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Crumpler is a privately owned designer, manufacturer and retailer of bags and outerwear with a small modern factory and ...
07/10/2026

Crumpler is a privately owned designer, manufacturer and retailer of bags and outerwear with a small modern factory and studio based in Melbourne’s C*D, along with a network of five retail stores around the country. We make a best-selling product in Melbourne that is sold all over the world.

After building up our studio and local production facilities we are keen to include an experienced designer to work alongside the owners to set and lead product direction, continue improving long standing silhouettes and bring some new thinking and expertise to the company.

We have a legacy of core products we’ve been making for ever and they continue to set the scene however we’ve seen some recent hits with more experimental products using different fabrics, trims and shapes. Along with some good learnings from around the world and some pretty interesting advances in fabric technology we reckon some fresh ideas keeping our DNA in mind have the potential to shake up the bag world.

You’ve got 5+ years experience in design ideally with technical bags / outdoor equipment.
Confidence leading a studio and building a team would be helpful.

You’d be researching and developing concepts within the luxury of a small C*D factory where alongside your team of skilled pattern makers & sewers ideas can move to prototype pretty quickly.

The job involves day to day tasks of practical design and you’d be quite happy working on shapes and styles, experimenting with colour, developing, researching and sourcing trims, hardware & new materials as well as range planning + communicating with suppliers and partners.

Practical skills whilst not an absolute prerequisite would be a bonus.

You understand style, trends and history.

You really like well made things.

Detail is important.

You have commercial sensibilities.

You get a kick out of trying something new.

Please send applications with covering letter and portfolio to [email protected]

Thanks very much.

07/10/2026

Last Thursday we gathered at The Front Room to celebrate four people who have shaped Australian design.

Congratulations to our new Fellows, Sue Fenton and David Flack and our new Life Fellows, Jo-Ann Kellock and Rob Backhouse. Fellowship recognises sustained, significant contribution to the profession, and each of them has given generously to the design community over many years.

Thank you to everyone who came along to raise a glass and connect with fellow designers, and to Jaci and the team at the gorgeous Front Room for welcoming us so graciously into your space ❤️

Pics by ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴏ ʟᴜᴄᴀs

02/10/2026

50 years of industrial design in Queensland.

On Wednesday evening, designers, educators, students and industry leaders filled St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane to celebrate five decades since industrial design education began at QIT (now QUT) in the mid-1970s.

Our panel moved through three eras:

The past: Robert Geddes FDIA and Gordon Stuart FDIA on drawing boards, foam models and convincing manufacturers that design mattered.

The present: Jonathan Tighe (Intellidesign) and Sara Pontoppidan (Clandestine Design Group) on designers as strategic partners and translators between technology and people.

The future: Rebekah Davis (Griffith University) and Shayne Beaver (QUT) on AI, regulation, sustainability and why first principles matter more than ever.

As DIA CEO Simone LeAmon put it: “The stronger our collective voice, the harder it is to ignore.”

Thank you to our MC Rebecca McIntosh, Design @ Greg Meyer and the DIA Queensland Branch Council, Mel Finger and the team at QUT, St John's Cathedral, Brisbane, our event partners and everyone who came along for this remarkable event.

Join us again next week on the Gold Coast for a panel discussion on the Gold Coast being a Place For Design (more details and booking via link in bio).

Pics by Jacob Cherry Photography

23/09/2026

THIS is what a design community in action looks like 🙌

Thank you to everyone who joined us tonight for the VIC Portfolio Review. It was a pleasure to see so many final year students and recent grads sharing their work, and to watch Victoria’s design community come together to offer honest, generous feedback across all design specialisations.

A huge thank you to our partners who made it possible:

✨ Tait | Outdoor Furniture – for generously hosting us in their beautiful Fitzroy showroom. Since 1992, Tait has been designing and handcrafting outdoor furniture in Melbourne, and their collections have become icons of contemporary Australian design. We couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring setting.

