Codesigning the Future of the State Library of Victoria by Meld Studios has been recognised with the coveted Good Design Award® Best Overall, Australia’s oldest and most prestigious award for excellence in design and innovation. The Awards showcase superior examples of good design across a broad range of industries and design disciplines and has its origins dating back to 1958. There are seven main categories represented with more than 25 sub-categories, representing one of the most comprehensive design awards in the world.
The State Library of Victoria engaged Meld Studios to redesign the Library’s services. Over a twelve week period an integrated, participatory design team sought to understand current state service delivery; identify opportunities for service improvement and innovation; generated, prototyped and tested concepts; and laid out a future vision for service delivery covering everything from the iconic front lawn to offsite storage 100km away in Ballarat. The new service designs set the organisation up for a digital future; changes in public attitudes towards cultural institutions; the changing role of State Libraries; and address funding gaps between public expectations and current funding levels.
The Judges commented: “This is a shining example of service design excellence at its very best. A brilliant case study on the positive impact of a design-led approach in an area that is undergoing significant transformation and disruption. The outcome could not have been achieved without a genuine commitment to a professional design approach. Every touch point, every interaction and every experience has been carefully considered and meticulously designed with the end-user in mind. The outcome is not only a more enjoyable, user friendly experience - it has also positioned the organisation for the future in terms of technology, efficiency, service delivery and overall staff engagement."
The Awards were announced at the 2015 Good Design Awards Ceremony on 29 May in front of 700 national and international guests as part of the annual Vivid Sydney celebrations. The Good Design Award® is regarded as one of the most coveted awards for design and innovation in the world. Entries must represent excellence in design at every level where judges carefully consider various factors including innovation, quality, functionality, sustainability and above all, world-class design.
The Good Design Awards conducts one of the most rigorous assessment processes in the world and to receive this honour is a brilliant achievement. Dr. Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia who manages the annual Awards program said, “This year’s Awards attracted some of the most innovative companies from all over the world. For a project to be recognised at this level means without doubt, it is the best of its kind in the world,” Dr. Gien said.
Other category award winners included Tesla, BMW and UBER.
“I’m very pleased that Codesigning the Future of the State Library of Victoria has received a Good Design Award® Best Overall, it is a testament to the design brilliance that has brought this project to market,” said Dr. Gien.
The 2015 Good Design Award® Winners can be viewed on: www.gooddesignaustralia.com
