Dezeen Magazine

A photograph of a textured circular structure with holes in it, with grey and brown tones, against a grey and white background.

Ten design projects by students taking part in New Designers

Dezeen School Shows:  a project exploring the impact of climate change on coral and the biodiversity of marine life is included in Dezeen's latest school show by New Designers.

Also included is a textiles project repurposing discarded objects and a pavilion featuring panelling made from repurposed wood and seaweed.


New Designers

School: New Designers

Statement:

"New Designers is a central platform of the design industry celebrating innovative and ground-breaking work from the UK's leading design schools.

"Held annually, this event showcases a vibrant mix of fresh talent across various design disciplines, including fashion, graphic design, furniture and digital arts.

"It serves as a launchpad for emerging designers, offering them a unique opportunity to present their work to industry professionals, potential employers and design enthusiasts.

"Each year, New Designers attracts thousands of visitors who come to explore the future of design through the eyes of these young creatives.

"The event is renowned for its diverse and high-quality exhibitions, reflecting the latest trends and pushing the boundaries of traditional design practices.

"Attendees can discover cutting-edge projects and concepts that promise to shape the future landscape of design.

"New Designers also boasts a rich programme of talks and workshops – these sessions are led by industry experts and cover a wide range of topics, from career development and entrepreneurial advice to insights into the latest design technologies and methodologies.

"The programme is designed to inspire and educate, providing invaluable knowledge and networking opportunities for both new and established designers.

"Overall, New Designers is an essential event for anyone passionate about the future of design."


A visualisation of a stained glass window in colours of green, blue, red and yellow, with illustrations of people in parts of the glass.

Untitled by Charis Constantinou

"My stained glass collection is inspired by the Victorian Arts and Crafts movement and reflects on Britain's cultural transformation.

"My work is a patchwork quilt of the diverse cultures that make up modern Britain – it's about how these identities weave together to form our nation.

"I plan to launch my own stained-glass practice, focusing on bold, modern designs."

Student: Charis Constantinou
School: Swansea College of Art
Course: BA(Hons) Design Craft


A photograph of a piece of fabric in tones of red, blue and orange with a grid pattern on it.

Viscera by Jenny Papworth

"I am a textile artist specialising in sculptural 3D forms, driven by the transformative process of design development – I am fascinated by how an initial concept can mature into an exciting and unexpected outcome.

"In my collection, I have explored the narrative of the seven deadly sins and their consequences in a modern context.

"I have reinterpreted the traditional notion of sin as a series of common self-destructive behaviours and considered the effect that these compulsive habits can have on the human body, often leading us to feel heavy, exhausted and trapped.

"My three pieces are based on the colour and texture of human viscera and reflect the nature of these destructive behaviours.

"One piece is made from multiple weighted pockets – one contains repetitive layers that stretch to the floor and one speaks of fragility and our inability to resist these unhelpful compulsions."

Student: Jenny Papworth
School: Hereford College of Arts
Course: BA Textile Design


A photograph of a bedroom with floral patterns on the walls and ceilings, and on the bedding, all in colours of blue, green, yellow and red.

Floral Abundance by Lucy Greenwood

"Floral Abundance explores flora and fauna in the everyday home, invigorating it with the unmistakable extravagance of maximalism and opulent decadence.

"Designed for wall coverings and textiles in the high-end market, this unique print collection boasts outspoken colour combinations and painterly motifs.

"Neon cyber lime compliments energetic pops of cerise that uplift and revitalise traditional interior colour palettes and stand apart from the calm and plain home trends of the post-Covid era.

"Stylised organic gouache forms intertwine with graphic foliage in layered compositions full of depth and hidden motifs, juxtaposing prints offset each other in a celebration of the weird and wonderful of interior design.

"Shimmering touches of painterly foil flow throughout adding ostentatious accents to textiles and embodying the unapologetic luxury of maximalism and filling the home with joyful expression of personality."

Student: Lucy Greenwood
School: Leeds Arts University
Course: BA (Hons) Textile Design


A photograph of a person handling a bike lock on a bike.

Locky: part of the bicycle by Jakob Timerdahl

"Locky is a lock integrated into the handlebars, propping them up when riding, and with the right adaptor plate, it can be fitted on most commuter bikes.

"Like any traditional U-lock, Locky can be anchored to a post through the frame and wheel.

"In this configuration, if the lock were to be cut by a thief, the bike would become unusable as it is a structural element that is integral to the bike.

"The handlebars are also now folded down creating a slimmer profile which makes locking the bike in different scenarios, or storing it, easier.

