Paul Charlwood

Paul Charlwood is an influential industrial designer based in Melbourne, recognized for his substantial contributions to design practice, education, and advocacy in Australia. Passionate about design in all its facets, he has engaged with many areas of design culture during his career.

Paul graduated from the inaugural Industrial Design degree at RMIT University and began his career at Philips Design in Melbourne. He later held design roles at PA Technology/Invetech and NeoTechnics Design before becoming Design Manager at Bytecraft Theatre Equipment. There, he contributed to landmark projects including work for the Sydney Opera House, to the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing, and the pioneering coloured lighting of the Melbourne Concert Hall spire.

He established his versatile industrial design consultancy Charlwood Design in 1993 and has since developed a reputation among clients and peers for his innovative, sustainable yet elegant design solutions for consumer, and capital applications. Consequently, the consultancy has collected a raft of design prizes and accolades, among them the inaugural Premier’s Design Awards, numerous local and international design awards, as well as being admitted to the Australian Manufacturing Hall of Fame. Among the studio’s most iconic achievements is the Queen’s Baton for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, celebrated for its distinctive form and integrated technology.

Paul’s work has been exhibited internationally, including in the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum National Design Triennial: Why Design Now? and locally in the Powerhouse Museum Design Collection and NGV’s Melbourne Design Now exhibition.

A committed advocate for Australia’s design industry, Paul has served as State President and Director of the Design Institute of Australia, co‑authoring its education policy and contributing to strategy and policy development for both industry and government. He collaborated with the RMIT Centre for Design to help establish the Design for Sustainability Working Group and the Greenfly online lifecycle assessment tool.

Paul is also the founder of the best‑selling Melbourne Design Guide, a 350‑page compendium of local design culture, as well as its companion Sydney Design Guide. He has taught numerous design studios at RMIT, chaired course design accreditation processes, served on advisory boards, judged major design awards, and contributed to multiple government committees, further cementing his role as a champion of design excellence in Australia.