The Deakin Alumni Awards are an opportunity for past Deakin graduates to be recognised for their achievements in their fields and represent the Deakin values in the community. The Deakin Alumni Awards are a prestigious occasion that aims to celebrate and promote the prominent members of the Alumni that achieved success and contributed to society or their community in a positive way. These awards are one of the most important events of the year, as it recognises important Deakin community members within Australia and internationally too.

Inspired by the metaphor “the world is in your hands”, Make Your Mark celebrates the outstanding achievements of Deakin’s alumni and their positive contributions to society -both locally and globally- and how they took the chance to shape the world for the better. This proposal focuses on creating a personalised and emotionally-impactful tone for the awards ceremony, making the recipients feel valued and respected for their work. There are two main components to the trophy design, the Ironbark timber and the glass. The wooden elements on either side of the glass represent the Victorian coastline, turned on its side, where Deakin’s rich history originated. They represent the value of sustainability and the environment, but also show the beginning of each Alumni’s journey. The glass inside includes a fingerprint design etched on to represent the concept of the alumni, ‘making the mark’. The entire trophy comes together to form a D, for Deakin.