TMMRW Awards vision for a better future

Since launching in 2021, the TMMRW awards (formerly The Circle Awards) have shone a spotlight on change-making brands and businesses, offering a hopeful look into the work that’s being done across multiple sectors to create a better tomorrow.

Judged by a panel of industry leaders, including Peppermint founder Kelley Sheenan, this year’s awards saw 25 winners recognised in categories covering research, circular economy and regenerative business practices, emerging technologies and design. Design by Nature was awarded the Hall of Fame for their studio’s work in sustainable design.

Tell us about your business…

Design by Nature is an Australian brand strategy and design studio on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation. Celebrating 25 years, we have been uncompromisingly values-driven and purpose-led from the start. We partner with people who share our passion for sustainability, equality and positive impact; together, we design for a better world. We’re a certified B Corp, and we’re proud to be one of the first sustainability-focused communication design studios, which continues to inform how we work and who we work for. We only take on projects that positively impact people and the planet, whether in gender equality, health, social justice, human rights or the environment. We believe we all have a responsibility to create a fair, safe and prosperous future.

What has been your focus or interest this year, and what are you hoping to build, grow or maintain next year?

In 2023 we settled into our new space in the Mercator Building at the Abbotsford Convent. We love being part of this creative community nestled in nature. It’s a perfect fit for our values and what we love. We celebrated our second year of being B Corp certified and are now preparing for recertification and looking at opportunities for improvement, which includes swapping our superannuation over to Australian Ethical and swapping our banking to Bank Australia for starters.

With our clients, we were really excited to work closely with St Kilda Legal Service co-designing a new name and brand: Southside Justice. We published our third design and lifestyle book on connecting with nature, authored by our director Anna Carlile and published with Hardie Grant – Wild Life, 50 Projects to Rewild from the Inside Out – and a new Walks In Nature: Tasmania book.

We designed a tram with Conservation Volunteers Australia and Yarra Trams to inspire people to engage in projects that invite nature back into the city and urban homes to create nature corridors – it’s fun seeing it rolling through the streets of Melbourne. We were also proud to design and bring to life the gender equality strategy with the Victorian Government.

A highlight was also continuing our design partnership with the Wheeler Centre and bringing to life their progressive and innovative programs such as Spring Fling and Mother and World of Words.

Formerly Viola Design, aside from our client work this year, our focus has been working on our studio’s new brand, Design by Nature, and website. We wanted a name that better reflected our 25 years of unwavering commitment to designing for people and the planet. We are excited to step into this new name and focus on how we can inspire a more sustainable practice for communication designers globally by doing more research and putting out guides and resources through our new site and journal.

What does a better tomorrow look like to you?

A better tomorrow looks more just and fair; it’s a healthy environment that’s sustained with healthy and connected communities cohabitating in harmony with nature and all beings.  

You were recently recognised with a Hall of Fame award in the 2023 TMRRW Awards – how have you maintained energy, passion and action in your business over the years?

We are very proud to be recognised with a Hall of Fame Award in the 2023 TMRRW Awards. We are standing alongside such incredible, passionate people doing innovative and creative pursuits for the world. It’s an excellent conclusion to a year that’s been filled with many global and local challenges. I am looking forward to the summer holidays which I personally use to put the phone and endless connectivity of work aside, disconnect and go deep into nature, camping with friends and family – we are hiking the Overland Track in January. This is how I reset, recalibrate and recharge so I can return in 2024 ready for a new year.

Read the full article here.