Victorian Design Challenge 2020

Creative Victoria and the NGV are pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Victorian Design Challenge – the E-Waste Challenge, which this year focused on reducing, recovering and eliminating e-waste.

On Thursday 25 June 2020, as part of Melbourne Design Week, shortlisted teams pitched their design solutions to the Jury for the chance to win a share of over $25,000 in prizes.

Following COVID-19 restrictions, live presentations were replaced with video conferencing and the Jury were impressed by the professionalism and high level of innovative and creative design solutions presented across all three categories.

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY WINNER
EcoElectronics
Sam Barrett

EcoElectronics is a design guide that aims to revolutionise how engineers and designers specify the componentry that goes into commercial and consumer products. The guide provides information on the environmental impact of individual materials and electronic parts, coupled with best practice methods to minimise e-waste toxicity and environmental harm of the products being produced. By listing and comparing the environmental impacts of parts and componentry at the specification phase, designers and engineers can make more informed choices based on a range of sustainability performance markers.

Sam wins $20,000 cash to support the development and delivery of his project, an exclusive Growth Accelerator workshop and mentorship from EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services tea, and NGV prize pack.

TERTIARY CATEGORY WINNER
We’re all Toast (Podcast)
Phoebe Richardson, RMIT

We’re all Toast (Podcast) is a four-part podcast that investigates the environmental and social impact of our love affair with cheap and convenient electronic goods. Using the ubiquitous toaster as a case study, Richardson will use her $5,000 prize money to produce the series that delves into the nitty gritty of the global e-waste problem as her team design and construct a repairable toaster. Presented by Richardson and featuring expert interviews and field recordings, this podcast aims to shine a light on the electronic product design process and propose new and more sustainable ways to design and manufacture electronics.

Phoebe wins $5,000 cash to support the development and delivery of her project, and exclusive Growth Accelerator workshop and mentorship from EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services tea, and NGV prize pack.

SCHOOL CATEGORY WINNER
The Ez-Recycle App
Finlay Van Lieshout and Kai Van Lieshout

The Ez-Recycle App is a purpose-built App to manage e-waste by extending the useful life of electronic devices and motivating users to properly recycle electronics. Finlay and Kai Van Lieshout have designed an ecosystem for the hassle-free rehoming of functional devices by connecting people who have electronics they no longer need with people that can make good use of them. When objects reach the end of their useful life they also offer an easy method of collection and recycling to recover materials and componentry, diverting them from landfill. The Ez-Recycle App proposes strategic partnerships with government, manufacturers, retailers, users and recyclers to establish clear messaging and practical applications of best practice for recycling electronics.

Finlay and Kai win a tailored NGV education package and NGV prize pack.

Congratulations to all teams who made the Victorian Design Challenge 2020 shortlist.

The level of innovative and creative design solutions submitted across all three categories demonstrated a depth of practical understanding and willingness to research, test and experiment with ideas to develop practical, inventive and implementable solutions to the complex problem of E-Waste.

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY
Derek Oskar Raj Zari
CECIL
Relectrify
Sam Barrett
Vert Design
Bryan Chung

TERTIARY STUDENT
Henry Blain, RMIT University
Circo, RMIT University
MangoMen, Monash University
Phoebe Richardson, RMIT University

PRIMARY/ SECONDARY STUDENT
Finlay Van Lieshout
Mill Park Library Makers Club

The Victorian Design Challenge runs as a two-stage design competition with Round One being an open call for design submissions. A judging panel chaired by Craig Reucassel, host of the ABC’s War on Waste, will shortlist up to five submissions from the professional category (national) and up to three submissions from each student category (Victoria only) to go through to Round Two – a live ‘pitch’ presentation at the NGV during Melbourne Design Week 12–22 March 2020.

The winning designs from each category will be selected by the judging panel after the live pitch. Winners will receive support tailored for each category to prototype and further their idea including a $20,000 prize for the winning professional design idea and $5,000 for the wining tertiary student design idea.

The Challenge has been developed in association with the Ewaste Watch Institute – a not-for-profit organisation focused on accelerating electronics sustainability and environmental stewardship in Australia and New Zealand.

Any changes to the details of the competition will be supplied to directly to registered participants.

Craig Reucassel, Presenter, War on Waste (chair)
Bas van Abel, Founder, Fairphone, the Netherlands
Rose Read, Director and Co-founder, Ewaste Watch Institute
Richard Hoare, Design and Innovation Director, Breville Group Ltd
Ewan McEoin, The Hugh Williamson Senior Curator, Contemporary Design and Architecture, NGV

Winners of the national professional category will receive:

• $20,000 cash to support the development and delivery of their project;
• Exclusive Growth Accelerator workshop and 6 hours of mentorship over 12 months from EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services team to guide further development of the project toward implementation;
• Winner’s certificate for their project as the E-Waste Challenge Professional winner;
• NGV prize pack for listed team members.

Winner of the tertiary student category will receive:

• $5000 cash to support the development and delivery of the project;
• Winner’s certificate for their project as the E-Waste Challenge Tertiary winner;
• Exclusive Growth Accelerator workshop and 6 x 1-hour mentorship session from EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services team to guide further development of the project toward implementation;
• NGV prize pack for listed team members.

Winner of the school student category will receive:

• One day tailored education package at the NGV, including learning resources, curatorial talk, exhibition tour, lunch, transport and teacher costs; and
• Winner’s certificate for their project as the E-Waste Challenge School winner;
• NGV prize pack for listed team members and supervising teacher(s).

For all E-Waste Challenge queries please complete our contact form

Melbourne Design Week 2020