This VDF school show features 17 projects from Swinburn University of Technology's School of Design, including a speech learning app for children and crash bollards reimagined as urban planters.

The breadth of work showcased below represents the outcomes of various different degrees undertaken at the school's Melbourne campus, ranging from undergraduate to postgraduate and from Architecture and Urban Design to Product Design Engineering.

Projects from Swinburne's Bachelor of Design students in particular span a wide range of disciplines, as they are able to specialise in majors such as motion design, user experience design and branded environments in order to provide them with an "industry-relevant education".

School of Design, Swinburne University of Technology

University: Swinburne University of Technology, School of Design
Courses: BDes Communication Design, BA Design, Bachelor of Design/Media and Communication, MA Design, Master of Architecture and Urban Design, DPhil Design

Course statement: 

"Swinburne's School of Design is a recognised leader in providing high quality, industry-relevant education and research. Our innovative courses are internationally recognised and our graduates are known for their creative leadership.

"Communication Design is one of Swinburne's flagship disciplines. Since the introduction of graphic design and advertising in the 1960s, our graduates have continued to be award-winners and leaders in their profession all around the world.

"The Department of Architectural and Industrial Design teaches students to see any project from the end user's perspective while considering sustainability, cultural and manufacturing issues."

Middle of Nowhere by Vivian Schopfer-Bons, BDes Communication Design

"This project was submitted to the annual assessment scheme from the International Society of Typographical Designers (ISDT), which offers young designers the chance to achieve international recognition and ISTD membership.

"Vivian's project is an anthological publication that explores concepts of placelessness, space and the absence of being. Is nowhere in itself a place? Where do we find nowhere? What experiences do we have in such an undefined place? Can we find a singularity among nothingness? Through literature from several authors, Middle of Nowhere explores these questions and proposes potential answers."

Portfolio: behance.net/vschopferfbons

The Study of Gothic Architecture by Hannah Saxton, BDes Communication Design

"Hannah Saxton's publication design project draws its subject matter from the work of scholar Stephen Murray, which explores the nature of Gothic architecture, its origins, purpose, religious significance and how it has evolved and been adopted in different cultures.

"The publication is an attempt to reframe gothic architecture's strategy of creating a sense of the numinous through the experience of space – simultaneously recognising its historic significance and emphasising its contemporary relevance.

"According to Hannah, she was drawn to the subject after spending a semester in Mainz, Germany, and spending many hours documenting the medieval architecture that still forms an essential part of the fabric of the city through photography.
"

Project website: issuu.com/hannahsax
Email: [email protected]

T-Minus 10 by Annie Pham, Celina Liang, Hong Doan and Yashar Rashidzadeh, BA Design

"The Communication Design Capstone Project is a third-year unit in the Bachelor of Design, which assists students in transitioning into professional practice. Working in teams, students develop design strategies and proposals to answer real challenges.

"The T-Minus 10 responsive website design by Team Envision is part of the Countdown to Zero design proposal, which is aimed at helping Swinburne University reduce its carbon emissions. The project uses a combination of branding, digital applications, social media, print publications and advertising to create an integrated design solution."

Site 6 by Weifen Li, MA Design

"Site 6 reimagines a node on the Swinburne University campus, which branches off to six different destinations. This design replaces an empty, desolate space under a pedestrian railway bridge and makes use of two of the most natural, environmentally-friendly materials – timber and live plants.

"A structure of undulating, organic forms is created using timber fins, while a lush vertical garden creates a space that feels closer to nature. Instead of being a bleak, inhospitable part of the campus, it is now a comfortable place for relaxation and rest."

Email: [email protected]

Nike x Australian Open by Jeremy Hsu, BA Design: Branded Environments

"This student project by Jeremy Hsu is a temporary retail and event structure proposing a brand collaboration between Nike and the Australian Open tournament. The design integrates a transparent, lightweight structure made from scaffolding and reflective tape to create interactive platform spaces that showcase and promote custom-made merchandise.

