Monash University: Leah Heiss appointed Chair at the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards

Victoria’s Minister for Creative Industries the Hon Steve Dimopoulos MP has announced Associate Professor Leah Heiss as the new Chair of the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards.

Associate Professor Heiss is the Eva and Marc Besen International Research Chair in Design at Monash Art, Design and Architecture (MADA), an award-winning designer and leading researcher at the nexus of design, health and technology. She is an Australian Good Design Ambassador and her design work has been recognised with six Australian Good Design Awards, the most recent in 2022 when she was awarded the Australian Women in Design Award.

Supported by the Victorian Government, the Victorian Premier’s Design Awards recognise excellence in the practice and application of design, honouring both the designer and the client who commissioned the work.

The awards contribute to Victoria’s reputation as a centre for design excellence, Associate Professor Heiss being appointed the Chair of these awards is further recognition of her leadership in this field. She will oversee the Awards for the next three years as designated term of the appointment.

Through collaborative projects Associate Professor Heiss has brought humanity centred design to solutions for hearing loss, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health and loneliness. Leah’s wearable technologies are part of the Museums Victoria and Powerhouse (MAAS) heritage collections and have been exhibited to global audiences exceeding 700,000 people. She is involved in co-designing new models and systems of care with partners including the World Health Organisation, Alfred Health and Turning Point.

Speaking of the appointment, Leah says, “Being selected as the Chair of The Premier’s Design Awards is a game changer for my career. I am committed to an expanded role for design in improving our systems, services and technologies. Design in Victoria is a sovereign capability, with our world class designers, we find innovators may come to Victoria for manufacturing or pharmaceutical development, yet they will stay for design.”

Associate Professor Heiss co-leads the interdisciplinary ‘Future Healthcare’ initiative, one of the most significant upcoming research projects for Monash University.

“Future Healthcare at Monash University recognises that as a society we can’t do ‘business-as-usual’ anymore. We need dynamic interdisciplinary approaches to addressing complex challenges like improving our healthcare system.” continues Associate Professor Heiss.

“Design plays a critical role as an integrator of knowledge, bringing together lived experience of patients and workforce with systems level intelligence to shift the needle and deliver more equitable, kind and sustainable healthcare.”

The Future Healthcare initiative leverages deep sector expertise and research, and will look at the ecosystem of health care including devices, spaces, architectures and systems to deliver transformational impact for Australian healthcare.

“Not only is Associate Professor Leah Heiss’ research improving the lives of people interacting with healthcare systems and technologies, she is also a wonderful ambassador for the role of Design in addressing complex challenges,” said Professor Shane Murray, Dean of Monash Art, Design and Architecture.

“Her appointment as Chair of the Premier’s Design Awards is incredibly well deserved recognition of her many contributions to the field of Design.”

More on Future HealthcareUsing interdisciplinary co-design approaches, Future Healthcare will deliver technology design and integration; frameworks and tools to support workforces; consumer-led insights to drive commissioning of new models, systems, and spaces for care. This includes tangible approaches to drive future preparedness, and reduce costs and build resilience in health systems.

Future Healthcare is co-designing new healthcare systems and technologies with partners including the World Health Organisation, Oxfam, Monash Health, Cabrini Health, Alfred Health, Micro X, Health Direct Australia, Victorian Department of Health and Turning Point.