New Designers 2016

- by Milly Burroughs

A welcome reassurance in such socially turbulent times, this year’s exhibitors (in both part one and two of the show) demonstrated a broad spectrum of positive intentions focused on textile, furniture and industrial design development that provokes social change in a variety of areas including wildlife conservation, human rights activism, physical disability, mental health care and material sustainability. 

Winner of the Business Design Centre New Designer of the Year (Part 1) Award, and a Sheffield Hallam University graduate, jewellery and silversmithing specialist Rob Anderson’s Heavy Hands project incubates greater appreciation for individual products’ value, subsequently leading the end user to be less likely to discard or replace them unnecessarily. Taking inspiration from the textures of concrete in Brutalist buildings, Rob’s considered production methods see him invest the level of thought and commitment he would like users to develop, in his own actions. 

Weston College graduate, and winner of the Business Design Centre New Designer of the Year (Part 2) Award, India Lawton was commended by judges for showing “a selfless passion with a real drive to make a positive social impact” and “using design to break down social, linguistic and emotional barriers, enabling healing”. India’s wonderful project is a creative tool that encourages human trafficking victims to express themselves in mediums other than verbal or written language. 

Engaging with our need, as individuals and societies, to reduce waste and make re-using and recycling materials more accessible and habitual, notonthehighstreet.com Award winner Josh James’ Melt project puts production in the hands of the user with a tool that allows people to turn waste plastic into hand-crafted objects at home. The UWE Bristol graduate hopes that his home manufacture kit will make a positive dent in the near 40 million tonnes of HDPE produced globally each year.

Inspired by a desire to provide his nephew with a dynamic toy that will help him grow up to “one day be superhuman with a prosthetic”, Loughborough University’s George Moone designed MyOrb, a unique and versatile approach to upper limb rehabilitation. With judges describing his work as “solving a fundamental problem”, the graduate designer was chosen as the winner of the New Designers Virgin Atlantic Award. 

Providing a “glimpse into the hidden depths of the diverse African jungle”, New Designers AVA CAD/CAM Award winner Sophie Thorne’s Midnight Congo collection of fabrics celebrates the movement and organic growth of endangered species and exotic plant-life. The Loughborough University graduate’s collection uses nature’s built-in beauty to highlight its value and fragility. 

Above 1: Rob Anderson, Below 2: India Lawton, 3: Josh James, 4: George Moone, 5: Sophie Thorne.