Success for design students at the 2022 AGDA Design Awards

Torrens University Australia is thrilled that so many of our Billy Blue College of Design graphic, communications and digital media students and alumni were recognised as finalists, and winners in the 2022 AGDA Design Awards.

“Congratulations to our students in the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) annual awards!,” said Scott Thompson-Whiteside, Executive Dean, Design and Creative Technology. “To pick up 7 Distinctions and 16 Merit awards across 8 award categories is just amazing and a testament to the quality of our students and the industry standards we set within our courses.”

The AGDA Design Awards celebrate a diverse range of disciplines, highlighting every generation of emerging talent from college and university students through to the long-established professionals, the leaders in design. The annual awards aim to further the design discussion and stimulate the creative progress of the industry.

“We’re really proud of our Billy Blue Creative heritage and the strong support we’ve had from Industry over the years to ensure that our graduates really stand out, so it’s really excellent to fast forward to 2022 and see our students having such a strong showing at this year’s AGDA Design Awards," said Darryn Melrose, General Manager, Design and Creative Technologies.

“We’re proud of our students and the work that they produce. It’s a delight to see their efforts recognised across so many of the student categories in this year’s AGDA Awards,” added Nathan Scoular, Academic Director, Industry at Torrens University.

Our academics are at the heart of our industry focused university

At Torrens University our connectivity to industry drives our curriculum and ensures we remain at the forefront of what industry demands and expects from our graduates.

AGDA - Australian Graphic Design Association, is Australia’s largest representative association of professional communication designers existing to support local designers.

“With AGDA being the peak industry association for the visual communication industries in Australia, it is a testament to the quality of our graduates and the industry standards that we set within our courses,” added Scott.

“Industry recognition means everything. It’s a powerful validator for what we do, shining a spotlight on the capacity of our students and the relevance of our curriculum,” said Nathan.

“To have this scale of student winners and finalists from BBCD is an amazing achievement,” said Scott. “A special thanks also to the many staff at Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University who have contributed to the students’ success and for your continued excellence in teaching.”

“In particular, special mention needs to be given to lecturer, Cheri Flewell-Smith, who has mentored, guided and empowered our Design and Creative Technology students through this process — It’s connections like this, between our learners and their lecturers, that drives success,” said Nathan.

“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your students kicking goals and winning awards," said Cheri Flewell-Smith, Lecturer, Design and Creative Technology at Torrens University Australia. “Each win demonstrates our commitment as staff to inspiring, mentoring, and leading emerging designers as they move into the industry."

Judging criteria

Jury members are briefed to critique the entries for innovative expression of an idea, execution of the concept, and relevance to the intended audience. Specialist categories such as Design Effectiveness and Design for Good have additional aspects to the work such as Business and Social impact.

Jeannie Bentley – #NOCOMMENT

Special mention goes to our Interiors Design course student, Shterna Raskin, for her Smiggle entry receiving a nod in the Student Spatial category for Environmental Design. For an Interiors student to be recognised in graphic design finalist list, Cheri said this speaks to the cross-disciplinary nature of design.

Also, to our Communication Design course student, Olivia Coghlan, who received nods across two categories – Student Print and Student Publications, for Faceless Crowd, created in response to our academic integrity campaign that recently toured Torrens University campuses across Australia.

Congratulations to our massive list of finalists!

2022 AGDA Design Awards finalists

Rosie Conway – Bang Bang Hot Sauce

Student Packaging

1. Rosie Conway – Bang Bang Hot Sauce - Distinction
2. Rosie Conway – GULP - Distinction
3. Rosey Conway – Rootine Haircare - Merit
4. Marcus Cheong – Bestea - Distinction
5. Erin Lilja – Endless Summer IPA - Finalist
6. Melissa Schill – Goodness Gelato - Merit
7. Emilie Carmona – HEYDAY - Finalist
8. Jennie Bentley - Tutto Fa Brodo - Finalist
9. Tehgan J Brink – Zoo Pals - Finalist

Alannah Deluca – Postpartum Care (Logo, Trademark, Symbol)

