Arts Queensland is proud to sponsor the Smart State Designer of the Year Award, an annual award established in 2006 to recognise a career of design excellence and a leadership role in Queensland's design sector.

The award comprises a $5000 travel bursary which previous winners have used to visit Italy's Milan Furniture Fair, the international showcase of new design and design trends.

Arts Queensland is committed to supporting a sustainable, globally aware design sector and the Smart State Designer of the Year Award is about recognising and rewarding the local designers at the forefront of the industry.

For information and applications

2008 winner – Rob Geddes

Mr Geddes, director of PROdesign, is a practising designer, achieving international success and recognition. One of his innovative designs, the Qlicksmart Cassette 3in1 sterile scalpel blade remover, is now widely used in the medical profession. He is also a former president of the Queensland Chapter of the Design Institute of Australia and a passionate advocate of local designers and their work.

2007 winner – Kirsti Simpson

Interior designer Kirsti Simpson, of Brisbane company HASSELL, was named the 2007 the Smart State Designer of the Year.

2006 winner – Furniture designer Lasse Kinnunen

Lasse Kinnunen specialises in high quality contemporary furniture for residential and office interiors.