Graduate Directory 2020: Design

Jan Farn Chi Nottingham Trent University, UK

‘Elaps’ is a glass centrepiece table that evolves with the changing daylight, thanks to its red-hued section that casts a colourful shadow across the oor. ‘As time progresses and the natural light scatters, the shadows create an ever-changing display,’ says Chi.

Dream collaborator: László Moholy-Nagy
chijanfarn.com

Ryo Hayakawa Tama Art University, Japan

These vessels were formed by pouring resin into rotating moulds, creating beautiful, albeit accidental, patterns (amplified when the pieces are back-lit). ‘I aim to change the image of resin from a homogenous commodity to a material that invokes fascination,’ says Hayakawa. 

Dream collaborator: Kartell
@hayakawa_sebastian

Sizar Alexis Beckmans College of Design, Sweden

The ‘Bel’ bin, designed to be stacked or lined up in rows, and with magnetic flaps inside to hold extra bags for different materials, was inspired by Alexis’ desire to make it easier for us to separate waste at home. He describes the metal and concrete bin as a ‘climate initiative that people like to show off’. 

Dream collaborator: Rick Owens
sizaralexis.se

Josh Krute Aalto University, Finland

‘Kuulas’ (meaning ‘clear’ or ‘pure’ in Finnish) is a small wooden chair that takes its cues from Nordic and Japanese design. Its rounded form is carefully composed and features a lower-than-usual seat, which opens up unfamiliar perspectives for the user.

Dream collaborators: Akira Minagawa, Nikari
krutedesign.com

Adriana Gutierrez Monterrey Institute of Technology, Mexico

Gutierrez’s ‘Ruste’ clock is made from transparent acrylic, but features a pattern designed to look as though its surface has somehow tarnished. ‘It’s a visual contradiction on the concept of oxidation, alluding to time as one of the factors in the process,’ she says.

Dream collaborators: Naoto Fukasawa, Patricia Urquiola
adrianagf.com

Alessandra Fumagalli Romario Royal College of Art, UK

A furniture series made of interchangeable parts that allows for fun and formal experimentation, Creo suggests that no design is ever finished. ‘It challenges creativity through play,’ says its designer, who is interested in objects that provoke a reaction.

Dream collaborators: Ettore Sottsass, Bruno Munari
alessandrafumagalliromario.com

Zac Pepere Parsons School of Design, US

Paper and food by-products from the restaurant industry were used by Pepere to create these tabletop vessels. Named Material Values, the collection aims to ‘challenge the value that we give to certain materials’ in the hope of creating solutions to minimise waste. 

Dream collaborator: Max Lamb
zacpepere.com

Tobias Berg Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

The bird-like legs upon which this chair stands inspired its name, ‘Kvitre’, the Norwegian term for ‘chirp’. Berg’s functional design means the backrest and seat are easily removed from the powder-coated steel frame, so you can swap between leather and more outdoor-friendly canvas versions. 

Dream collaborator: Dieter Rams
tobiasberg.no

Taiho Shin Royal College of Art, UK

More than just a pretty face, Taiho Shin’s ‘Puri-Face’ cabinet helps to break down pollutants in the surrounding air, thanks to a clever material covering its front and developed in collaboration with scientist Gi Byoung Hwang.

Dream collaborators: WeWork, 3M
taiho-shin.com

Joe Parr Cranbrook Academy of Art, US

Parr wanted to turn traditional furniture design on its head when creating his PlaySetting collection, which provides a kinaesthetic experience. His ‘Roller’ sofa features a rotating backrest and seat that require the body to engage in order to keep upright – ‘otherwise you’ll slide off’, says Parr. 

Dream collaborator: Konstantin Grcic
joeparrdesign.com

Jasmina ČelIković ÉCAL, Switzerland

‘Woody’ is a child-friendly wireless lamp made from red-stained beech. Its cordless design is intended to be easy to carry from place to place, while an elastic wire running through its middle makes it perform a playful dance when moved, reminiscent of wooden push puppet toys. 

