Design Is Leading Again — Not Following Trends

There’s a quiet rebellion happening in Australian design — and we’re here for it.

At Project Project, we don’t reject trends just to be difficult. We do it because we have to. In a world crowded with aesthetic copy-paste, choosing transparency and sustainability over seasonal style is a radical act.

Design shouldn’t chase relevance — it creates it. Leading in design means stepping off the treadmill and carving your own path. With intent. With boldness. With clarity.

The Shift in Australian Design

For too long, Australian design has been described in relation to somewhere else — borrowing from European minimalism, Scandinavian restraint, or Asian zen. The narrative positioned us as “inspired by” rather than “originating from.”

But that doesn’t tell the full story.

Today, a new generation of Australian designers are designing with intent, not imitation. Their work is grounded in context, purpose, and a distinctly local point of view. They’re not chasing the global conversation — they’re leading it.

Take the collaboration between Collect Studio and Ben McCarthy. Their 3YS Stool, designed for Melbourne Design Week 2025, is a reminder that good design respects time — in how it’s made, and how it lasts.

This shift is rooted in place. In local materials, local climates, and local needs. We see a growing commitment to innovation over imitation. And while heritage brands like String Furniture and Grythyttan show us what longevity looks like, Australian studios are now claiming that same legacy-building mindset for themselves.

We’re no longer looking outward for permission. We’re building something original — and we’re building it to last.

Vision Over Virality

Good design asks better questions. What does this object need to be? What could it say?

That’s a far cry from trend-driven design, which often chases short-term appeal. It’s about what looks good in a scroll, not what feels good in a space.

When every space starts looking like an Instagram algorithm — boucle chairs, soft arches, muted tones — something gets lost. The work stops making you think.

But visionary designers don’t chase the algorithm. They follow intuition, values, and context. Their work doesn’t always feel familiar at first. But it stays with you. It defines moments — it doesn’t just decorate them.

Where Bravery Begins, Great Design Follows

Iceberg Table by Zeoform

Creativity and risk go hand in hand. Playing it safe might lead to something familiar — but rarely to something meaningful.

We’re constantly energised by studios that push boundaries. Not just in form, but in process and purpose. Collect Studio blurs the line between sculpture and function. Hanna Home rethinks everyday objects with a focus on texture, restraint, and quiet durability — design that resists the speed of trend culture.

We take risks in the way we build. In how we choose materials, in how we manufacture, in how we think about waste.

Designing modular systems, embracing low-waste production, and rethinking traditional supply chains aren’t loud moves — but they’re powerful ones. We look to brands like String Furniture, who’ve evolved while staying true to their core, and Zeoform, who are redefining what sustainable materials can be.

These aren’t the loudest choices. But they’re the ones that last.

A New Design Ethos

So what does it mean to rewrite trends?

It means putting long-term thinking ahead of short-term popularity. It means embracing slow design and sustainable practice. And it means making choices that prioritise story, function, and intent.

It’s a mindset built on:

• Independence — trusting in thoughtful, grounded decision-making

• Originality — prioritising personal and cultural stories over market validation

• Clarity of Purpose — designing with intention, not just for approval

Conclusion

“We don’t respond to trends. We rewrite them.”

It’s a philosophy that puts meaning before momentum. At Project Project, we believe good design leads — not because it’s loud or flashy, but because it stands for something.

To the studios, makers, and thinkers shaping this moment — keep building with courage. Keep designing with clarity. Keep leading with vision.

The design that lasts is the design that leads.