Robert Geddes is a pioneer in the Industrial Design sector with over three decades of distinguished professional practice. He was a founding member and later Managing Director of PROdesign, a multidisciplinary design practice based in Queensland.

Robert’s 30 years of expertise spans the spectrum of branding through to product design and includes the design of medical products, commercial and industrial instruments, transport, architectural products, children’s products and toys.

His numerous accolades include Top Nominee Danish INDEX:07 International Design Awards and Smart State Designer of The Year 2008. He has received a Memento Award, Australian Good Design Awards, Queensland Design Excellence Awards, and Design Institute of Australia (DIA) Gold and Silver Awards.

Robert is an innovator in the field of patent and trademark applications. Throughout his career he has forged close links with intellectual property lawyers to ensure the appropriate protection of his clients’ inventions and intellectual property. He has served as an independent expert witness at the Federal Court of Australia and engaged with the preparation and presentation of opinions regarding perceived trademark infringements.

Robert is an originator in the field of Design Thinking and is the Executive Director at the Australian Institute for Commercialisation. In this position, he continues to share and apply his wealth of experience in advising clients to bring their innovative ideas to life and assists with the implementation of programmes of design integration to realise and commercialise opportunities.

Throughout his career, Robert has been a constant and consistent champion of the Australian design industry across all its categories and facets. He is a natural leader and has worked passionately and ceaselessly as an advocate for the industry in his roles as a campaigner, agitator and lobbyist to government and as an ambassador, mentor, educator and protagonist - often delivered with more than a sprinkle of the philanthropic.

Robert is an Accredited Designer and Fellow of the DIA and has served as a Director, National Vice-President, and Queensland President of the Institute.