New Designers ‘24

What does the future of our industry hold? 

If New Designers 2024 is anything to go by, the answer is promise. This annual showcase is an opportunity for emerging talent to display their ideas to the public, but it’s also a chance for us in the industry to see how younger generations of designers are learning and developing. 

These bright minds will be the ones using design to solve pressing challenges in the years to come, and the exhibition provided a glimpse into their priorities, skills, and innovative approaches.

Here are a few of the key themes that surfaced from the New Designers 2024 event:

The depth, precision, and provocativeness of the value propositions created and illustrated by the students exhibiting this year was apparent. It was remarkable to see so many projects that cut through the challenges at hand and identified the motivating narratives that will strike the hearts of users. The designers’ ability to connect with people on a profound level was a testament to their skill and dedication. 

For students reading this: the challenge now is to impactfully communicate these value propositions through your portfolios! Be sure to check out our portfolio drop-in clinics for guidance and support.

The application of cutting-edge technology, novel design engineering solutions, and unique product propositions to solve both old and new challenges was a prevalent theme across all the stands at the show this year. 

While New Designers is always a showcase of fresh ideas, the explosion of an inventorship approach is a reflection of the Gen Z cohorts now in universities and a collective shift in attitudes towards received category norms, product architectures, and technology application.

In previous years, we’ve come to expect sustainability to be front and centre in the design projects selected by students. However, this year was different. While there were still ingenious circular solutions, material alternative exploration, and planet-minded innovation throughout the show, the sustainability aspect of projects felt more “baked in” – a baseline criteria rather than the hero of the product story. 

This allowed students to breathe love into the complete narrative, find ways to enrich the user experience, and solve problems with eco-conscious decisions deeply rooted along the way. It’s a promising shift that showcases the evolving priorities of the next generation of designers.