When YLab’s ‘Deadly Democracy’ project won Australia’s most prestigious design award, it wasn’t for architecture, product or visual communication - it was for reimagining civic education with First Nations youth at the helm.

This milestone reflects a growing truth: good design in the social sector is about changing systems to ensure they empower those who engage with them.

Including diverse voices in projects lies at the heart of YLab’s mission. The organisation is a unique not-for-profit that co-designs solutions with young people, particularly those whose views have been historically marginalised.

YLab was created by the Foundation for Young Australians in 2016 to offer entry-level learning and work opportunities for young people. Nearly a decade later, it is an independent social enterprise with deep expertise, networks and communities of diverse young people.

“We operate as a professional services organisation, assisting with co-design, strategy and creative services,” says Acting CEO of YLab, Ernez Dhondy.

“We bring young people with lived experience into projects from the start. This isn’t tokenism or presenting predetermined solutions to young people for rubber stamping. It’s about creating conditions for young people to shape outcomes from the start.”

YLab’s recent recognition with the 2025 Australian Good Design Award of the Year for their Deadly Democracy project — a collaboration with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to redesign civic education for First Nations youth — exemplifies the power of the approach.

Traditionally, only one project earns this award across all design disciplines. But this year, the jury could not separate the Deadly Democracy project and an autonomous ship hull technology from robotics company Hullbot.

YLab and the AEC had started conversations about Deadly Democracy in 2020. From the beginning, it was clear that the civic education program would require robust co-design processes. Part of why YLab’s appeal was its embedded First Nations team.

YLab looked back on previous civic education programs, which hadn’t achieved the desired outcomes, then dove into new ways to embed design participation. Every choice aimed to support First Nations young people to engage confidently and meaningfully in democracy.

A defining part of YLab’s approach is paid employment of participants, which was the case with Deadly Democracy.

“We’ve always had youth employment at the centre of our model,” Ernez said.
“Paying participants ensures they are not sacrificing paid employment elsewhere. It also legitimises cultural work as professional work, a core value for us.

“Lived expertise is worth paying for. Too often, consultations or co-design processes ask young people and communities to give their insights without reciprocity. For us, reciprocity is always at the centre of our work with young people and First Nations communities.

“This project was testament to what happens when design thinking meets social impact, and when young people are invited not just into conversations about their future, but are positioned to lead them,” he said.Brian M Davis Charitable Foundation CEO Anita Hopkins said the Deadly Democracy project demonstrated the importance of bringing young people into the heart of decision making.

“Ernez, and some of the YLAB young associates, were a sounding board for our new strategy, which was very helpful,” Anita said. “Our partnership with YLAB represents more than financial backing. It’s a shared belief in the power of youth-led innovation to transform entire sectors.”

Ernez explains that youth engagement should be embedded throughout an organisation's work, not isolated to specific projects.

“This current intergenerational moment presents both challenges and opportunities,” he said. “We have the most intergenerational workforce we've ever had, but they're quite different in how they operate effectively. These different generations can operate effectively together when we create the right conditions."

YLAB bridges these generational gaps, creating spaces where younger voices are valued equally alongside experience and institutional knowledge, Ernez said.

For more information, visit YLab.