Design graduates make the top 40

14 December 2005

Five former UNSW students have been named in a leading magazine's listing of Australia's top 40 design graduates.

In its December issue, top Australian architecture and design publication Monument highlights those designers to watch and the tertiary institutions producing the most successful exports.

Among those named are Sally Lai (Industrial Design, FBE 2004); Jillian Hopkins (Architecture, FBE 2004); Daniel Weisz (Design, COFA 2004); Gillian Heathcote (Design, COFA 2004); Gabriel Tam (Industrial Design, FBE 2004) and Elliat Rich (Design, COFA, 2004).

Sally Lai, who tops the list, has designed a kit for capturing travel experiences. A toi allows tickets, passes and other memorabilia collected along the way to be archived or sent home as customised travel cards.

Jillian Hopkins designed a portable structure for birdwatchers while Daniel Weisz has created an elegant stoneware table setting, inspired by M.C Escher's tessellated tile designs.

Gillian Heathcote's Precious explores the sentimental associations and rituals involved in the giving and receiving of jewellery. Inspired by rock gardens, Gabriel Tam's s wall-mountable Greenscape is an indoor modular living wall system designed to enliven inner-city spaces.

Elliat Rich'a Lichen sheltering system is designed to encourage nomadic culture in the urban environment. It consists of a permanent simple platform that can be built into certain CBD awnings, and a portable canvas structure that can be adapted to a swag, tarp or coat.

Some of the UNSW work came to the attention of Monument following last year's graduand exhibition organised by the Faculty of the Built Environment.