Ilianna Ginnis is among Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 Interior and Product Designers for 2024/2025. Here, we learn more about the interior architectural designer, access consultant, neuro-inclusive design specialist at Architecture & Access, newly minted doctor and research officer at the Design Health Collab at Monash University. This talented multi-hyphenate shares her dedication to building an environment that supports and empowers individuals with diverse and complex needs. 

Australian Design Review: Do you remember your first encounter with design? 

Ilianna Ginnis: Absolutely. My first encounter with design was through my sister Michelle, who is a non-verbal communicator. Growing up, I witnessed how the built environment either enabled or restricted her ability to engage with the world. I became acutely aware of how spaces are often designed without considering people like her – people who experience and communicate in ways that don’t fit conventional design norms. 

I remember the frustration of seeing spaces that overwhelmed her senses, made her uncomfortable or simply didn’t acknowledge her existence. But I also remember moments of joy when she engaged with spaces that unintentionally worked well for her – where light, sound, textures and layouts supported rather than hindered her experiences. That was when I realised that design is more than just an aesthetic or functional discipline; it has the power to either exclude or embrace. That realisation stayed with me and ultimately shaped my career path.

Ilianna Ginnis. Photo: Giulietta Russo

ADR: How would you describe your work? 

IG: My work is at the intersection of architecture, accessibility and neuro-inclusivity. I focus on ensuring that design is not just accessible in a regulatory sense but meaningfully inclusive for people with profound intellectual disabilities, particularly non-verbal communicators.

Through my research and practice, I develop frameworks like my Me in Mind design principles that help architects and designers integrate the needs of individuals with severe and profound intellectual disabilities into their projects. 

My work involves conducting sensory audits, post-occupancy evaluations and co-design processes alongside people with disabilities, their families and their support networks.

Ilianna Ginnis conducting a sensory audit at Architecture & Access

I also collaborate with professionals in architecture, education and health to bridge the gap between design theory and real-world application. By doing so, I aim to create built environments that don’t just meet accessibility standards but genuinely support, empower and include individuals who are often overlooked in traditional design processes.

ADR: If you could work with any designer, artist or other creative – living or dead – who would it be and why?

IG: If I could collaborate with anyone, it would be Magda Mostafa. Her work in autism-friendly design has been groundbreaking, and I deeply admire the way she has integrated research, practice and lived experience to create more inclusive environments.

Her ASPECTSS Design Index was a game-changer in the field, offering a structured approach to designing for neurodiverse individuals, particularly those with autism. What I find most compelling about her work is how she doesn’t just focus on accessibility in the traditional sense – she delves into the sensory and cognitive experiences of users, which aligns closely with my own research and practice.

I would love to have a conversation with her about refining neuro-inclusive design principles, particularly for individuals with profound intellectual disabilities who are non-verbal communicators. Her approach to evidence-based design, combined with her emphasis on sensory environments, could provide valuable insights into expanding the conversation beyond autism to include a broader range of cognitive and sensory needs. A collaboration with her would be an incredible opportunity to push the boundaries of what inclusive design can achieve – ensuring that the built environment supports not just function, but also wellbeing, autonomy and meaningful engagement for all individuals.

‘Me in Mind’, designed by Ilianna Ginnis for her PhD at Monash University

ADR: What guiding values drive you and what kind of impact do you hope to make through your work?

IG: Empathy, inclusion and lived experience drive everything I do. I believe design should be led by the people it serves, not just by professionals working from an outside perspective. My work is about listening to individuals with disabilities, to their families, to the clinicians who support them and translating those insights into real, meaningful change in the built environment. 

One of my key values is relational autonomy – the idea that a person’s ability to make choices and engage with their environment is deeply connected to the support networks around them. In design, this means moving beyond individualistic notions of access and considering the broader ecosystem of care, communication and engagement that makes true inclusion possible.

Ultimately, I want to see a fundamental shift in how we design spaces – from an afterthought approach to accessibility towards a proactive, inclusive mindset. If my work can help reframe how architects and designers approach neuro-inclusivity and give a voice to those who are often left out of design conversations, then I’ll know I’ve made an impact.

ADR: How did it feel to make it into Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30?

IG: Being recognised as part of ADR’s 30UNDER30 was an incredible moment for me, both professionally and personally. So often, accessibility and inclusion are seen as niche topics in the design world. To have my work acknowledged on this platform meant that neuro-inclusivity was being taken seriously within the broader design community. It also reinforced my belief that this is an area of design that needs to be prioritised not as an add-on, but as an integral part of how we shape the built environment.

Images supplied.

ADR’s 30UNDER30 Interior and Product Designers stream is brought to you by major sponsor Neolith, alongside Miele, Interface and Tongue & Groove. The program is also supported by practice partners Arent&Pyke, BLP, BVN, Cera Stribley, COX Architecture, GroupGSA, Hassell, HDR, Richards Stanisich, Rothelowman, SJB and Williams Burton Leopardi. To find out more about the final 30, head to the winners page.