Making Good at NGV

Bringing together the work of over 50 Australian and international designers, Making Good celebrates a new era in design — one where functionality meets social and environmental purpose. From fashion to food packaging, building materials to personal care, each object on display reimagines how design can support human wellbeing and a healthier planet.

Highlights include the work of glass artist Matthew Curtis, who has created architectural glass blocks using recycled television screens and float-glass waste. Similarly, Sydney-based studio Besley & Spresser presents Oyster Terrazzo, a striking new material crafted from Sydney Rock Oyster shells, white cement, ochres, and recycled marble, transforming restaurant waste into beautiful building surfaces.

In the same spirit of functional transformation, Singaporean paint brand Gush showcases its science-backed air-purifying paint, which removes pollutants from indoor environments. Visitors can see this innovation in action on a painted accent wall within the exhibition. Meanwhile, Other Matter offers a smart solution to the wasteful signage industry, debuting a reusable, recyclable, plastic-free film designed to replace conventional vinyl decals.

The exhibition also explores how design is improving personal health and wellbeing. Hoopsy’s 99% plastic-free pregnancy test and ModiBodi’s First Period Kit are reshaping how young people experience menstruation and reproductive care. Melbourne brand Bed Intentions presents a certified microbiome-safe, prebiotic-infused water-based lubricant — a product that supports the female reproductive system while challenging taboos around sexual wellness.

Design’s role in tackling fast fashion also takes centre stage. London-based Petit Pli has engineered expandable children's clothing that grows with the child, reducing the need for constant wardrobe updates. From New York, TômTex introduces a leather alternative made from seafood waste and mushrooms, showcased through a sleek handbag and dress by Allina Liu. Kiki Grammatopoulos takes things a step further with her seed-sowing sneakers, designed to support rewilding with every step.

In the kitchen, innovation is served with a side of sustainability. Melbourne-based Good-Edi’s edible coffee cups and Great Wrap’s compostable cling wrap sit alongside seaweed-based straws by Loliware — all designed to reduce the environmental impact of everyday habits.

Beyond product innovation, Making Good also presents tools that change lives. The Vision Kit by OOXii Global provides affordable, on-the-spot eye testing and customisable glasses for communities without access to vision care. The minimalist Light Phone III also challenges today’s tech-saturated culture, offering a pared-back mobile with only essential features to reduce digital distraction.

“The innovations presented in Making Good reflect a pivotal moment in how designers are conceptualising their work,” says NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM. “They go beyond function to consider the social and environmental impact of products.”

Inspiring and hopeful, Making Good proves that design has the power to do more than solve problems — it can reshape the world for the better.

LEARN MORE https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/making-good/