Nicola Jerkovic

I am a graduating student at Swinburne University of Technology, completing a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) majoring in Product Design. My studies have allowed me to develop both analytical and creative problem-solving skills, complemented by a range of internships that span the fields of law and engineering.

I have a passion for communication and enjoy exploring how thoughtful design and clear communication can bridge gaps between disciplines, industries, and people. My approach is grounded in empathy and curiosity. I find great satisfaction in understanding the needs, motivations, and challenges of users, and in applying human-centred design methods to create outcomes that genuinely improve their experiences. For me, the process of questioning assumptions, testing ideas, and thinking laterally is as rewarding as the final solution.

Dorian

This project involves the design of a mixer tap for a heritage library, reflecting the role of libraries as community assets that provide spaces for learning, critical thinking, and human connection. The design draws heavily on Gothic architecture to inspire its form and detailing, creating a piece that is both functional and symbolic. Manufactured using small-batch production methods such as CNC milling, the tap embodies the enduring role of libraries in uniting communities.

Correa

Rising living costs mean that many renters cannot afford to decorate according to their taste. Budget constraints push them towards cheaply made, short-lived trends, while environmentally conscious renters struggle to balance ethics with affordability. This project explores a beautiful, timeless, and portable light inspired by native Australian flora. Using off-the-shelf parts and simple assembly, it offers an accessible, affordable, and repairable design.

Bon Appetite

For Swinburne Open Day, the Swinburne Protolab wanted to showcase a fun and visually impressive application of the Kuka robotic arm. The Protolab requested an end-effector to ice donuts in two colours for a morning tea. The design needed to be reliable, easy to operate, and deliver strong “wow” factor for visitors. Our team developed a compact, agile end-effector that uses rotating wheels to press a syringe plunger and dispense icing.

Sprout

This project focuses on increasing the product range of Country Road Home to include children’s toys. Since the typical Country Road Home customer is a high-income young parent, the client was seeking to expand their range towards children, while maintaining the same visual language and style of their existing collection.

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.