Lola Milcheva

Industrial Design

After earning my first degree in Advertising and PR in Spain, I discovered my passion for design thinking while studying Business and Entrepreneurship in Melbourne. This inspired me to pursue Industrial Design, where I could turn ideas into reality. I’m always curious about how things work, often finding myself staring at objects and wondering about the story behind them—that’s when I knew design was my path.

My approach always begins with understanding the underlying challenge or need, guiding my design process from concept to completion. I love diving deep into research and problem-solving, ensuring my solutions are both practical and responsible. My goal is to design for future generations, focusing on reducing waste and minimizing consumerism.

With a multidisciplinary background in advertising, business, and human interactions, I see things from different perspectives. I believe knowing how to sell an idea is just as important as the design itself—because without a strong selling point, even the best ideas can be overlooked.

Fun fact: if I weren’t a designer, I’d probably be a tour guide or a detective—both speak to my love for uncovering new stories and how things work.

I’m always open to connecting with others who share a passion for thoughtful design.

Jundo - Honours Project

Jundo is a sensory meditation device that harmonizes sound, water, and light to create a calming, immersive experience. At its core, it functions as a high-quality speaker, transforming ambient music into rhythmic water vibrations. These gentle movements create mesmerizing ripples, visually representing sound and enhancing the meditative effect. Soft light projections elevate the atmosphere, fostering relaxation and mindfulness. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics and crafted from sustainable materials like wood and glass, Jundo reflects a commitment to responsible design. It offers a holistic approach to well-being, inviting users to reconnect with themselves and cultivate tranquility in a fast-paced world.

Kiki - Industry linked project

Creating a peaceful, functional space is essential yet challenging in today's bustling environments. KIKI is a modular pendant light designed to bring calm to any room through sound-dampening and customizable configurations. Made with PET acoustic felt, KIKI absorbs noise while casting soft, ambient light, enhancing comfort in both residential and commercial settings. Its modular design allows users to mix and match components, creating a tailored lighting solution that fits any aesthetic. Reflecting About Space's commitment to innovative, sustainable design, KIKI offers an inviting balance of style, functionality, and serenity for modern living.

Koko - Industry linked project

Many pet owners struggle to find accessories that complement their home decor, often ending up with mismatched bowls, mats, and feeders. Designed for Country Road, KOKO fills that gap by offering a thoughtfully crafted feeding set that aligns with the brand’s natural elegance and sustainable design ethos. Inspired by Australia’s landscapes, KOKO combines functionality with refined aesthetics, featuring double-fired ceramic bowls, a natural rubber mat with a personalized brushed aluminum plate, and a wave-patterned slow feeder. Available in sizes and colors that evoke deep eucalyptus greens, earthy tones, and rocky coastlines, KOKO brings pet owners a cohesive, practical solution that seamlessly integrates into Country Road's signature style for the modern home.

Kendra - A Right-to-Repair Vacuum Solution

Kendra is a group project that tackles electronic waste in the vacuum industry by addressing the challenges consumers face when dealing with complex electronics. We designed a specialized casing that securely holds key electronic components, allowing them to be easily extracted and sent for repair or upgrades. This modular and repairable approach significantly extends the vacuum’s lifespan and reduces waste. Inspired by insights from an e-waste factory visit, we reimagined a Milwaukee portable vacuum with intuitive disassembly, durable materials, and ergonomic design. Kendra combines sustainable practices with user-friendly functionality, making maintenance both practical and eco-conscious.

Bricktopia - Tailored Play Solutions for Kids with ASD

Bricktopia addresses the significant lack of tailored activities and appropriate toy options for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in early childhood centers. Extensive research and collaboration with industry specialists highlighted the challenges these children face in engaging with standard toys. Recognizing the tactile and visual appeal of colorful building blocks, Bricktopia offers a playful system designed to foster creativity and structured play. With an action-reaction setup, this design promotes cognitive and motor skills development while providing an organized, engaging environment. Features such as color-coordinated sorting pipes and an adaptable brick wall board ensure safe accessibility and efficient use of space, creating a neat and supportive playtime experience that benefits both children and caregivers.

Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.