Urbis Designday Future Designer

Seven stunning installations by recent AUT design graduates captivated the imagination and attention of Designday guests last Saturday as they voted for their favourite HP Future Designer. The votes were tallied and Auckland based graphic designer Anzac Tasker walked away with the top prize – and a unique HP touchscreen laptop – one of only two in the country.

The award was announced at the Urbis Designday Wrap Party held on Wednesday, 24^th March at the Steel Works, Auckland. The votes were close but it was Anzac’s unique and fun approach to typography that captivated the audience.

Bringing type ‘away from the computer and back into the craft’ was the concept behind Anzac’s installation and this was demonstrated with white panels and 3D type; some rotating, some only making sense from certain angles, but all fresh, innovative and intriguing.

Urbis Designday Wrap Party guests were unanimous that the new HP Future Designer competition was a great new addition to the event demonstrating fresh ideas across five design disciplines; fashion, graphic, product, spatial, and digital design.  Other works set up at the Simon James showroom included life size fashion illustrations, composited digital video, suspended and rotating garments, animated and futuristic illustrations, architectural studies  - even a lizard trap!

Editor of Urbis, Nicole Stock, helped choose the final seven students and is proud to have the HP Future Designers competition an integral part of the day, she says “Urbis is very supportive of young designers and we felt Designday was a great opportunity to showcase great young talent to a discerning and design loving audience. The standard of the seven installations was very high and congratulations to Anzac for winning this award.”

Organizers and guests of the 5^th Urbis Designday enjoyed the new and exciting changes to the format – including young designers and creative practitioners from the worlds of architecture, fashion, graphic design, landscaping, and multimedia. Designday was held on Saturday 20^th March and was the most successful in its five year history with a huge turnout on the day.

The bar has been set extremely high for 2011 Urbis Designday and no doubt will yet again include world class New Zealand designers and creative practitioners working with Auckland’s finest showrooms - leaving every Designday guest feeling inspired and entertained.

For more information see: www.urbismagazine.com/designday