Televised coverage of the Awards presentation on ABC TV reached audiences of over four million and in 1979, the first annual yearbook of ADA winners was published.
Under Standards Australia, the ADA program continued to run, but the Australian Design Council was disbanded in 1993.
New formats and incentives for the ADA program such as the Australian Design Mark certification scheme were trialed during the second half of the 1990s without success.
In 1997 a revamped format was introduced to the Awards, using an online application form and first-round internet shortlisting.
The 1999 program was put on hold while Standards Australia explored other options to secure the future of the awards.
The majority of staff was made redundant and for the first time in many years, no Design Awards were presented in Australia.