ETLab researchers win three Good Design Australia awards
Monash University Communication Design lecturer Dr Dion Tuckwell has received a 2025 Australian Good Design Award in the Social Impact category, alongside long-time collaborator Dr Fiona Young, founder of architecture_with.
Their project, Making Space: Empowering Teacher Practice, was recognised for rethinking how educators and students interact with innovative learning environments (ILEs). Developed with Evelyn Scott P–10 in Canberra and Principal Jackie Vaughan, the project uses co-design to help teachers reflect on and reshape their learning spaces.
“Making Space is a participatory design process developed from doctoral research by Dion Tuckwell and Fiona Young. Co-created with Evelyn Scott School in Canberra and Principal Jackie Vaughan, the process empowers educators to understand and harness the potential of innovative learning environments,” wrote the Good Design Awards jury.
“This is a standout example of design excellence, demonstrating the power of collaboration, research-led practice, and meaningful impact in education.”
Associate Professor Leah Heiss collaborated with a number of partners across two health co-design prpjects which have been recognised with two prestigious 2025 Australian Good Design Awards in the Social Impact category, celebrating their contributions to transforming global public health and frontline healthcare innovation.
The awards were presented for two distinct but equally impactful projects:
- Design Principles and Tools to improve use and impact of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines
- Foundations of Medical Technology – Co-designing an Innovation Capability Platform for Frontline Healthcare Workers in collaboration with Safer Care Victoria (SCV).