser may allow additional nominations per tertiary institution.
4. Officers, directors, and employees of the Organiser as well as those individuals’ immediate family members and the residents of their household, are not eligible to enter.
5. Entries must be the entrant’s own unrealised or realised original design using authorised software.
6. Entries must be the work of one graduate. Group work will not be accepted.
7. The Digital Presentation Boards must not include identifying features i.e. the Entrant’s name, course or institute. Text and diagrams must be legible from at least one metre.
8. Nomination fees may be paid by credit card at submission or by invoice post submission. The educator must pay all required nomination fees and the entrant must submit all required entry information, materials and images before an entry can be considered.
9. The Organiser reserves the right, at any time, to verify the validity of entries and entrants including an entrant’s identity and place of residence.
10. The Organiser reserves the right to remove any entry from the awards program without explanation.
11. Entry fees are non-refundable. If a nominated graduate is unable to participate, the nomination fee may be transferred to another graduate however their entry must be received by close of entries date.
12. Entrants wishing to cancel their submission are required to advise the Organiser in writing by email.

Judging + Prizes

1. The judging process will be conducted by an Organiser appointed Judging Panel and a Convenor who will have a casting vote.
2. Design educators nor officers, directors and employees of the Organiser as well as those individuals’ immediate family members and the residents of their household are not eligible to judge the GOTYA program.
3. To facilitate openness and transparency, DIA Members will be encouraged to nominate prospective Branch and National Judges but the final judging panel composition will be determined by the National Office. Every effort will be made to ensure equality on the selected judging panels.
4. Judges must declare any conflicts of interest to the Organiser as soon as possible.
5. Judges will not serve more than two years consecutively.
6. All judging processes and decisions will be kept strictly confidential until announced at the Branch or National Awards Ceremonies.
7. Entries in each category will be judged based on the following equally weighted criteria: Concept, Creativity, Sustainability, Space / Function / Materials / Technology.
8. Prizes
   • The GOTYA winner will be awarded to the entry in each category which best fulfils the judging criteria.
   • Runner Up in each category will be awarded to the entry which secondly fulfils the judging criteria.
   • At the judges’ discretion, Commendations may be awarded.
9. The judging panel, at its discretion, may withhold awards or divide the awards in other proportions.
10. Judges decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into in relation to the conduct of the award program, or the methodology adopted to determine the Overall or Category GOTYA, Runner Up or Finalists.
11. All finalists will be notified of the results by email within two months after the end of the Awards Program.

Privacy + Intellectual Property

1. The Organiser collects personal information in order to conduct the Awards Program and may, for this purpose, disclose such information to third parties, including, but not limited to, Australian regulatory authorities. Entry is conditional on providing this information. Unless otherwise advised, the Organiser may also use the information for promotional, marketing and publicity purposes including sending electronic messages. Entrants should direct any request to access, update or correct information to the Organiser.
2. All copyright and intellectual property rights reside with the Entrant.
3. Where the entrant does not own the copyright, the entry must be accompanied by a written agreement from the copyright holder stating that the work may be entered for an award.
4. The Organiser reserves all rights to use headshots, entries and photo reproductions for promotional purposes. The entrant and institution will be credited where possible.