"Branded Environments at Swinburne University intersects spatial design, branding and technology and merges the disciplines of architecture, as well as interior, industrial and communication design. Through physical spaces, students explore design environments that create memorable experiences and connections with audiences and consumers."

Portfolio: behance.net/jeremy-hsu
Email: [email protected]

Melbourne Exquisite Corpse by Jane Novella, BA Design: Motion Design

"This motion design sequence explores the essence of the city of Melbourne through its diverse range of cultures. Jane recreated iconic landmarks and cultural elements that are part of the daily lives of Melbournians using a vibrant colour palette and quirky hand-drawn visual style.

"She is passionate about motion design because it allows her to bring static design to life and gives her the opportunity to communicate in different ways for many types of industries."

Reel: vimeo.com/janenovella
Email: [email protected]

My SwinPlan by Jessie Newton, BA Design: UX Design

"The My SwinPlan application provides students with a course-designing tool. The application was created based on input from users and works across mobile and desktop, allowing students to plan on the go.

"The Swinburne Bachelor of Design provides students with the flexibility to choose majors and electives and the planner, which is integrated into the Swinburne website, allows students to easily access relevant information.

"This tool is helpful for both the university's administration and students, allowing everyone to be on the same page and ultimately empowering students to create informed decisions about their course. Accessibility, understandability and visual cues are at the heart of the design to make it an enjoyable experience for students."

Website: jessienewton.com.au
Email: [email protected]

Tsarevna Lyagushka by Eleisha Kubale, BA Design: Photomedia

"Tsarevna Lyagushka is a project by Eleisha Kubale, which modernises a traditional folktale and was created as part of the Visual Storytelling unit from the Bachelor of Design's Photomedia major.

"Through experimental image-making, including photography, illustration and printmaking, Eleisha created a visual identity for the Russian folktale Tsarevna Lyagushka or the Princess Frog. This visual narrative has been applied to a range of digital and printed outcomes as part of the project, which imagines the folktale being brought to life as a theatre production.

"These designed outcomes allow the user to interact with the brand through an app prototype, printed publication and ultimately an interactive set design."

Website: eleishak.com
Email: [email protected]

Koko by Caroline Tjung, DPhil Design

"This project was created by a School of Design PhD student and consists of an app that is designed to prompt young children to speak. It was created through a series of iterative co-design workshops with 10 Master of Design students, 14 parents of young children, two childcare workers and two speech pathologists.

"Koko the talking koala app is narrative-based and uses vibrant colours, readable typefaces, visual rewards and animation techniques to increase engagement, maintain attention and invite participation."

Website: carotjung.myportfolio.com
Email: [email protected]

Green Phoenix by James Ahne and Matthew Tagle

"Green Phoenix aims to reinvent and de-carbonise urban crash bollards using 3D-printed, geo-polymer concrete, while eliminating people's negative associations with them. This multi-disciplinary project saw Matthew Tagle and James Ahne collaborate with experts from various fields and conduct their own advanced technical analysis.

"Architectural Engineering at Swinburne not only teaches students about the scientific essentials required to solve complex technical challenges but it also develops their ability as designers and innovators to think independently and critically."

Matthew Tagle email: [email protected]
James Ahne email: [email protected]

Ventus by Corina Wong, Joshua Christian, Nathan Wright, Rajendra Buwono and Sheng Ge, Master of Architecture and Urban Design

"Ventus is a collaborative studio project linked to research with Arup, completed by students Corina Wong, Joshua Christian, Nathan Wright, Rajendra Buwono and Sheng Ge. The studio was led by Prof. Marcus White, Dr Mehrnoush Latifi, Dr Xiaran Huang and Daniel Prohasky.

"Swinburne offers Australia's first joint Master of Architecture and Urban Design. The course involves multi-scale design research, engaging with people, data and advanced technologies with a focus on dynamic modelling, theory and professional practice."

WELL Workplace by Gabriella Karen, Bachelor of Design: Interior Architecture

"As a programme, Interior Architecture at Swinburne equips students with an understanding of the primary principles and concepts in interior architecture and its applications in a broad range of contexts.

