24 April 2009
GOTYA! RMIT students scoop design pool
RMIT University graduates dominated the Design Institute of Australia’s inaugural Victorian Graduate of the Year Awards (GOTYAs).
Supporting students in the early stages of their career, the awards recognise excellence and talent.
Textile designer Elly Gardner, a recent graduate from RMIT, won two GOTYAs – for Textile Design and as Overall Winner.
Her “Contemporary Curtain” window treatment incorporated a translucent panel of meandering laser cut motifs and a heavier inky patterned layer.
Elly Gardner with her winning curtain.
National DIA Director, Geoff Fitzpatrick, described Ms Gardner as “a designer who engaged with great deal of innovation in the design and production process, and demonstrated skill and sensitivity in the mixture of technique and materials”.
RMIT graduates made a clean sweep of the Graphic Design category, with the GOTYA going to Hamish Smyth.
And RMIT picked up its fourth GOTYA for the night thanks to Anthony Hamilton-Smith, who won Interior Design.
Each category winner received a one-year DIA Graduate Membership and access to a benefits including career-building networking programs, DIA practice notes, and subscriptions to Artichoke magazine and the DIA Spark newsletter.
Lucinda Everett, Hamish Smyth and Zoran Konjarski celebrate their clean sweep in Graphic Design.
Category winners also received a two-week, paid work experience placement with one of design leaders Beci Orpin, DesignINC, Wellcom and Catalyst Design Group.
This year's GOTYA judges were DIA Victoria councillors Egle Findlay from Patternique, Karen Baynes from DesignINC, Ian Scott from Watts Design, Simon Marriott from Arrk and Mr Fitzpatrick.
Professor Colin Fudge, RMIT’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Design and Social Context), congratulated the students on their achievements.
“The standard of work demonstrated by Elly, Anthony, Hamish and their colleagues is outstanding and a tribute to their hard work and creativity and to the support of their lecturers.
“Their achievements once again underline RMIT’s strength as an international centre of design excellence.”
The RMIT winners
Overall winner
GOTYA: Elly Gardner, Bachelor of Arts (Textile Design)
Textile Design
GOTYA: Elly Gardner, Bachelor of Arts (Textile Design)
Runner-up: Courtney King, Bachelor of Arts (Textile Design)
Interior Design
GOTYA: Anthony Hamilton-Smith, Bachelor of Design (Interior Design)
Honourable mention: Naomi Fogel, Bachelor of Design (Interior Design)
Graphic Design
GOTYA: Hamish Smyth, Bachelor of Design (Communication Design)
Runner-up: Zoran Konjarski, Bachelor of Design (Communication Design)
Honourable mention: Lucinda Everett, Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) Honours
