Curator's message

In curating this exhibition, I was blown away by the strength of these remarkable designs, products and folios. With the inclusion of three new VCE VET programs this year, there is an enormous breadth of work on display. Students have collectively addressed issues from global and local perspectives, using intuitive, creative and pragmatic approaches. Some tackle challenges such as water and healthcare access in developing nations, homelessness and the impact of global warming, while others look closer to home, with ideas for community projects and ways to improve physical and mental health.

With the support of Melbourne Museum and encouragement from the broader community, we are thrilled to share the exhibition with you online. Top Designs 2020 is particularly special, as it marks the 20th anniversary of the exhibition at Melbourne Museum. Occupying a beautiful new gallery space this year, our team took a bold approach with exhibition design. Using a dramatic black backdrop paired with vibrant colours and Australiana graphics, this design concept really helps to showcase the impressive range of innovation on display.

The Top Designs team is incredibly proud to share and celebrate these outstanding works of VCE students from 2019. We hope that the virtual tour and online collection of works gives you a sense of how brilliant the exhibition is, and that you get the opportunity to visit in the future.

Anna McLeod
Top Designs 2020 Curator