But New Designers isn’t just aimed at emerging talent, far from it; it’s a great event for anyone in the design sector. For trade visitors, the melting pot of talent on show makes it a brilliant event for recruitment – you’ll have the chance to personally discover and maybe even hire the next best design talent! Another of the event’s highlights is ND Selects, which puts design businesses founded in the last three years in the spotlight, focusing on those that are producing particularly creative and innovative work. In this year’s curation you’ll find Iara Talledo Violani’s colourful collage pots, inspired by São Paulo architecture and hyper-pop; the silver jewellery of Jo Boateng, influenced by the Ghanaian arts and crafts of her childhood and 1980s Italian art; and Swyn Anwyl, a furniture designer from rural North Wales whose passion lies in sustainable and regenerative design.
Another core feature of New Designers is the ND Awards. Here, across 30 categories, leading brands and businesses select rising stars, who are judged on how their work contributes and responds to some of today’s most pressing issues, including sustainability, mental wellbeing, and diversity and inclusion in the design world. The ND Awards offer prizes and industry opportunities that aim to help graduates find their feet in the professional world.
Like every year, there will also be a brilliant selection of talks and workshops through ND Educates. Led by designers, industry experts and leading brands, you can find tips on what to expect when entering the industry and lessons about future employment, as well as gaining insight into the latest trends and prominent sector themes. The 2024 programme is curated by Hannah Payne, an alum of New Designers, and will be announced soon. Be sure to stay tuned! You can buy tickets here.