"The main challenge of this project was to convert a warehouse into a workplace, taking into consideration the WELL building concepts as a guideline for understanding the impact of the built environment on human health and wellbeing. This space was designed for an interior design firm with 15 employees and was inspired by biophilic design principles.

"The project brings nature indoors through environmental features such as water, sunlight, plants and natural materials as well as incorporating natural shapes such as shells, eggs, ovals and arches. The ultimate aim is to evolve the relationship between humans and nature through the layout of a space."

Website: gabriellakaren3.wixsite.com
Email: [email protected]

The Dockland's Market District by Peter Ghionis, Angus Coleman, Christian Di Giantomasso and George Gialis

"The Dockland's Market District encompasses the industrial roots of the area alongside hyper-modern architectural design. With a focus on community-driven businesses, this design invites members of the community to explore all facets of what a waterfront area has to offer: a culturally rich market, historical ship restorations and modern amenities.

"The refined pier invites visitors closer to the water's edge and incorporates an overarching canopy to allow for a closer relationship between the architecture and the water. The re-designed site embraces all the existing features of the Dockland's and builds upon them with the introduction of new public areas around the water's edge."

Project video: youtu.be/s2QFwGD_z_g
Peter Ghionis email: [email protected]
Angus Coleman email: [email protected]
Christian Di Giantomasso email: [email protected]
George Gialis email: [email protected]

WeSkill by Eulalia Trian, Matthew Brincat, Courtney Wright, Liam Monagle and Tugba Yilmaz

"Boroondara City Council seeks to revitalise the Glenferrie Precinct, a lively suburban area of Melbourne. Swinburne's design innovation students challenged the brief by exploring all areas of the problem from a human-centred perspective. The result is WeSkill, a service that empowers youths and seniors to make use of the precinct's spaces for the exchange of skills and knowledge.

"WeSkill is designed to facilitate physical revitalisation via social connections. And their vision is only a starting point, as they will continue to further prototype, test, evolve and challenge via design innovation next semester."

Project website: spark.adobe.com/weskill
Eulalia Triana email: [email protected]
Matthew Brincat email: [email protected]
Courtney Wright email: [email protected]
Liam Monagle email: [email protected]
Tugba Yilmaz email: [email protected]

Velox Charge by Chris Pilcher

"Due to the global transition to electric vehicles, there is a growing need for comprehensive access to fast-charging infrastructure. This includes accessibility in off-grid, regional locations and emergency charging services.

"Velox Charge is a modular battery that uses graphene supercapacitor technology to enable efficient, safe, portable and fast charging. Each module weighs less than 13 kilograms, holds a total of 1.8 kilowatt-hours, and can be discharged in less than two minutes. Whether at home or on the go, Velox Charge is a crucial link in establishing a robust national fast charging network."

Email: [email protected]

Pollen by Amelia Henderson-Pitman, Bachelor of Design: Industrial Product Design

"Native Australian bees are under serious threat of extinction due to factors such as habitat loss, climate change and the use of pesticides but we can help support biodiversity from within our own backyards.

"Pollen is a modular native bee neighbourhood which provides a safe habitat for them to nest in while allowing users to interact and engage with these unique creatures. It comes with an optional planter plus a comprehensive guide to bee-friendly plants, and can be configured to fit even the smallest of outdoor spaces."

The Hive by Oliver Gunning in collaboration with Manuela Nehme, Xin Yu Leong and Andrew Van Keulen

"The Hive responsive website design by Team Seed2 is part of an environmental placemaking design proposal presented to the local council, which involves a co-designed, youth-led community initiative to protect the environment.

"Oliver completed this Communication Design Capstone Project as part of a double degree through the Swinburne School of Design. Swinburne double degrees enable students to study two areas at once over four years. The Bachelor of Design/Business equips students with knowledge and skills in these dynamic sectors. The Bachelor of Design/Media and Communication brings design to life in communication industries."

Virtual Design Festival's student and schools initiative offers a simple and affordable platform for student and graduate groups to present their work during the coronavirus pandemic. Click here for more details.