The 2014 Victorian Premier’s Design Awards were announced at a special event in Melbourne on Wednesday. The Awards recognise and reward Victorian designers and businesses for using good and sustainable design, effectively.

The awards provide an opportunity for businesses and the community to better understand the role of design in making products and services more functional, efficient and enticing, and increase the overall productivity and business outcomes.

Six Best in Category Awards were handed out across the key disciplines of Architectural Design, Product Design, Digital Design, Design Strategy and Communication Design.

The Best in Category Winners are:

1. DIGITAL DESIGN
Better Ways to Bank
Designed by: Deloitte Digital
Commissioned by: Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ)

2. PRODUCT DESIGN
Minbie
Designed by: Ideation Design
Commissioned by: I-Sip Trading Pty Ltd

3. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
The Commons
Designed by: Breathe Architecture
Commissioned by: Small Giants

4. COMMUNICATION DESIGN
Think Ahead Exhibition About Imagining the Future at Scienceworks
Designed by: Museum Victoria Design Studios
Commissioned by: Museum Victoria/Scienceworks

5. DESIGN STRATEGY
Quirkii Paper Products
Designed by: Jalapeno Creative
Commissioned by: Ausinc

6. SERVICE DESIGN
Smart Blocks
Designed by: Huddle Design, Digital Eskimo, Vidiris, Sustainability at Work
Commissioned by: Strata Community Australia, City of Melbourne, City of Sydney, Owners Corporation Network

A panel headed by Victorian designer Ken Cato AO and comprising industry experts and professionals judged all the entries.

This year’s award categories included: Architectural Design; Communication Design; Design Strategy; Digital Design; Industrial and Product Design; and Service Design.

For the complete list of winners and finalists, check out the Premier Awards website.