For more than four decades New Designers has been the place to spot the emerging design talents of tomorrow. It has been a springboard for design luminaries like Benjamin Hubert and Margot Selby – but who will this year’s names to know be?
Here, we put together our highlights to look out for – young graduate designers who are exploring the themes of today, from the importance of the handmade in an AI age to accessibility, sustainability and both respecting and craft traditions and keeping them alive in the modern world.
And, if you want to see their work in person (and choose your own talent to watch) New Designers will be at London’s Business Design Centre from 1-4 July.
Hattie Taviner
Named ‘The Secret History of Plants: and the Women Who Found Them’, this project explores botanical history and the overlooked contributions of women working within the natural sciences. Using woodwork and ceramics, the pieces draw on the visual language of scientific study (like chemical apparatus, pictured above and top), but with highly decorative surfaces. The intention is to make you question the relationship between science, craft and femininity.
Zobiya Asif
Play has been a big theme in the design world this year, so this graduate from University of Staffordshire could not have their finger more firmly on the pulse. Specialising in woodwork, Asif’s pieces explore the connection between contemporary design and traditional Pakistani influences. ‘Char Ki Kursi’ (the seat of four) is more than a seat; it also transforms into a Ludo board game.
Iris Reed
The ‘Jarapa Chair’ by London Metropolitan University graduate Reed merges the materials and processes of two classic pieces from the region of the Alpujarra in southern Spain; the ‘bulrush chair’ and the ‘jarapa rug’. Traditional jarapas are a great example of circular economy in design, traditionally made with old rags or waste from the textile industry, but Reed has added a modern touch by utilising pre-owned t-shirts. Colourful, fun and functional, this design is also a timely commentary on the environmental abuses of fast fashion.
What's everyone reading?
Qiyu Zhang
It may be summer now, but we are all aware of the effect of lack of natural light can have on our wellbeing when the days begin to shorten. Zhang, a graduate of Kingston University has an attractive solution. The ‘Flow’ light – a more attractive version of the sometimes quite bulky SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lamps on the market – uses colour changes inspired by the emotional effects of natural daylight to help realign users’ biological rhythms, reduce lifestyle chaos and support mental wellbeing.
Millie Herbert
Sustainable design doesn’t have to be po-faced and worthy. University of Staffordshire graduate Herbert’s project ‘RE-PLAY (Recycled + Play)’ aims to put the fun into thoughtful sustainable design. The seat is made from plastic waste and means to spark joy while also promoting the benefits of a circular economy. Through both the making process and final outcome, Millie aims to encourage audiences to engage more meaningfully with design and material innovation.
Lucas Norris
Metalwork is having a moment, with a wealth of young talent entering the craft (see our feature on the new names to watch in the ELLE Decoration July/August issue, on sale 25 June) and Lucas Norris could be the next name to add to that list. His work explores personal transformation through abstract forged steel sculptures that combine traditional and contemporary blacksmithing techniques.
Jamie Scott
The subject of emotional regulation in adults with ADHD feels like a very timely and necessary design angle to explore. Northumbria University graduate Scott’s project, ‘Sōma’ is a collection of three handheld objects — Rest, Rhythm, and Release — carved from oak and rested on glass bases when not in use. Each design offers a distinct physical interaction: warmth, bilateral movement, or resistance. The effect of using them is intended as a grounding influence in a digital world.
Evan Daggart
Hyper-locality of materials is the focus for this project, which focuses on a wild clay sourced from the small village of Dufftown in Scotland, local to where Daggart is from. Through processes of experimentation and discovery, a series of glazes were created and used to decorate large thrown vessels, before a range of firing methods introduce atmosphere to the pieces. Using this wild material allows nature to take part in the creation of these vessels as they speak of and for the beauty of the natural world.