✨ ghcommercial – for supporting the next generation of designers and helping us create opportunities like this for emerging talent. Thank you!

And of course, thank you to our reviewers for giving their time and expertise so freely. Our next generation of designers will remember your wise words for years to come.

Students, look out for similar events coming up in NSW, QLD, TAS, WA and SA

21/09/2026

What an incredible night celebrating our newest NSW DIA Fellows! 🎉

Huge congratulations to Sarah-Jane Pyke (Arent&Pyke) Sarah-Jane Pyke, Anne-Maree Sargeant (Authentic Design Alliance) AUTHENTIC DESIGN ALLIANCE® and Tim Phillips (Tilt Industrial Design) Tim Phillips , on this extraordinary recognition. Fellowship is reserved for those who have made a truly outstanding contribution to the design profession, and last Thursday night we saw exactly why each of you was chosen. Your work, leadership and generosity to the profession continue to raise the bar for all of us.

A massive thank you to Schiavello Furniture for hosting us in your beautiful Surry Hills space and for your ongoing support of our design community. Evenings like this only happen because of partners who believe in celebrating the people behind great design.

To everyone who came along to raise a glass, connect and celebrate with us, thank you for making it such a special night.

Here’s to our Fellows and everything still ahead of them 🥂

Pics: Grant Angus

16/09/2026

Last week we launched DIA Accredited Designer™ at the Schiavello Furniture Prima Showroom in Southbank, celebrating the future of Australia’s interior design profession and welcoming our inaugural inductees: Mardi doherty, Mim Design, Mel Mackenzie and Sarah-Jane Pyke

While this event had an interiors focus, DIA Accredited Designer™ is open across all design disciplines. If you’re ready to find out what it means for you, join our free online info session, 12pm AEST, October 20. Link in bio.

Huge thanks to our event partners Schiavello Furniture for hosting us in their stunning Melbourne showroom and backing this milestone for the profession.

16/09/2026

When we called for EOIs to review portfolios at our VIC Portfolio Review, 80+ of Victoria’s design community put their hand up. That’s the strength of this industry, and we genuinely wish we could’ve fit you all in. Thank you to everyone who applied, and to the reviewers who’ll be in the room on the night - check out this list!!!!

Now for the event itself: if you’re a final year student or recent grad, this is your shot at direct, personalised feedback from some of Victoria’s top designers, spanning interior, product, UX and graphic design. Free for DIA members.

📅 Wed 23 Sep, 6-8pm
📍 Tait Showroom, 209-211 Smith Street, Fitzroy

Proudly hosted by Tait | Outdoor Furniture and supported by ghcommercial.

Register now via the link in bio.

Interested in putting your expertise to work for Australia’s design profession?The Design Institute of Australia is seek...
03/09/2026

Interested in putting your expertise to work for Australia’s design profession?

The Design Institute of Australia is seeking expressions of interest from professionals with strong finance, governance and industry expertise to contribute to the Institute’s leadership, helping ensure a strong, dynamic and vibrant organisation equipped to advance Australia’s design profession.

DIA Board position vacancies:

Two positions are open for the DIA Board
Member-Elected Director - a financial member, elected by the National Advisory Council, taking office at the AGM.
Independent Director - appointed by the Board against an identified skills gap. Need not be a DIA member.

One of the two positions is open to non-DIA members, enabling the Institute to draw on external expertise and experience that strengthens its governance. All positions are voluntary. If you know someone whose expertise could make a valuable contribution to the DIA, please pass this opportunity on.

Board positions - read the brief → design.org.au/jobs
Applications close Monday 21 September 2026.

01/09/2026

🎉 Congratulations to our 2026 Graduates of the Year Awards winners! Your talent, hard work and fresh perspective are exactly what our industry needs.

A huge thank you to Stylecraft our program partner, for hosting us across five states, and to Dulux Australia our prize partner, for celebrating these outstanding graduates in style.

Welcome to the profession. We can’t wait to see what you do next. 🏆

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