New Designers returns this week with 3,000 breakthrough designers, makers & disruptors. Creatives will gather at the Islington Business Design Centre to share their visions for the future of design, tackling sustainability, innovation and topical issues such as mental health and the cost of living crisis.

ND Selects – the New Designers’ section will shine a light on new businesses in the design industry, including Bangkok-based ceramics studio Lamunlamai and Make Relief design studio that combines traditional and contemporary manufacturing techniques. This year’s ND Selects has been curated by Louisa Pacifico, founder of Future Icons.

Sustainability

Designers increasingly incorporate sustainable ideals, ethical processes, and circular design principles into their creations. Peter Warrington (Birmingham City University) has sought to reinvent the kettle – one of the most discarded pieces of domestic technology.

Among other modifications, Peter’s design includes an entirely user-replaceable heating element – the most common point of failure in the current commercially available design. Bournemouth University students will showcase products responding to water shortages, including Tundra – the world’s first water bottle that can melt, store and filter snow and a rainwater collector which can pressurise water to a similar pressure to a mains supply, respectively.

Talks & Workshops

New Designers’ much-look-forward-to talks and workshops programme ND Educates returns for 2023, allowing visitors to hear from leading brands, designers and industry experts as they offer unique insights into the latest design trends and discuss key themes.

Ceramic Review hosts a conversation with contemporary ceramicist Francis Lloyd-Jones. Tom Banks; Editor of Design Week, will lead a panel discussion with design-led businesses which are adopting circular design principles, including Adam Wade, MD, Anglepoise; The ND official legal partner CMS CMNO will host talks on Intellectual Property in Design, joined by Helen Newman from Stella McCartney, and James Wood, Studio Wood; Work In Design Podcast host, Kieron Bakewell, will be in conversation with fashion designer Zoe de Pass about making it in her design career; London Glassblowing will be leading a panel with three artists including Tim Rawlinson ‘A decade on since graduating’.

The full ND Educates programme will be accessible for booking here.