Otago Polytechnic has won five medals at the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards.

Eight Otago Polytechnic School of Design-related projects were represented at the awards ceremony.

Held online on Friday (18 February), the postponed 2021 event is regarded as the annual showcase of excellence in graphic, spatial, product, interactive and motion design in New Zealand.

"To have five out of eight of our finalists collect medals at New Zealand’s most prestigious design awards is an outstanding achievement," says Dr Megan Gibbons, Otago Polytechnic Chief Executive.

Cameron Tillotson, who graduated from Otago Polytechnic with a Bachelor of Design (Communication), won a Gold Medal in the Student Moving Image category for his music video "Merc Lady".

The judges described his project as bold and fresh, adding: "Great use of stop-motion and a riot of colour come together to create a memorable and original piece of animation."

Another Bachelor of Design (Communication) graduate, Courtney Forbes claimed a Silver Medal in the Student Graphics category for her branding project, "Pōpopo Wormporium".

Otago Polytechnic Bachelor of Architectural Studies graduate Mila Makasini won a Silver Medal in the Student Spatial category for "Navigating Culture", a concept for a Polynesian cultural centre. (Mila had previously won the inaugural student design award from the southern branch of the New Zealand Institute of Architects.)

Otago Polytechnic’s Desis [eds: CRRT] Lab team (a Product Design collaboration comprising Alex Gilks, Machiko Niimi, Mary Butler, Kelechi Ogbuehi, Curtis Stent, Karen Parker and Sarah Drummond) won a Silver Medal in the Value of Design category for their Vision 2020 Child To Child Vision Screening project.

Otago Polytechnic Bachelor of Design (Product) graduates Angus Lewry and Ella Sanderson won a Bronze Medal in the Student Product category for their project "Freerein", a prototype bike designed to help people with multiple sclerosis.

The Best Design Awards are an annual showcase of excellence in graphic, spatial, product, interactive and motion design.

"I am delighted to have the work of so many of our talented designers acknowledged by the judges," says Prof Federico Freschi, head of Te Maru Pūmanawa: College of Creative Practice and Enterprise, Otago Polytechnic.

"Previous Best Awards finalists and winners have built on their success to launch their design careers in New Zealand and overseas.

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