Jan 22, 2025 Society
This November, we had the pleasure of attending the Lexus Design Award 2024, a showcase of emerging talent from the University of Auckland and AUT. For over a decade, the Lexus Design Award has challenged emerging designers to push the boundaries of creativity. This year, students from our city’s top design schools were invited to submit product designs that not only embodied sustainable thinking but also aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Lexus’ brand principles: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate. Lexus Ambassadors Simon James, Scott Bridges and Tim Rundle, acted as mentors throughout the process and as judges for the Award, helping nurture young designers and the event itself, with this year being the first to be attended by Lexus International.
Each of the showcased projects, including winners — MyoLink, Sustainable Serviceware, baBI, and Worn Again — demonstrates the incredible potential of design to address pressing global issues. Whether it’s creating healthier workplaces, reducing waste, or protecting our planet, these projects are a testament to the Lexus Design Award’s mission of celebrating bold, purposeful innovation. As we left the event, we couldn’t help but feel hopeful about the future. These aren’t just ideas—they’re blueprints for a smarter, greener, and more compassionate world. If this is where design is headed, count us in.
AUT WINNER
Daniel Brink’s MyoLink
In physically demanding environments like construction, worker safety is paramount. But on large worksites with many people, it can be difficult to monitor everyone’s well-being. That’s where MyoLink steps in—a wearable device redefining how we care for laborers’ health.
Using advanced electromyography (EMG) technology, MyoLink tracks metrics such as muscle strain, heart rate, and location in real time. Workers wear a belt and attach a sleek sensor that syncs with their phone, alerting them with a subtle vibration if they’re pushing too hard. With 54% of construction workers experiencing back issues and ACC claims in this sector reaching $1.1 billion in 2023, solutions like MyoLink could help reduce injuries and keep people in their jobs. What impressed the judges most was its proactive approach. Unlike exoskeletons, which can inadvertently weaken users, Brink’s MyoLink empowers workers to maintain their strength while preventing injuries—leading to healthier, more sustainable work environments.
UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND WINNER
Pia Sutherland’s baBI
Protecting our environment is paramount, and baBI makes this task both smarter and more inclusive. baBI is a modular system of remote sensors that gathers real-time data on everything from soil conditions to wildlife activity. By creating an open-source dataset accessible to conservationists, farmers, and everyday citizens, baBI empowers everyone to play a role in protecting our ecosystems. The beauty of baBI lies in its adaptability. Each sensor core can be tailored to specific challenges, whether it’s monitoring forest health or predicting pest outbreaks. It’s conservation reimagined—not reactive, but proactive.
AUT RUNNER-UP
Deanna Griffin’s Sustainable Serviceware
Air travel often conjures images of cramped spaces and endless waste, but Sustainable Serviceware transforms that narrative—without changing planes or seating arrangements. Griffin’s ingenious system reinvents airline meal trays with modular, stackable designs crafted from recycled materials. The trays pair with reusable ceramic containers and biodegradable items made from seaweed, offering functionality without the carbon footprint. Beyond its environmental benefits, the streamlined design simplifies in-flight service, making life easier for flight attendants and passengers alike. This project impressed us with its seamless blend of sustainability and practicality, addressing multiple SDGs, from Climate Action to Good Health and Wellbeing. It’s the kind of innovation that makes you rethink everyday conveniences—and imagine them done better.
UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND RUNNER-UP
Giselle Conway’s Worn Again
We’re all quickly coming to realize the staggering environmental toll of fast fashion—from the resources required to produce millions of garments weekly to the waste of barely worn clothes ending up in landfills (or worse). Giselle Conway’s Worn Again offers a creative, community-driven solution to this global issue. At its heart is a workshop where old clothes are shredded into yarn and transformed into rugs, coasters, or other handcrafted items. This isn’t just recycling; it’s a masterclass in rethinking how we value our possessions.
Worn Again has a twofold impact—it reduces waste while fostering a connection between people and sustainable practices. It’s proof that small, local initiatives can tackle global challenges like textile waste, aligning with SDG 12’s call for responsible consumption and production.
It is fitting that the winners will showcase their designs at the 2025 Auckland Design Week, where New Zealand’s larger design industry congregates around big ideas. Each of these projects highlights the power of innovation to shape a brighter, more sustainable future. Whether on a construction site, in the skies, or within our local communities, the Lexus Design Award 2024 proves that design has the potential to transform the way we live — for the better.
