The creative economy is defined broadly, including publishing, architecture, design, advertising and software and digital content, as well as the more “purely” creative areas such as dance, visual arts, acting, music and so on.

There are three categories of workers in the creative economy: specialist creatives, who work in creative roles within creative industries, support professionals who work in non-creative roles within creative industries, and embedded creatives, who work in creative roles in industries that are not otherwise typically thought of as creative.

Contemporary Australia is home to a wide range of creative arts and industries, from world-class films, visual and performing arts, to publishing and the games industry.

Australia has a vibrant arts, culture and entertainment community which is known internationally for its unique cultural style and enriched Indigenous history. Australia also plays a key role in the education, training and development of future leaders across all arts and creative industries.

Design has a primary role in shaping and fashioning the physical world for a human purpose.

All human artefacts are in some way designed. Design serves a multiplicity of human needs ranging from the practical and instrumental to the intuitive and emotional.

Design applies to cities, environments, structures, spaces, objects and electronic images.

The four key principles of design are utility, social relevance, sustainability and aesthetic satisfaction. Associated with them all are imagination and innovation.

Major areas of design are urban design architectural and building design, engineering, landscape planning and design, interior design, industrial and product design, craft design, fashion design graphic design, and design of the moving image.

Australia’s Fashion, Textile and Uniform Industry (commonly and hereafter referred to as the ‘fashion industry’) is widely misunderstood outside the industry itself, but is an integral part of Australian culture, society and economy.

It sits at the heart of a critical and multi-layered ecosystem that incorporates complex business models across education, workforce management, primary industries, design, product development, manufacturing, technology, supply chains, marketing, wholesale, retail, export, tourism, waste management, circularity and more.

It spans a complex ecosystem of raw material producers, design, manufacturing, retailing and educational activities and has a presence in every high street and major retail centre in the country.

It is also one of Australia’s true female-led industries, from shop floors, design studios and C-Suites, with women representing 77% of the industry workforce.

Current exports by the Australian fashion and textile industry are more than double the exports of wine and beer

An industry survey has found Australian architects are worried about the climate crisis and frustrated by barriers to action but are confident the profession can contribute to a sustainable future.

There appears to be a real problem in implementing new technologies in an ordered, coordinated fashion.

As a fragmented industry with many small contractors, the adoption of new technologies has been uneven and uncoordinated, and the adoption of AI in the industry could result in fundamental restructuring of the industry.

It could no doubt solve some of the issues of compliance and quality but could equally lead to issues of uncertain liability and risk shifting, where the architect’s current professional responsibilities for their work are blurred by the use of AI in their practices.

Automation may push some architects out of their comfort zone, but that doesn’t mean it’s game over. In a world where creativity and innovation rule, architects must keep their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, while also mastering data analysis, digital literacy, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.