Aiyana is currently studying a Bachelor of Industrial Design at RMIT University in Melbourne, with a keen interest in service design and a growing passion for ethical and sustainable design principles.
How did you become interested in fair trade, ethical and sustainable design?
After completing a year in a Bachelor of Fashion, I studied a few weeks in sustainable practices and zero waste cutting techniques. From here I became very passionate about sustainability and felt fashion was not where I wanted to create meaningful change. After starting Industrial Design in 2015, I decided to pursue subjects which aligned with these new feelings about consumer products.
What aspirations do you have for yourself as a designer, and where do you see yourself being in two years’ time?
Once I finish my degree, I hope to develop a career in Service Design. I love the idea of optimising products we already have through the sharing economy which has been made popular by services such as AirBnb, Uber, Flexi car etc. I also hope to take part in either supporting or distributing fair trade products personally and professionally in the next coming years and continue to travel the world to explore and learn more about the world to inform how and who I design for in the future.
Who is your design hero, and why?
Victor Papanek was introduced to me by another design student who recommended I read ‘Design for the Real World’. Reading this book honestly changed my perspective on design and helped me realise what I wanted to achieve out of my degree and how those with little resources can create practical, accessible and sustainable products for themselves.
Which Crafts-Based Social Enterprise inspires you the most, and why?
Bee Keeper has such humble beginnings that make it truly inspiring to see them grow and expand their social impact. I think the connection with fashion and waste was what drew me to love Bee Keeper’s efforts to use craft to tackle the over consumption of textiles and give back to his birth place in the process. I went into the pop up shop in Melbourne last year and got to speak with the founder, Koky, he told me about his personal story and how he built the business himself. It was extremely exciting to see how a persons dream had come to fruition and hear what motivates him to make his mark on the world.
What is your favourite object / memento / souvenir / keepsake, and what is its significance or value to you?
I don’t hold significance to many objects in my life but, ‘Design for the Real World’ by Victor Papanek truly changed my personal aspirations and professional objectives. When I was thinking about changing courses, I felt like I needed guidance that neither my friends or family could offer me. By reading this book and gaining the perspective of a practicing Industrial Designer, it was exciting to find someone who was passionate about their craft whilst also extremely critical about how it was executed in the ‘real world’.
