As the 2024/2025 academic year begins, we present some of the most striking and intriguing design projects from last year's students that feature on the Dezeen School Shows Pinterest board.
This roundup presents 10 design projects from our School Shows Pinterest board, showcasing work that demonstrates unique applications of materials alongside social and political commentaries.
Included are international institutions such as Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art, Zurich University of the Arts and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey.
Scroll below to see ten projects from interior design, furniture design and interaction design courses, and browse our School Shows board to see more.
Metanoia by Paola Haro, student at Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
Paola Haro, a strategic design student, combines materiality and technological processes with their table design, Metanoia.
The table features a textured surface made from a 3D-printed coffee-based biomaterial atop a wooden structure, showcasing a sustainable approach to furniture design.
Post War Drobe by Maria Gil, student at University of the Arts London
Post War Drobe by furniture design student Maria Gil envisions an alternate reality where postmodernism exists in Poland's design history.
Gil's design takes cues from wardrobe designs before world war two, featuring a combination of rebar and fabric, which were often used in place of traditional furniture materials.
Water Purifier by Bo Gyeom Kim, student at the Royal College of Art
Bo Gyeom Kim's Water Purifier is left uncovered by plastics and intends to highlight aesthetics in mechanisms.
Kim's design is the result of observing excessive plastic production and responds to a dystopian future shaped by this.
Untitled by Chloe Hicks, student at De Montfort University
Investigating the effects of climate change on marine life, student Chloe Hicks conducted material exploration into decaying coral.
Creating abstract objects using crater glaze and aquatic-coloured oxides, Hicks' work resembles bleached coral to highlight the dangers of global warming.
Textile design student Lisa Scöpflin created a fashion collection titled Deshape wear to question and examine modern beauty standards.
The collection includes knitted shapewear and corsets that can be shaped into varying forms, encouraging body positivity among users.
Anio Block Toys by Lucia Li, student at IDSA
Intending to introduce young children to nature-centric systems, student Lucia Li designed Anio Block Toys, a collection of wooden shapes resembling animals.
The toys are sustainably designed and aim to educate young learners via tactile systems on ecological phenomena like predator-prey dynamics.
Student Riva Pinto intends to promote education surrounding the moor ecosystem with More Moor, an interactive learning tool.
Designing multi-sensory objects and surfaces that are informed by aspects of ecology, psychology and pedagogy, More Moor intends to create a greater awareness of moorlands' climate significance.
Sweet Scraps by Lisa Blaser, student at Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art
Collaborating with manufacturing company Jakob Härdi AG, object design student Lisa Blaser investigated the material value of synthetic fleece.
Utilising offcuts from linear metres, Sweet Scarps demonstrates potential applications of synthetic fleece within interior and furniture design, whilst questioning material waste in design.
Up and Down by Tímea Kepová, student featured in Designblok Diploma Selection
Interior design student Tímea Kepová created a furniture collection named Up and Down, which explores leisure and movement.
The collection features unconventionally shaped seating in various colours, designed to encourage expressive, creative movement and relaxation.
Hair-volution by Ping Sapchartanan, student featured in Interior Educators
Pin Sapchartaan, an interior design student, was prompted to investigate sustainable material production by utilising hair waste from salons.
Combining hair with varying biomaterials, Hair-volution presents a set of material solutions for industrial composting.
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