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Authentic Design Alliance to relaunch

Join us for Chapter Three: ADA 3.0

See what Foundation Membership includes

The Authentic Design Alliance will relaunch during Melbourne Design Week in May 2027.

ADA 3.0 marks the next chapter in our 16-year history and includes a brand-new website.

Ahead of the relaunch, we are introducing expanded governance, new memberships and industry programs.

Together, these are designed to strengthen Australia’s original design sector.

NEW FOR 2026: Foundation Membership, for small teams of three or fewer, is open now. Discover what membership tier is right for your brand and explore member benefits.

We have extended our limited-time ADA Membership Bonus offer to Sunday, 30 August 2026. Join now to receive a three (3) or six (6) month extension at no additional cost.

What is changing in ADA 3.0

• Expanded governance: the first Authentic Design Alliance Board will be announced shortly, supported by an Advisory Council of invited industry luminaries

• Foundation Membership: open now, for independent designers, designer-makers and businesses with three or fewer team members, our first new membership tier in 16 years!

• New Memberships for Specifiers: opening in September 2026 for architects, interior designers, and building-industry professionals committed to supporting authentic products and brands

• ADA Global Brand Partnerships: also introduced in September 2026, partner opportunities for international design brands across furniture, lighting, textiles, materials and related categories

• Specifiers’ Code of Conduct: an Authentic Design Alliance-led guide created by a steering committee, designed to support responsible product selection, purchasing behaviour and industry practice

• ADA Mentor Program: new ways for practitioners to share knowledge across career stages and support a stronger future for the industry

• ADA Circularity Program: sharing member intelligence and sustainability case studies with industry, clients and government, to highlight leadership from suppliers, brands and manufacturers

• New ADA website: to relaunch during Melbourne Design Week in May 2027

We will publish full eligibility, inclusions and application details as each new initiative opens. You can also read the full ADA 3.0 announcement.

Read the Foundation Membership launch offers

Why the Authentic Design Alliance is expanding

Our origin story

In 2010, five furniture distributors united to push back against a rapidly growing replica furniture industry as famous design copies quickly became normalised. Led by ADA co-founders Cult, Living Edge, Euroluce, Stylecraft and Ke-Zu, the Authentic Design Alliance set out to educate architects and interior designers about the value of original products and brands, and the damage caused by cheap copies.

ADA 2.0: 2016 to 2026

In 2015, stewardship passed to a new team. Following a nine-month research phase, the ADA relaunched in 2016 with Good Design Australia’s support. The ADA 2.0 remit sharpened the advocacy and education work. It also cemented the association as a recognised voice in policy discussions.

Working collaboratively with IP Australia and other Government Agencies, the ADA made submissions to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Intellectual Property (PCIP). From there, we worked closely with IP Australia during the two-year design review, joined roundtables and think tanks, and continue to lobby the Federal Government on issues surrounding AI and Creative Copyright.

This ongoing advocacy ensures the Australian furnishing sector is actively represented.

A successful product creates an income stream A successful collection creates a sub-economy

The problem today

Ten years on, replicas, knock-offs and dupes continue to explode as a burgeoning problem. The pattern is familiar: free delivery, same-day, dirt-cheap prices, ultra-low-quality products. As a result, this threatens the designers, makers and brands behind the original designs being copied.

Local and independent designers are also targeted on large commercial projects, where local building industry suppliers copy their best-selling products.

Beyond the copies, short-lifespan furniture has become a significant environmental problem. The waste figures show the scale.

Education and circularity

Because those numbers keep climbing, our education program will spotlight circular practices in the furnishing sector. We will also create resources to help clients, designers and consumers with purchasing decisions. At the same time, we take this work to industry directly, through events and public discussion.

Authentic Design Alliance Event: ADA Director Anne-Maree Sargeant and Aleesha Callahan unpacking sustainability, circularity within authentic design and responsible industry practice at Artbank. Photograph: Eryca Green. Explore Event Recap.

Expanded governance

The Authentic Design Alliance will soon introduce its first ADA Board, supported by an Advisory Council.

The Board will guide strategy, oversight and long-term planning. The Advisory Council brings together invited expertise across design, manufacturing, retail, intellectual property, sustainability, education, policy, law and partnerships.

As programs, consultations and working groups open, we will share opportunities for members to take part.

The ADA 3.0 rollout to May 2027

The rollout runs from August 2026 to the relaunch in May 2027.

Join us for our next chapter

Melbourne Design Week in May 2027 marks the relaunch, but the work begins now. Explore Authentic Design Alliance membership, or ask us which membership fits your business.

Compare membership tiers and claim the bonus before 30 August

Still deciding? Send us your question.