The people who judge your Dangerous Designs are all experienced professionals, who are not only experts in their own fields, but who have been at the receiving end of judges in competitions ranging from local affairs to international events.
We appreciate their considered insights and thank them for their time and assistance in contributing to the success of the entrants in Dangerous Designs.
Dylan Brady is the founder and Conductor of Decibel Architecture (dB(A)).
Dylan’s international and national success across a 24-year career, including 14 years as director of the studio505 (now closed), has developed and honed an experience and passion for architecture and changing the world. dB(A) has fused artistic spirit with a practical technical knowledge - creating energetic and participatory design propositions that engage with the future and our imaginations.
Dylan is passionate about innovation, fresh thinking and engaging with sustainability, new materials and new practice in the ongoing challenge to create and enable our shared possible futures.
Kate St James is an interior designer and the Editor-in-Chief of Universal Magazines’ Home Design Group, including Grand Designs Australia and Home Design. Along with qualifications in interior design, Kate also studied journalism.
Kate's working life has included a 20-year career in design, running her own interior design, architectural design and construction company in Brisbane. Kate also worked with some of Queensland’s best-known design firms, before moving to Sydney in 1993 where she continued her design practice until entering the publishing industry in 1998.
Kate is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, in which role she actively supports and promotes the industry and encourages students and emerging designers.
Peter Maddison is a multi award-winning architect and Director of Maddison Architects, a practice he started in 1988. Since August 2009, Peter has been the Host of The LifeStyle Channel’ s Australian production of Grand Designs, the seventh season of which is now in production.
Peter contributes to the Heritage Council of Australia, Interior Design Association and various schools of architecture. He is committed to engaging with the architectural community and is currently on the Honours Committee of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Peter is Ambassador for the not-for-profit Melbourne Open House program, the Planet Ark endorsed Environmental Edge campaign and is a supporter of Kids Under Cover charity.
Linda Nathan is print and online editor of Australian Wood Review, Australia’s foremost magazine for fine woodworkers. She has written hundreds of profiles of designers and makers, in addition to curating, reviewing and judging numerous exhibitions and competitions for woodworkers and designers and makers.
Prior to her current role, Linda co-founded and organised the Working With Wood Shows in Australia, the first three of which took place in the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne. As part of that project, Linda also curated and managed several exhibitions and awards schemes. She finds that encouraging and showcasing new talent remains one of the most exciting parts of her job.
A graduate of the Tasmanian School of Art in Hobart, Brian Parkes has been CEO and Artistic Director of the JamFactory in Adelaide since April 2010. During this time he has overseen significant growth in the organisation, the opening of a satellite facility in the Barossa Valley, the development of a successful in-house designed product range and the establishment of national touring exhibitions.
An experienced curator, Brian was one of ten curators invited by Phaidon Press, London to contribute to &Fork, a book profiling 100 emerging product designers from around the world and in 2008 he was an Adjunct Curator for the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.