Australian Design Council

What Australian Design Council does

The Australian Design Council is a not-for-profit charitable organisation, re-established in 2020, that operates as a national coordinating body for design capability in Australia. Its core product is the Design Review program, comprising a free online Self-Assessment Tool hosted on AWS in Australia (using a tiered scoring system across three pillars — People and Culture, Planet, Prosperity — and five design process stages) and a paid Design Capability Evaluation conducted by independent Design Experts. Successful evaluations confer inclusion in the Design Pioneer showcase and rights to use the Design Pioneer trademark.

The Council runs complementary programs including the How Design Transforms Business initiative (inaugurated with Food Innovation Australia Limited in the Food and Agribusiness sector), the National Design Challenges framework, and the inaugural Design Impact Award (2024). Its governance is unusually high-calibre for a 10-person organisation, drawing Council Members from the former CEOs of Dow Chemical, Telstra, Cochlear, Commonwealth Bank and Deloitte Australia, plus the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia. Strategic partnerships extend reach into professional design (Design Institute of Australia), awards (Good Design Australia), corporate governance (Australian Institute of Company Directors), IP (IP Australia) and creative production (RØDE).

Revenue is derived from philanthropic donations (anchored by a AU$1M donation from Peter Freedman AM in September 2023) and undisclosed fees for paid Design Capability Evaluations. The Council holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status and is registered with the ACNC. It traces its institutional lineage to the 1958 Industrial Design Council of Australia.

Name

Australian Design Council

Legal name

Australian Design Council Limited

Website

https://australiandesigncouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Australian Design Council is a not-for-profit, re-established in 2020, that runs a free online Design Review Self-Assessment Tool and paid Design Capability Evaluations to embed design capability across Australian businesses, government and sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Capability Assessment and Advisory Services

NAICS

Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Other Specialized Design Services (541490)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion Compliance Reviews (EDADAGAJ)

Keywords

• Design capability assessment
• Design advocacy programs
• Design self-assessment tool
• Design-led governance
• National design challenges

Headquarters

HQ city

Edgecliff

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Funding: The Australian Design Council operates as a not-for-profit charitable organisation reliant on donations. A notable example is the $1 million donation from Peter Freedman AM, Founder and Chairman of RØDE Microphones, which jumpstarted the Council's activities following its re-establishment in 2020.
2. Design Capability Evaluation (Paid Service): An optional paid service conducted by independent Design Experts that offers formal verification of an organisation's design capabilities and impact. This complements the free Self-Assessment Tool and represents a revenue-generating service for organisations seeking validation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Australian Design Council offers a free online Design Review Self-Assessment Tool that lets Australian organisations evaluate their design maturity, plus a paid Design Capability Evaluation conducted by independent Design Experts that provides formal verification and inclusion in the Design Pioneer Showcase. It complements these with advocacy programs, National Design Challenges and the How Design Transforms Business Program to embed design capability across business, government and society.

Product overview

The Australian Design Council operates as a not-for-profit organisation offering a portfolio of design capability programs rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include the Design Review (free self-assessment tool) and Design Capability Evaluation (paid verification service), which together form the Design Review Program. Additional programs include the Design Pioneer Showcase for recognised design-led businesses, Industry Sector Design Reviews for cohort-based sector challenges, and National Design Challenges addressing broad societal issues. The Council also runs the How Design Transforms Business Program with case studies and roundtables, and administers the Design Impact Award. These programs collectively aim to embed Australia's world-class design capability into business, government, and society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Design Review Program: A program designed to embed design capability into businesses, industry sectors and the nation to amplify impact, ensuring the right problems are identified and effectively solved through design.
• Design Pioneer Program
• Design Impact Award
• Design Pioneer Showcase
• National Design Challenges

Products and services

• Design Review Self-Assessment Tool A free online self-assessment tool hosted on AWS in Australia that enables any Australian business or organisation to evaluate its design maturity and the impact it delivers. Uses a tiered scoring system to assess organisations across three pillars (People and Culture, Planet, Prosperity) and five design process stages (Define, Empathise, Ideate, Evaluate, Launch), generating comprehensive reports with tailored case studies and actionable recommendations.
• Design Capability Evaluation A paid service conducted by independent Design Experts that formally verifies an organisation's design capabilities and impact. Organisations meeting criteria are included in the Design Pioneer showcase. Targeted at organisations seeking formal validation beyond the free Self-Assessment.
• Design Pioneer Showcase A national showcase and recognition program listing pioneering Australian businesses that use design strategically to drive growth, innovation, and positive economic, social, cultural, and environmental outcomes. Organisations meeting Design Capability criteria qualify for use of the Design Pioneer trademark.
• Industry Sector Design Review A cohort-based engagement designed to embed and align design capability into multiple businesses within a specific industry sector challenge, aiming to amplify impact and maximise return on design-related investment. Sectors addressed include Food and Agribusiness and other national priorities.
• Design-Led Governance Review A board-level engagement including interviews with board members and key stakeholders followed by a facilitated workshop exploring design methods across six core board competencies. Targeted at corporate boards seeking to integrate design thinking into governance and strategic decision-making.
• Design Impact Award An inaugural national award programme celebrating organisations that demonstrate transformative design leadership, design impact, and designing with people principles. The 2024 winner was Bega Circular Valley.
• How Design Transforms Business Program An inaugural program consisting of case studies, roundtables, and design challenges demonstrating how design can deliver growth and national prosperity, initially focused on the Food and Agribusiness sector in partnership with Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL).

Quantifiable outcome

• Design-related industries contribute approximately $67.5 billion per annum to Australia's GDP (more than 3.5% of GDP)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Design Institute of Australia (DIA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2025The Design Institute of Australia (DIA), as the professional body for design, has endorsed and expressed support for the Design Review and Design Pioneer programs. DIA CEO Jo-Ann Kellock stated the organisation is proud to support this initiative that will help grow the demand for professional designers, with plans to draw on DIA accreditation programs to support the Design Review Program.
• Good Design AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2025Good Design Australia operates the Australian Good Design Awards and continues the legacy of design promotion in Australia. The Australian Design Council collaborates with Good Design Australia to promote and celebrate outstanding design work, with Good Design Australia's expertise supporting Council initiatives.
• Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 March 2025Partnership for joint webinar on 'The Value of Design Thinking in Governance, Decision Making and Innovation'. The AICD hosted the webinar featuring Australian Design Council Executive Director Dr Sam Bucolo and design advisors to help boards understand how to embed design as a strategic tool.
• Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2022Partnership with FIAL, the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre, for the 'How Design Transforms Business' program. The program shows how design can deliver growth in the Food and Agribusiness sector, selected for its growth potential from A$61bn to A$200bn by 2030.
• RØDEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRØDE collaborated with the Australian Design Council to produce Video Case Studies profiling Design Pioneer businesses. RØDE's involvement includes production support for showcasing design-led Australian businesses.
• IP AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIP Australia collaborated with the Council on Design IP Case Studies exploring how design-led businesses approach intellectual property protection. The initiative helps businesses understand design-related IP strategies.
• Emergence InsuranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCase study organisation demonstrating design-led governance. Emergence Insurance partnered with ADC Advisor Jacqui Jordan to integrate design-led thinking into its strategy development, adopting a collaborative approach that brought team members in as co-authors and custodians of strategy.
• Bright PilotsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual design consultancy providing hand-drawn templates for design-led governance workshops, used in the Emergence Insurance case study to invite input and spark meaningful discussion in strategic planning sessions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DesignCouncilAU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AustralianDesignCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/AusDesignCouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australiandesigncouncil
• Instagraminstagram.com/AusDesignCouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australian Design Council