The DesignConnect Senior Student Award celebrates emerging design practice from senior secondary students in Years 11-12 from Queensland and Northern NSW Schools. Students may submit projects developed through school assessment or independent study, including individual or small group work.
Selected entries may be exhibited at Griffith University Queensland College of Art and Design (Gold Coast campus) on 19 November 2026, providing students with an opportunity to showcase their work, connect with the wider design community, and receive formal recognition.
DesignConnect Senior Student Award
Submissions close October 5 2026
Exhibition and awards November 19 2026
What kind of work is eligible?
Students can submit design projects that respond to a brief, stakeholder need, client scenario, human-centred problem, or sustainability opportunity.
Visual Communication Design
Graphic, typographic, and communication-focused design projects.
Product Design
Physical or digital product concepts and protptypes.
Interior or Spatial Design
Interior, architextural, or environmental design projects.
Service or Experience Design
Designing systems, services or user experiences.
Sustainable Design
Circular, sustainable, or environmentally responsible design concepts.
Design Research & Prototyping
Research-led projects with strong process documentation.
The DesignConnect Senior Student Award recognises outstanding senior secondary design work and helps students share their projects beyond the classroom.
Students or teachers can submit design projects that respond to a brief, stakeholder needs, client scenario, human-centred problem, or sustainability opportunity.
Project Categories include:
- Visual Communication Design: Graphic, typographic, and communication-focused design projects
- Product Design: Physical or digital product concepts and prototypes
- Interior or Spatial Design: Interior, architectural, or environmental design projects
- Service or Experience Design: Designing systems, services, or user experiences
- Sustainable Design: Circular, sustainable, or environmentally responsible design concepts
- Design Research & Prototyping: Research-led projects with strong process documentation.
Submission format
The selected submissions will be printed and exhibited at the Gold Coast Campus of the Queensland College of Art and Design, and the format for submission should be:
- Submit a PDF document with a specific file size of 890 mm x 1270mm (not pixels).
- Your resolution must be set no less than 220 pixels per inch.
- Colour Space must be set to RGB.
FAQ section
No. The award is open to a range of design work, including visual communication, product, spatial, service, communication, and sustainable design projects.
No. Students or teachers can submit projects via the Apply Now link.
Teacher professional development
Enhance your design teaching
Held at our Gold Coast campus, we offer design-focused professional development (PD) days for teachers, covering design thinking, digital tools, and innovative teaching strategies. Our workshops are designed to help you earn PD points while gaining practical skills that you can bring back to your classroom.
Interactive learning
Participate in immersive hands-on workshops that deepen your understanding of design principles.
Earn PD points
Fulfil your professional development requirements while adding to your teaching toolkit.
Innovative teaching methods
Explore the latest trends in design education and technologies and learn strategies to apply them in your classroom.
Hands-on experience
Dive into design thinking and creative problem-solving.
University taster
Experience a day in the life of a design student at Griffith.
Interactive Workshops
Work on real design briefs, experiment with materials, and develop your technical skills.
Design Futures with Digital Tools
Professional Development for Design, Technology, and Art Teachers.
This workshop series empowers educators in Northern NSW/South-East Queensland to harness 3D printing, and video production for classroom innovation.
Each workshop stands alone but together creates an integrated learning journey—from generating ideas with AI to producing tangible objects and compelling digital content using accessible, classroom-ready tools. All materials provided.
Workshop 1: From Imagination to Object
AI Sketch to 3D Print
Bring ideas to life — from sketch to text to 3D. Teachers will explore a full AI-to-3D workflow: generating product ideas using Vizcom.ai, modelling the concept in CAD software, and preparing it for 3D printing. We'll also explore using Adobe Stager for quick rendering and Sketchfab with USDZ exports for viewing 3D objects in AR on iPad — ideal for immersive learning environments.
Workshop Details
Skill Focus: AI ideation, basic CAD, 3D printing workflow, rendering
Perfect For: Product, Design, and Technology teachers and students
Date: Saturday, 16 August 2025
Time: 10am until 3pm with a break for lunch.
Location: Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus
Cost: $85 All materials and a light lunch will be provided.
*Minimum number of participants needed to run the workshop
Workshop 2: Lights, Camera, Prototype
Make a Product Ad with In-Camera Effects
Shoot a slick ad — no expensive equipment required. Using only a smartphone, clever lighting tricks, and household props, teachers will learn how to film cinematic product ads. They'll capture short clips of their 3D printed object and edit them into a polished 20-second commercial using DaVinci Resolve.
This workshop blends storytelling, branding, and media production — perfect for cross-curricular application.
Workshop Details
Skill Focus: Video production, lighting effects, visual storytelling using smart phones and free editing software.
Perfect For: Media Arts, Design, and Digital Technology teachers and students
Date: Saturday, 1 November 2025
Time: 10am until 3pm with a break for lunch.
Location: Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University Gold Coast Campus
Cost: $85 All materials and a light lunch will be provided.
*Minimum number of participants needed to run the workshop
Find out more
For further information about Design Connect, please contact the QCAD administration team.
Expanding my knowledge and abilities
"The full day PD was designed to improve teacher's abilities in photography, focusing on portraiture. I found the PD an educational day, which allowed me to expand upon my knowledge of photography. It had indoor and outdoor sessions to work with different lighting and show what teachers could work with, using different tools."
Danielle Del Prado
Teacher, Queensland Department of Education and Training
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- Location and delivery address
- Brisbane City (South Bank)
- Queensland College of Art and Design
- Griffith University
- 226 Grey Street
- South Bank, QLD 4101
- Location and delivery address
- Gold Coast
- Queensland College of Art and Design
- Griffith University
- Parklands Drive
- Southport, QLD 4222