Our first sector-specific workforce development plan, Te Wao Nui o Toi — capability and development plan for the below-the-line screen sector workforce (Toi Pāho) was recognised in Australia’s International Good Design Awards for excellence in design and innovation.

The winners of Australia’s peak international design awards were announced on Friday 8 September at the 2023 Australian Good Design Awards with Te Wao Nui o Toi — Capability and Development Plan for the Below-the-line Screen Sector Workforce, a research report commissioned by Toi Mai and designed by Assurity Consulting, receiving a prestigious Good Design Award Gold Winner Accolade in the Design Research category in recognition for outstanding design and innovation.

The Good Design Awards Jury commented: “Te Wao Nui o Toi is an expertly crafted research project that will drive lasting change in the film, television, and interactive media sector of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Congratulations on approaching challenges with curiosity and compassion – this is an inspirational and essential step in building a thriving workforce.”

Each year the Good Design Awards celebrate the best new products and services on the Australian and international market, excellence in architectural design, engineering, fashion, digital and communication design, and reward new and emerging areas of design including design strategy, social impact design, design research and up-and-coming design talent in the next-gen category.

The 2023 Good Design Awards attracted high-quality design projects from Australia and around the world. These innovative projects were evaluated by more than 70 Australian and international Jurors, with more than 900 entries this year evaluated against a strict set of design evaluation criteria which includes good design, design innovation and design impact.

“To be recognised with an Australian Good Design Award tells the world this project not only represents design excellence, but it also surpasses the criteria for design innovation and design impact. The Good Design Award is an independent endorsement of professional design quality,” said Dr. Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia and Chair of the Australian Good Design Awards.

The Australian Good Design Awards is the country’s oldest and most prestigious international awards for design and innovation with a proud history dating back to 1958.

“It is incredible to see how design has changed over the past 65 years. While we celebrate this important milestone for Australian design, we also pay our respect to the oldest living designers on this planet who have been designing and creating for more than 65,000 years. We have such a deeply rich and diverse design culture in Australia to draw and learn from as we shape the next 65 years of design,” said Dr. Gien.

“Some of the Award-winning projects from this year’s Good Design Awards are truly ground-breaking. There are so many inspiring impact-led projects this year that have embraced the power of design as a problem-solving tool – their design stories deserve to be recognised and celebrated at the highest level. We are proud to continue the legacy of celebrating design, and designers making a positive impact on our world. The Good Design Awards showcase what true design excellence looks like, to inspire others to greatness – that’s exactly what these awards are about.”

“The Good Design Awards recognise and celebrate the transformative power of design to find innovative, customer-centric solutions to local and global challenges. My sincere congratulations to all the designers, engineers, architects and innovators recognised in this year’s awards – you deserve to be celebrated at the highest level possible,” Dr. Gien concluded.

Click here for more visuals of Te Wao Nui o Toi.

L-R: Sanjiv Menon, Simon Rycroft, Jeannette Troon and Dr Claire Robinson accepting the Good Design award on behalf of Toi Mai.

PROJECT DETAILS 

Project Title: Te Wao Nui o Toi — Capability and Development Plan for the Below-the-line Screen Sector Workforce.

Project Description: Toi Pāho – the film, television and interactive media sector of Aotearoa, New Zealand – is facing skills shortages and a lack of diversity in its ‘below-the-line’ workforce. Te Wao Nui o Toi is a research project that provides direction for industry and government toward initiatives for lasting workforce improvement.

Commissioned by: Toi Mai Workforce Development Council.

Designed by: Akshay Rao, Anton Matthews, Carol Soundy, Graham Tipene, Melissa Helyer-Akhara, Simon Rycroft, Sanjiv Menon, Simon Holbrook, Courtney van Beek and Vijay Patel.