A renowned practitioner of product and interior design for over 50 years, Mary Featherston has developed over that time a passionate interest in design for young people. This interest has grown into a personal research project and drives her advocacy for radical change to school education today.

She has been commissioned to design learning environments in a range of cultural institutions as well as for all age levels in schools. Since the 1970s she has helped to establish Community Child Care, Community Schools, the Children’s Museum (Museum of Victoria) and the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange.

In addition to teaching and research commitments at Monash University and RMIT in Melbourne, Mary is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne a Life Fellow and Inaugural Inductee of the Design Institute of Australia Hall of Fame and an emeritus director of the Robin Boyd Foundation.