Aidan Varmalis

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Aidan Varmalis is an Industrial Designer based in Melbourne, Australia. He is completing a Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design, Honours) at Swinburne University of Technology, graduating in 2025.

Aidan began his design journey with a Diploma of Design at Swinburne, where he developed a strong foundation in visual communication, gaining aptitude with the Adobe Creative Suite, alongside an emerging passion in sketching and photography which has continually improved to this day. Throughout his studies, he has embedded a diverse skill set ranging from digital designs in CAD modelling and Keyshot rendering, to hands-on work with detailed prototyping, further understanding a range of materials and processes.

His honours work has focused on solving a real-world problem which has been executed through soft-goods design. Through this, he has explored a range of fabrics, materials and techniques and innovative technologies with 3D knit and 3D printing. This multidisciplinary approach has allowed him to merge different materials and design methods, leading to a visually engaging outcome.

Aidan’s design philosophy centres on innovation, practicality, and a hands-on approach, with modern design aesthetics being a key preference and influencing many of his designs. He is particularly drawn to product design and usability, aiming to create a design which enhances the experiences of everyday life. He is predominantly interested in the design fields of furniture design, medical design and product design for the sectors of sports equipment and technologies that enhance user experience.

Dori Cat Stool

The Dori Cat Stool is perfect for bringing you and your companions closer. Having thread corners functioning as a scratching post and a soft velvet cushion top, it keeps your cats engaged and gives them a place to relax. A door feature reveals inner shelves where accessories and toys can be stored, with warm hues and satin finishes helping the Dori blend seamlessly into living rooms and social spaces.

The Custom Food Steamer

The Custom Food Steamer is an all-purpose steamer which gives customisability through modular levels. Utilising a multi-layered build with identical base shapes to have different sections for different foods, giving the choice to put in as many different levels as the user wants. Use of modularity also allows for different colours and finishes to work together and substituted, fitting the aesthetic needs of the users.

The Duo-Flow Mixer Tap

The Duo-Flow is a mixer tap targeted for those in their golden years of life, with an ergonomic design which aids those with weaker hand dexterity. With finer details such as braille and a colour choice which avoids looking sterile, It gives pride and makes users feel alive. Having suction cups incorporated, it allows the user to move the handle to the most optimal place, making the use of the Duo-Flow ideal.

The Explore Bottle

The Explore Bottle is made for on the go use, allowing users who want to exercise and explore the world with their best friends to bring the right hydration source. With a space for clipping on the lid, it makes attaching the bottle to a bag very easy. With a bowl that press-fits onto the bottom of the bottle, it improves your best friend's drinking experience to the best degree. The Explore Bottle is designed to fit into the Country Road product range, by having a design which follows their modern style and has references to Australiana.

Section Pendant Light

The Section Pendant Light is a group of pendants intended for large hallways, foyers and open rooms and aims to brighten up the space with bright colours, whilst also providing sound dampening through acoustic material qualities. The Section is intended to fit into and expand the About Space product range by using the same design style and colour palette.

Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.