sMove wins Best in Class at the 2026 Australian Good Design Awards
sMove, SKIDATA's revolutionary access system, has received the Best-in-Class award at the 2026 Australian Good Design Awards in the Product Design – Commercial and Industrial category. Best in Class is one of the highest honours in the programme. It recognises the most outstanding projects within each category.
Our team accepted the award on stage at ICC Sydney on Friday 9 October 2026, at the ceremony closing Good Design Week.
Recognised by Australia's longest-running design awards
The Australian Good Design Awards are Australia's longest-running international design awards. Run by Good Design Australia, they recognise excellence in design, innovation and impact.
This year's awards were presented under the theme Design that Leads. The theme celebrates the role of design in navigating complexity, driving innovation and creating positive change. In the organisers' words, good design "is more than an outcome, it is a powerful way of thinking, imagining and acting."
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What the jury said
The independent jury called sMove "a compelling benchmark for thoughtful Industrial Design." Their full comments:
“The Jury recognises sMove as an outstanding example of inclusive design thinking applied to a category long overdue for innovation. The folding WAVE barrier is both iconic and brilliantly resolved, communicating open and closed states with immediate clarity through form, movement and colour. The modular architecture that switches between separated lanes and a wide inclusive passage represents a genuinely elegant solution to complex operational challenges, eliminating the need for separate accessible gates without compromising security or flow. The Jury commends the integration of radar sensing, biometrics and long-range RFID within a compact, welcoming form, alongside the achievement of over 50% energy reduction. This is a compelling benchmark for thoughtful Industrial Design that unifies inclusivity, innovation and operational performance.”
— Jury, 2026 Australian Good Design Awards
Designed to disappear
Most people walk through an access gate without a second thought. That is exactly what sMove is designed for. It is a compact, modular access system that makes entry seamless for every guest.
The brief was simple to state and hard to solve: create a gate that is comfortable and welcoming for everyone, while still giving operators the barrier they need. It also had to stay secure and reliable in harsh outdoor conditions.
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Here is how sMove answers that brief:
• The folding WAVE barrier. Shaped as a compliant mechanism, the barrier forms a clear X as a gentle physical and visual stop cue. It folds away when access is granted and yields on contact.
• Inclusive by design. The modular layout switches between separated lanes and one wide, inclusive passage. Guests with luggage, wheelchairs or strollers pass easily, with no need for a separate accessible gate. The wide passage also supports quick, safe evacuation in an emergency.
• Smart, contactless access. Radar-based detection keeps the flow smooth. Credential options include biometrics, Bluetooth and long-range RFID, all inside a compact, protected housing.
• Over 50% energy reduction. The jury singled out sMove's energy savings alongside its design.
• Built for every venue. sMove was developed for year-round use at outdoor destinations such as mountain resorts, as well as urban venues.
The team behind sMove
sMove was designed in Austria by SKIDATA's design team:
• Danijela Tolanov-Vogl
• Gerhard Sendlhofer
• Jürgen Schieren
• Daniel Aigner
• Thomas Schnöll
We were proud to have a representation of SKIDATA Australia colleagues in Sydney to accept the award on the team's behalf. Our thanks go to Good Design Australia and the jury for this recognition.
Learn more
See the full project on the Good Design Australia website, or contact our team to find out how sMove can welcome guests at your venue.