"The removable headlight can be brought with the user to be charged."

Student: Jakob Timerdahl
School: Ravensbourne University London
Course: BA (Hons) Product Design


A photograph of a child in a hospital holding an intravenous pole with a blue octopus at the top of it.

Olly the Infusion Stand by Florence Mitchell

"The Olly infusion stand is an innovative fusion of circular design principles and user-friendly functionality – offering complete disassembly and replaceable components while reducing the reliance on virgin plastic.

"Crafted from Sterimelt, a specialised material derived from melted-down polypropylene gowns sourced from hospitals.

"Its design ethos centres around enhancing the hospital experience, serving as a companion throughout the patient's journey.

"Accompanied by a dedicated mobile application, Olly comes to life as a comprehensive healthcare aid.

"Through the app, users, especially children, can seamlessly manage their hydration, nutrition, medication intake and even monitor their mood, the integrated system empowering both patients and caregivers."

Student: Florence Mitchell
School: Falmouth Product Design
Course: BA(Hons) Sustainable Product Design


A photograph of a wooden seating structure with an angled shelter over it, made from wood and green seaweed.

Kelpworks: Exploring Seaweed as a Sustainable Material by Conor McArthur

"This project aims to challenge the conventional use of extractive and finite materials while redefining perceptions of regenerative biomaterials.

"Focusing on seaweed – a locally abundant resource in the UK – seaweed 'leather' was developed in collaboration with Scottish seaweed experts and event organisers for temporary outdoor events.

"A segment of a conceptual pavilion was designed and built, featuring modular and scalable elements.

"This functional social space provides seating, shelter and privacy using reclaimed wood and seaweed panelling.

"Ultimately, this work bridges the gap between innovative biomaterial concepts and practical applications."

Student: Conor McArthur
School: The Glasgow School of Art
Course: Master of European Design


A photograph of a person holding a silver ring with a purple jewel in its centre.

Untitled by Susanna Giglia

"Susanna joined the BA DFI Programme after completing her HND with the British Academy of Jewellery in London.

"She has enjoyed her time on the course stepping away from the bench and focusing on upskilling with CAD.

"Susanna creates unique, wearable artworks based on gothic influences."

Student: Susanna Giglia
School: Birmingham School of Jewellery
Course: BA Design for Industry


A still from a stop motion animation of a circular white and blue plate and a silver spoon, both with faces and arms. The plate is holding onto the soon, which is holding onto a green glass bottle.

The dish ran away with the spoon by Katie Charlesworth

"The dish and the spoon characters were designed, modelled and textured by Katie Charlesworth.

"Katie is a student of Nottingham Trent University's School of Art and Design, BA (Hons) Animation course.

"Course work includes animated shorts, 2D and 3D character animation, concept art, storyboarding, character design and CG character and environment lookdev."

Student: Katie Charlesworth
School: Nottingham Trent University
Course: BA (Hons) Animation


A photograph of a textured circular structure with holes in it, with grey and brown tones, against a grey and white background.

Untitled by Chloe Hicks

"As a designer-maker, I am constantly inspired by the art around me, particularly art created by nature – whether that be the natural growths and formations of patterns, or organic shapes, colours and textures which often serve as a well-spring of ideas.

"With my love for nature, the impact of climate change negatively impacting our environment concerns me.

"My work represents the impact of human actions on our ecosystems, particularly nature's aquatic life.

"For example, coral is a vital part of the health and biodiversity of marine life, the effects of climate change are bleaching coral, causing a decline in coral reefs.

"I take an interest in how much I can abstract an object and still push the boundaries of its functionality, my use of crater glaze and natural and aquatic-coloured oxides and carbonates suggest textures and colours of decaying coral and rocks."

Student: Chloe Hicks
School: De Montfort University
Course: BA (Hons) Design Crafts


A photograph of a person, standing against a white background, wearing a green and silver garment with a large transparent plastic chain draped over their shoulder.

MAGPIE – Material. Attraction. Gather. Play. Innovate. Evolve. by Chantelle Folarin

"MAGPIE – Material. Attraction. Gather. Play. Innovate. Evolve is an exploration and celebration of our attraction and natural affinity to be drawn to materials that are bright, shiny, reflective or iridescent.

"The agency of our innate nature to play drives Chantelle's design process as she seeks to be resourceful and responsible when gathering materials focusing on using collected and discarded objects.

"​The luxury woven collection created offers a spectrum of possibilities for fashion and interiors."

Student: Chantelle Folarin
School: Birmingham City University
Course: BA (Hons) Textile Design

Partnership content

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