The internationally-focused and award-winning final year design students of the University of Technology, Sydney will reveal their inspirations in their graduate exhibition UTS: Design 06, opening on Tuesday 5 December.

The only exhibition of its kind at an Australian university, UTS: Design 06 brings together final year work in fashion and textile design, industrial design, interior design and visual communication in a single five-day show.

Associate Head of the School of Design in the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, George Verghese, said UTS students were part of an international design community in which Sydney now had a prominent place.

A theme of inspiration would be the unifying thread for the diverse work in UTS: Design 06, illuminating influences from past and present and from leading design practice in Sydney and overseas that the graduating students would take into their professional lives.

"We have asked the students to talk about what has inspired them to be a designer and what they are inspired to do next, giving people who attend the exhibition a window to the vitality and energy that have informed the graduate work," Mr Verghese said.

"Many of our students already have international experience to draw on, like the UTS fashion and textile design students who went to Paris this year as the only Australian finalists in the Lancôme Colour Design Awards.

"Inspiration also comes from people like School of Design staff member and UTS graduate Charles Wilson who recently won the Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award and the UTS industrial design students who dominated the 2006 Cormack Packaging Innovation Award."

As part of UTS: Design 06 students from the four design disciplines will tell their stories in an audio visual presentation to be screened in the exhibition – students like interior designer Eve Baker whose final project is a concept for an immigration museum of Sydney.

"My student exchange experience in Manchester in the UK opened my eyes to many factors that contribute to producing great design," Eve said.

"Through the works of renowned architects and designers, such as Scarpa, I have gained great insight into the marriage of materials, the dynamic effects of light and the fusing of old and the new in design. I am inspired by cities which celebrate both heritage and new innovation and such inspirations led me to my final project."

The opening night of UTS: Design 06 will involve special viewings for industry and the popular catwalk fashion parades that are ticketed events (costing $30).

The exhibition will be open to the public from Wednesday 6 December to Saturday 9 December, 10am to 4pm, on Levels 3 and 4 of the UTS Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building (Peter Johnson Building), 702-730 Harris St, Ultimo.