Dezeen Magazine

Two gold rings placed on a white surface, one with blue and red embellishing and another with gold embellishing.

Ten design projects from students taking part in New Designers

Dezeen School Shows: a jewellery collection that combines silversmithing techniques with 3D printing is included in Dezeen's latest school show by New Designers.

Also included is a bowl made using compostable materials and natural pigment that explores the repurposing of waste materials, and a stool exploring users' dependence on furniture.


New Designers

School: New Designers

Statement:

"New Designers is an annual London showcase of the UK's most innovative emerging design talent.

"Since its inception 39 years ago, New Designers has provided a platform for over 3,000 graduates every year to present their visionary ideas to industry professionals and the public.

"The event takes place over two weeks, with different disciplines highlighted in week one and week two, spanning fashion, textiles, furniture, product design, illustration and more.

"The show is hosted at the Business Design Centre in London, with week one taking place from 26 to 29 June and week two taking place from 3 to 6 July."


A multicoloured room divider displayed on a wooden floorboard with a person walking in front of it.

Liminal Living by Sofia Chapel

"Liminal means a moment of transition – in line with this concept, I have designed panels that act as room partition screens.

"They serve as transient barriers, decorative pieces of furniture, artwork and wall coverings.

"The screens are covered with grout, a material that is typically not considered within interiors – however, when printed and coloured, it creates a relief textured and woven-looking surface.

"Inspired by stained glass windows, the designs feature intersecting geometric forms combined with detailed stylised patterns."

Student: Sofia Chapel
School: Edinburgh College of Art
Course: BA (Hons) Textiles


A yellow and blue floral fabric placed over a plinth, with two pink and orange cushions on top.

Patterned Playground by Ada Malegowska

"As a surface designer, my obsession with patterns fuels my design projects.

"Moving beyond my usual architecture-based inspirations, my recent venture into florals has diversified my portfolio.

"Exploring a range of drawing styles, from fine lines to photographic motifs, my designs are as versatile as they are vibrant."

Student: Ada Malegowska
School: The Northern School of Art
Course: BA (Hons) Textiles & Surface Design


Visualisation of a brown wooden electronic home assistant with multiple small white lights.

Home Assistant by Mirko Vassallo

"Home Assistant 2.0 is a multitasking product made for families, capable of assisting with daily tasks.

"With its AI feature, it can interact with children too, for entertainment purposes as well as aiding in studying.

"The idea behind the project stems from the need to update the present home assistant, which has become obsolete in its purpose and interactions with humans in light of new AI advancement."

Student: Mirko Vassallo
School: London Metropolitan University
Course: BA (Hons) Furniture & Product Design


A person writing in a notebook with three electronic devices behind her in pink, green and yellow colours.

Kin by Jemima McCaffrey

"Kin is a home device designed to aid students in managing homesickness, helping them to acknowledge emotions, share feelings, enhance a focus on academics and social interactions and provide comforting messages when loved ones are unavailable.

"70 per cent of first-year university students suffer from severe homesickness which affects their mental and physical health – through surveys, I found that the most common cause of homesickness in students is the lack of connection with the people and environments from their family home.

"An expert in psychotherapy led me to the concept of 'transitional objects', which bridge the gap between the old and new environment."

Student: Jemima McCaffrey
School: Bournemouth University
Course: BA/BSc (Hons) Product Design


A person sitting on a metal stool.

Dependence by Joseph Norman

"Furniture is an essential component we all use every day without second thought.

"Dependence highlights this seemingly forgotten relationship we have with furniture by changing how it is engaged with.

"When we use furniture, we trust that it will be able to support us.

"The stool seems weak at first glance, yet such trust is earned back when the user cautiously sits down, realising that its slender frame warps around their body to hold them in place."

Student: Joseph Norman
School: Manchester School of Art
Course: BA (Hons) Product Design and Craft


A person wearing translucent colourful jewellery around their neck and arm.

Rae of Light by Anna Rae

"My work explores the relationship between mental health, colour and light, and the impact they can have on one another.

"The result is a range of jewellery and spectacles that utilise dichroic materials such as glass and film.

"Whether the pieces are entirely glass, or dichroic film embedded in resin, all pieces encourage movement in the wearer as they try to find their 'hidden rainbows'.

"Regardless of how the wearer feels, they will now always have colour and light in their life, and I hope that's enough to make someone smile."

Student: Anna Rae
School: DJCAD University of Dundee
Course: BA (Hons) Jewellery & Metal Design


Visualisation of a white and silver bike saddle.

Bioselle by Isabel Hillier

"Bioselle is centred around circularity within the cycling industry.

"The project is a scientifically grounded creative endeavour (utilising life cycle analysis) exploring the ecological impact of bicycle saddles.

"Through reimagining the linear nature of current designs, Bioselle challenges preconceived ideas of what bicycle saddles are made of and what happens to them at their end of life.

"Mycelium foam and an aluminium lattice structure replace commonly used persistent petrochemicals such as polyurethane, injection moulded nylon or carbon fibre."

Student: Isabel Hillier
School: Falmouth University
Course: BA (Hons) Sustainable Product Design


A multicoloured box, skateboard and cycling helmet that are blue, black and white.

Concrete Waves by Joe Williams

"Whilst developing Concrete Waves I questioned why people like skateboarding – it is an expression of freedom and a physical creative flair in which the rider surfs the urban concrete landscape.

"I set myself a brief that allowed me to express my love for design and typography, expressed in the form of a skate brand.

"The motivating factor of Concrete Waves is to provoke feeling and a sense of identity that is relatable.

"Based on British aesthetics, it reclaims a part of the scene where we can say this is us - we're Northern and we're proud of that!"

Student: Joe Williams
School: University of Huddersfield
Course: BA (Hons) Graphic Design and Animation


A irregularly shaped bowl, beige on the outside and orange on the inside.

Coop by Josephine Drew

"Coop is a compostable bowl made using discarded eggshells from The University of Edinburgh's catering services.

"The bowl has been painted on the inside using tempera, a process that uses egg yolk with water as a binder, and paprika as a natural pigment.

"My main aim with this project was to find both beauty and purpose through exploring the properties of waste materials."

Student: Josephine Drew
School: Edinburgh College of Art
Course: BA (Hons) Product Design


Two gold rings placed on a white surface, one with blue and red embellishing and another with gold embellishing.

Dormante by Kyle Ferguson

"Dormante looks into a fictional underwater realm that acts as a refuge and platform to address personal mental reflection and worldwide issues.

"This concept spawned from my experiences growing up between Scotland and Barbados – I found inspiration in my diverse surroundings which has shaped a unique sense of place that transcends the geographical borders of my two homes.

"Honing jewellery and silversmithing techniques with modern 3D printing, I have imbued my creations with the essence of my upbringing to evolve memories and experiences into fictional narratives.

"I aim to bring them to life through physical, interactive and tactile artefacts."

Student: Kyle Ferguson
School: The Glasgow School of Art
Course: BA (Hons) Silversmithing & Jewellery

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and New Designers. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.