The Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and Clemenger BBDO have launched a groundbreaking national advocacy campaign, 'Write DESIGNER', ahead of the 2026 Australian Census. This initiative aims to address a critical issue: the lack of a reliable baseline count of designers in Australia, despite their significant economic contribution. The campaign's primary goal is to empower Australia's design workforce to self-identify as 'designers' during the upcoming Census, which will establish the first national benchmark of the country's design community.
The campaign's centerpiece is a captivating 60-second TV commercial featuring ARIA-award-winning hip-hop artist N'fa Jones, electronic music composer Jonah Gabriel, and a diverse array of Australia's leading designers, studios, and businesses. The commercial creatively uses the human body as a metaphor, starting with the most intimate acts of design and making, like a vessel by Alfred Lowe and a necklace by Blanche Tilden, and expanding outward to encompass the air we breathe, the tools of creative life, culture, and the economy. It includes iconic Australian designs such as an aircraft painted with 40,000 years of Pitjantjatjara storytelling, Bluey, and a Kenworth truck.
The campaign highlights the economic significance of design in Australia, estimated to contribute over 3.5% of GDP annually. It also emphasizes the unique opportunity presented by the 2026 Census, which will code design workforce data under the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Occupation Standard Classification framework for the first time, creating a dedicated occupational group for designers.
DIA CEO, Simone LeAmon, emphasizes the campaign's role as a collective act of advocacy for Australia's design profession. She believes that accurate counting of designers on Census night will provide the evidence needed to strengthen advocacy, inform decision-making and government policy, and secure greater recognition for design. LeAmon also underscores the DIA's long-standing advocacy for the value of design, highlighting its impact on Australia's economy, society, and culture.
Clemenger BBDO ECD, Giles Watson, underscores the campaign's intention to celebrate a profession built on challenging assumptions and solving problems that most people never see. He emphasizes the importance of getting designers counted, credited, and recognized, turning the census into a moment of celebration and visibility for the design community.
The 'Write DESIGNER' campaign provides a comprehensive list of recognized design occupations and alternative titles on its dedicated campaign page and the ABS website. This initiative is a significant step towards recognizing and valuing the design profession in Australia, ensuring that designers are accurately represented and appreciated for their contributions to the nation's economy, society, and culture.
