DIA reveals Australia’s graduate designer winners – Graduates of the Year Awards 2023

Sep 6

DIA – Awards

• The Gotya program part of the Designers Australia Awards, has been mentoring students for almost two decades and was created to support and celebrate exceptional designers from around Australia in the early stages of their careers.

The DIA announced the winners of its flagship program for emerging designers—the Graduate of the Year Awards 2023 (Gotya). From 163 ambitious nominations, 73 were Shortlisted, and 9 extraordinary young designers have been awarded the prestigious Australian prize. A massive undertaking, the DIA collaborated with 40+ universities, institutions and design departments nationwide. Madeline Lester Excellence Award, the highest award for a graduate designer, was presented to Sandra Srun from the University of New South Wales.

"Gotya is a critical program as it connects Australia's emerging designers and unites them with our most respected educators and designers from leading design practices. This year, we introduced three new cross-disciplinary design categories: Place, Use and Interact.
“The graduates presented projects with an expansive scope and ambition, spanning diverse mediums. They proposed human-centred design solutions focusing on behaviours, technology, our environment and our impact on emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Comprehensive portfolios highlighted the dedication to leveraging design to improve people's lives and positively impact society."
—Jo-Ann Kellock, DIA CEO

This year, the graduates were able to develop and showcase responsible and thoughtful design techniques, particularly renewed ways around sustainability and repurposing. They were able to design products that help people and the planet, focusing on human-centred design and approaches around identity and cultural impact.

The graduates presented a mix of concepts, technical drawings and prototypes. They showcased the skills required in the commercial marketplace and the ethics or moral obligations necessary to practise as a design professional.

Gotya 2023 jurors include Alena Smith, Csilla Csabai, David Smith, Evan Reeves, Harriet Sutherland, Jack Flanagan, Jan-Marie Jaillei, Jayden Lim, Kate Bednarz, Nicole Gemlitski, Paloma Hodgins, Peter Lambert, Sally Evans, Sara Horstmann, Spiroula Stathakis, and Timothy Wilkinson.

The Gotya program, mentoring students since 2005, is a unique awards program created to support and celebrate exceptional designers from around Australia in the early stages of their careers. The program is instrumental in providing tertiary institutions and design graduates with vital, real-life feedback from experienced designers and industry figures and is sponsored by Stylecraft.

Madeline Lester Excellence Award :

Sandra Srun
Award: Place Category Winner — Higher Education
Course: Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Honours), University of New South Wales
Tutor: Eva Lloyd

Graduates of the Year 2023 Category Winners:

Gabrielle Versace
Award: Interact Category Winner — Higher Education
Course: Bachelor of Design (Communication Design), Swinburne University of Technology
Tutor: Anthony Elliott

Isobel Baker
Award: Use Category Winner — Higher Education
Course: Bachelor of Design (Product Design), University of Technology Sydney
Tutor: Roderick Walden

Joanne Odisho
Award: Use Category Winner — Vocational
Course: Associate Degree in Furniture Design, RMIT University
Tutor: Julian Pratt

Kate Masters
Award: Place Category Winner — Vocational
Course: Diploma in Interior Design, Sydney Design School
Tutor: Kylie Hickman

Sandra Srun
Award: Place Category Winner — Higher Education
Course: Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Honours), University of New South Wales
Tutor: Eva Lloyd

Zoey Portilla
Award: Interact Category Winner — Vocational
Course: Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design,North Metropolitan TAFE
Tutor: Tim Ewers

State Graduates of the Year 2023 Winners:

Elena-Dea Burger
Award: WA Graduate of the Year
Course: Bachelor of Applied Science (Interior Architecture), Curtin University
Tutor: Dr Aleksa Bijelovic

Jamieson Davis
Award: SA / NT Graduate of the Year
Course: Bachelor of Design (Product Design), University of South Australia
Tutor: Daniel McLean

Joanne Odisho
Award: VIC / TAS Graduate of the Year
Course: Associate Degree in Furniture Design, RMIT University
Tutor: Julian Pratt

Liam Georgeson
Award: QLD Graduate of the Year
Course: Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design), Queensland University of Technology
Tutor: Dr Rafael Gomez

Sandra Srun
Award: NSW / ACT Graduate of the Year
Course: Bachelor of Interior Architecture (Honours), University of New South Wales
Tutor: Eva Lloyd

Congratulating all the designers including:

Place—Higher Education, Commendations
Rebecca Bartlett, Torrens University Australia, NSW
Elena-Dea Burger, Curtin University, WA
Kenny Kouch, Monash University, VIC
Katherine Darwent, LCI online, WA
Sophie Dye, Griffith University, QLD
Isaac Haring, Griffith University, QLD
Ploy Onratn, Monash University, VIC
Dinesh Sraveanan, Queensland University of Technology, QLD
Lydia Watt, Collarts School of Design, VIC
Zihan Zhou, Monash University, VIC

Place—Vocational, Commendations
Heena Chauhan, Torrens University Australia, QLD
Sophie Giraud, North Metropolitan TAFE, WA
Sue Napoli, Sydney Design School, NSW
Sarah Robertson, Torrens University Australia, QLD
Emily Thursfield, RMIT University, VIC

Use—Higher Education, Commendations
Jedda Bahloo, RMIT University, VIC
Isaac Bonora, Queensland University of Technology, QLD
Catherine Caldis, TAFE NSW, NSW
Jamieson Davis, University of South Australia, SA
Liam Georgeson, Queensland University of Technology, QLD
Lyn Haddon, Griffith University, QLD
Lucas Hergert, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC
Tom McArdle, University of Technology Sydney, NSW
Chloe Mitchell, RMIT University, VIC
Mackenzie O'Sullivan, Griffith University, QLD
Evangeline Rosa, RMIT University, VIC
Henry Shaw, University of South Australia, SA
Aidan Roger Whitby, University of New South Wales, NSW
Ivy Whiteman, University of Technology Sydney, NSW

Use—Vocational, Commendations
Reanna Arakua, North Metropolitan TAFE, WA
Lachlan Cashman, RMIT University, VIC
Luke Seth, North Metropolitan TAFE, WA
Ellery Stevens, North Metropolitan TAFE, WA

Interact—Higher Education, High Commendations
Matilda Martin, University of Technology Sydney, NSW
Doreen Zheng, University of Technology Sydney, NSW

Interact—Higher Education, Commendations
Kiara Fourie, Queensland University of Technology, QLD
Katerina Hionis, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC
Abby Hyndman, Griffith University, QLD
Adorel Ng, Swinburne University of Technology, VIC
Maria Tongson, RMIT University, VIC

Interact—Vocational, Commendation
Bonnie Rae McCormick, Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University, QLD

The Gotya, Madeleine Lester Award 2023 recipient will be named on Thursday, 2 November, in Sydney to coincide with the Designers Australia Awards 2023 major category winners and the recipient of the President's Prize announcement.

To view the Gotya Announcement video click here

View All Winners