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ALPT: Kathy, in the past you ran the Victorian Design Awards. Now you are back running the State of Design Festival program. Is the Festival just an updated version of the VDA?

Kathy Demos: Definitely not! When I was initially approached to 'run an awards program', I declined as I think we need a broader, more inclusive design awareness program. However, when I proposed an alternative approach, a survey of design exhibition to be held at Melbourne Museum, they agreed. From that centrepiece, the full Festival program has been developed. It now includes a wide range of events, of which the Awards is but one part.

ALPT: Why did you propose a different approach?

KD: It is a way to escape the rigid categorisation of 'typical' design awards, and a way to ensure that the program focuses more on helping the business community and the general public appreciate design. By making the Exhibition the centrepiece, rather than a 'big ticket award' program, we will hopefully encourage a broader group of designers to enter. We wanted to ensure that it would a celebration of design, aimed at an audience of anyone interested in design. This is also why it is so valuable that Melbourne Museum is the key partner, because they have a clear focus on the broader community.

ALPT: What does the program cover?

KD: Beyond the Exhibition and the Premier's Design Award, there will be a conference, lectures, street events, a design market, factory forums and many other events. We've come up with very exciting ideas to bring business and design together, such as the 'Factory Forums', where local companies will host sessions on their premises. These sessions will bring together a range of design disciplines in a real world commercial environment, and we expect both business and design audiences will be very engaged.

We are also positioning the Festival as a focal point for a broader range of activities beyond those which we are organising. We are treating the Festival as a way to really promote awareness of design, so it makes sense to co-promote other design activities that are happening at the same time.

ALPT: How will the Awards work?

KD: The Award-winning designs will be selected by a panel of judges from the exhibition entries, but I do want to stress that we would like as many designers from around Australia as possible to submit work, and that our main focus is putting together a comprehensive and exciting Design Exhibition.

ALPT: You just mentioned, "from around Australia," - isn't this a Victorian government initiative?

KD: Yes it is, but design doesn't stop at Wodonga, so why should we? Also, today designers are collaborating with interstate colleagues day to day, and occasionally internationally as well. We wanted to recognise that broad reach of design work in a concrete way, so a national entry group makes a lot of sense.

ALPT: When is the Festival, and what do you see as the biggest challenges?

KD: The Festival of Design will run from July 28 to August 5. The biggest challenge will be making an impact on non-designers, for example articulating key design concepts to those audiences. We have designed a program which will make progress against this challenge, but it will also require a strong support and participation from a broad range of designers, including AGDA and its members!

For more information, including the Call for Entries package, see: