Why Australia’s designers need to make themselves count

This will be the first Census coded under the new Occupation Standard Classification for Australia. Within it, Design Professionals have a dedicated category recognising 11 occupations across interior, industrial, product, graphic, digital, fashion, textile, jewellery and multimedia design.

It is a technical change with wider implications. Accurate occupational data creates a stronger foundation for decisions around education, skills, policy and industry investment. When designers record themselves simply as a “director”, “consultant” or “creative”, their design expertise can disappear from the national picture.

The Write DESIGNER film gives this broad profession a visual form, bringing together work across architecture, interiors, products, transport, technology, healthcare and public space. Alongside TZG, contributors include Carr, Woods Bagot, Büro North, HemPanel, RØDE Microphones and Blackmagic Design.

Rather than presenting design as a single discipline or aesthetic, it reveals its role as a practical and cultural force: one that shapes how people live, move, communicate and experience the world.

On Census Night, designers should use the specific professional title that most accurately reflects their work, retaining the word “designer” where appropriate. This might be interior designer, product designer, UX designer or visual communication designer.

When asked about their main tasks, they should clearly state what they design, beginning with “Designing…” wherever possible.

Architects, landscape architects, urban designers and building designers sit within other occupational categories and should also use their precise professional titles. The aim is not for everyone to write “designer”, but for every design professional to be seen accurately.

The campaign launched on 14 July and continues until Census Night on Tuesday 11 August 2026. Designers can review the guidance through Write DESIGNER and check the recognised occupations within the ABS Design Professionals classification.

Discover more of the people and ideas shaping Australia’s built environment through ArchiPro’s architecture and design professionals, explore the latest Australian design stories, or find the products and materials bringing their work into being.

Write DESIGNER, a campaign for the Australian Census 2026, presented by the Design Institute of Australia and produced by Clemenger BBDO. Spoken word by N’fa Jones. Original score by Jonah Gabriel.