Designing Western Australia: Building a Stronger Local Industry

Join us for a panel discussion exploring the strength and future of Western Australia's design and manufacturing sector. Our panellists will discuss how Perth's design scene has evolved over the past decade to earn nationwide recognition as a thriving, mature community; the realities, challenges, and opportunities of manufacturing locally in WA; and why specifying locally designed and made products matters, including how greater support for WA design, fabrication, and manufacturing can drive innovation, create jobs, and strengthen local industry.

Panellists

Mike Dixon, DIA Fellow
Michael Dixon is a highly respected industrial designer and founder of Dixon Design + Development (dd+d), a Perth-based product development consultancy established in 1984. A Life Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia (LFDIA) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), Mike has spent more than three decades delivering innovative design solutions across a diverse range of industries, from medical devices and architectural lighting to marine navigation products, consumer goods, public transport signage, and roof rack products. Known for his practical, user-centred approach, he has guided projects from concept through to prototyping, manufacturing, and production, and more recently has specialised in exhibition and installation design, including work for the Western Australian Museum.

Penelope Forlano
Dr. Penelope Forlano’s practice, Forlano Design, is driven by a desire to evoke custodianship to challenge contemporary consumption practices through art and design. Her PhD (architecture and art) examined the relationships of emotionally enduring public and private artefacts through a design anthropology approach and reflection on identity, place, and history. Penelope Forlano, is a versatile designer and artist with over 25 years of experience. Awarded ‘The Luminary' 2021 award for the Indo-Pacific region, her diverse work has been exhibited globally, including 100% Design in London and Salone Satellite in Milan (2004) and is featured in collections of the Art Gallery of WA, the Parliament of Western Australia, Edith Cowan University, and the Louis Vuitton Art Collection. With a career that spans interior architecture, furniture design, sculpture, public art and jewellery, she enjoys working in a variety of materials and scales, with experimentation at the core of her practice.

Hamish Cockburn
Hamish Cockburn is an experienced industrial designer and business development professional with over 25 years in the Australian design industry. As Director of 31 Degrees Design and Business Development Manager at Innerspace, he combines creative thinking, strategic insight, and a strong understanding of client needs to deliver innovative, practical design solutions across product, furniture, and interior design. His collaborative approach and commitment to fostering innovation and meaningful industry partnerships have made him a respected figure in WA's design and workplace sectors.

Jack Flanagan
Jack Flanagan is an Australian industrial designer and artist whose work spans furniture, product design, and sculpture. Based in Western Australia, he is recognised for refined, enduring pieces that balance functionality, craftsmanship, and artistic expression, combining traditional techniques such as bronze and aluminium casting with contemporary manufacturing technologies. Committed to Australian manufacturing, Jack collaborates closely with local artisans and fabricators, distilling each design to its essential elements to create understated, sophisticated work built to last.

Program:
Networking: 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Panel: 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Photo by D-max

This event is proudly supported by Innerspace

Contact the host of Designing WA: Made Here, Shaping Everywhere