Student Brand and Identity Self-Promotion

10. Jessica Serov – A zine of possibilities (Self-Promotion) - Finalist
11. Alannah Deluca – ART DEPT (Self Promotion) - Finalist
12. Alannah Deluca – ART DEPT (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Merit
13. Alannah Deluca – ART DEPT (Range Series) - Finalist
14. Alannah Deluca – POST - Postpartum Care (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
15. Alannah Deluca – POST - Postpartum Care (Identity, Range, Series) - Finalist
16. Alannah Deluca – Rumi - Art for Advocacy (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Merit
17. Alannah Deluca – Rumi - Art for Advocacy (Identity, Range, Series) - Merit
18. Alannah Deluca – Wild Herb - Unleash the Chef (Identity, Range, Series) - Finalist
19. Alannah Deluca – Wild Herb - Unleash the Chef (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
20. Rosie Conway – Rosie (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
21. Rosie Conway – Rootine Haircare (Identity, Range, Series) - Finalist
22. Rosie Conway – Rootine Haircare (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
23. Rosie Conway – Bang Bang Hot Sauce (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Distinction
24. Rosie Conway – Bang Bang Hot Sauce (Range, Series) - Distinction
25. Rosie Conway – GULP (Range, Series) - Finalist
26. Rosie Conway – We Are Haus (Range, Series) - Finalist
27. Rosie Conway – Nook (Range, Series) - Finalist
28. Marcus Cheong – Bestea (Range, Series) - Distinction
29. Rachel Armstrong – Drape (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
30. Jennie Bentley – Lonely Mouth (Range, Series) - Finalist
31. Gabrielle Kell – Marrakesh Logo (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
32. Kirana Cahyani – minewine (Identity, Range, Series) - Finalist
33. Michela Maiolo – Personal Identity (Identity, Range, Series) - Finalist
34. Izabella Hacinas – See it be it (Identity, Range, Series) - Merit
35. Sarah Fell – Swaythe blankets (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
36. Emily Johnstone – Tooth + Paw (Logo, Trademark, Symbol) - Finalist
37. Jennie Bentley – Tutto Fa Brodo (Range, Series) - Finalist

Marcus Cheong – Bestea

Student Print

38. Jennie Bentley – #NOCOMMENT - Merit
39. Rosie Conway – Bang Bang Hot Sauce - Finalist
40. Marcus Cheong – Bestea - Distinction
41. Tehgan J Brink – Lucy & Yak Pride 2022 - Finalist
42. Izabella Hacinas – See it be it - Finalist
43. Olivia Coglan – The Faceless Crowd - Merit

Olivia Coglan – The Faceless Crowd

Student Publications

44. Liam Forcadilla – The Other Folk (Magazines, Newspapers) - Finalist
45. Ralph Coloma – The Evolution of Super Robots - Finalist
46. Olivia Coglan – The Faceless Crowd - Finalist
47. Marcus Cheong – This book of posters will never be finished - Merit

Jennie Bentley – Consent Matters (Digital Campaign)

Student Digital

48. Jennie Bentley - #ConsentMatters - Finalist
49. Jennie Bentley – RE - Finalist
50. Jennie Bentley – We make sense when we’re together - Merit

Shterna Raskin – Smiggle (Environmental Design)

Student Spatial

51. Sarah Fell – Casey Fields (Signage and Environmental Graphics) - Merit
52. Shterna Raskin – Smiggle (Environmental Design) - Merit
53. Jennie Bentley – We make sense when we’re together (Exhibition Design) - Merit

Rachel Armstrong – Drape Magazine (Photography)

Student Design Crafts

54. Alannah Deluca – A new type of Foliage (Typography) - Merit
55. Rachel Armstrong – Drape Magazine (Photography) - Finalist
56. Izabella Hacinas – Fat in modern art (Illustration) - Finalist
57. Izabella Hacinas – See it be it (Illustration) - Finalist
58. Tehgan J Brink – Groove Sans (Typography) - Finalist
59. Erin Lilja – Unfold Promotional Postcard (Typography) - Finalist

Student Motion

60. Rachel Armstrong – We need To Talk (Animation) - Merit
61. Kai-Yi Fan – Why choose scented candles? (Animation) - Merit
62. Kai-Yi Fan – Four Elements In One Flame? (Animation) - Finalist
63. Jennie Bentley – We Make Sense When We’re Together (Moving Images) - Finalist

Industry Partner Awards

Special mention also to our graduate designer Peita Jackson, comprising part of the team shortlisted at Tiliqua Press for their entry in the Publications category for Ligature Journal Issue 10.

Peita Jackson Ligature Journal Issue 10

Last year, Michelle Mondel, Billy Blue Bachelor of Communication Design graduate was awarded the Pinnacle – Emerging Designer of the Year at the 2021 AGDA Design Awards. Billy Blue students and alumni racked up close to 20 spots as finalists, distinction, and merit at the 2021 AGDA Design Awards.

AGDA Design Awards 2022 Ceremony took place Saturday, 12^th November at The Ballroom, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.

Hero image: Alannah Deluca Rumi – Art for Advocacy, Identity, Range, Series