Dream collaborator: Pierre Charpin
jasminacelikovic.com

Simon Déliot ENSCI Les Ateliers, France

Déliot used a mix of PVC, silicone, polymer clay, EPDM granules and elastomer resin to create the slimy green skin that covers this bike stand. It is part of a collection Déliot designed to help increase public engagement with street furniture in his hometown, Paris.

Dream collaborator: Gaetano Pesce
cargocollective.com/simondeliot

Mattias Selldén Konstfack University of Art, Crafts and Design, Sweden

‘Mix Sushi #2’ forms part of a collection that explores Selldén’s a ection for the ‘inherent qualities of a tree’. He worked with raw, unshaped planks, using dovetail joints to connect them, while the red paint nish creates an ambiguity about the chair’s materiality.

Dream collaborator: Andrea Branzi 
@studiomattiassellden

Carissa Ten Tije Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Bottom Ash is the name of both Ten Tije’s collection and the residue left by household waste when it is burnt in an incinerator. To challenge our perceptions of this material, she crafted a beautiful side table with blocky legs that cut through into the surface of the lozenge-shaped top.

Dream collaborators: Christien Meindertsma, Atelier NL
@studioctt

Anne-Sophie Oberkrome Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, Germany

Oberkrome’s graduate collection featured a 3D-printed sand vase inside a glass cabinet, representing the boundary between the physical and digital worlds. The piece ‘explores virtual and digital offerings in the design and presentation of objects’, she says. 

Dream collaborators: Charlotte Perriand, Lucie & Luke Meier
annesophieoberkrome.com

Seung Joon Song Hongik University, South Korea

Song’s ‘Sienna’ stools are made from metal but lacquered in a red-brown colour reminiscent of earth, with a glossy coat applied to a portion of the perch. ‘I would like to suggest the time over which land has been forming, since the beginning of everything,’ he says.

Dream collaborators: COS, V&A Museum
@seung joon_song

Ivana Taylor UNSW Art & Design, Australia

Combining an interest in wrapping and binding with an aesthetic rooted in playfulness and tactility, Taylor created the ‘Beau’ stool from an American white ash frame swaddled in linen, wool and foam. The result is a seductive, soft seat that ‘hugs and supports the sitter’, she says.

Dream collaborators: Campana brothers, Patricia Urquiola
ivana-taylor.com

Hanna Crondahl HDK Academy of Design and Crafts, Sweden

Crondahl’s ‘Himlakropp’ pendant light is based on the various elements of our solar system. Its mobile-like black steel structure comes complete with decorative elements in mirrored glass, which rotate and playfully reflect natural light around the surrounding space.

Dream collaborator: Nasa
hannacrondahl.se

Elie Fazel Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne / ECAL

ÉCAL industrial design graduate Elie Fazal’s ‘TLV’ chair is crafted from aluminium, so it is light enough to move easily, and can multitask as table, chair and perch. He is currently interning at New York studio Visibility.

Dream collaborator: Liam Gillick
eliefazel.com

Georgia Knight Nottingham Trent University, UK

Arcane has been designed in response to the desire for less cluttered and more curated living spaces. In an age where people are surrounded by instant results and endless new content, Arcane is designed to contrast this and promote a movement towards slow design. By creating a high-quality, modern and shape-shifting storage unit with flexible areas that can conceal or reveal selected artefacts, the screen cabinet is tailored towards a contemporary domestic environment. 

Dream collaborator: Rowan & Erwan Bourroullec, Sabine Marcelis
georgiaknight.com

Teva Kohavi Parsons School of Design, USA

The Tetra lighting pendant explores the dark dystopian side of design, taking inspiration from Minimalism and imposing Brutalist architecture. The pendant is constructed from modular components allowing for expansion and customizability. In addition, each lamp head can be rotated independently enabling configurations for different spaces.

Dream collaborator: Sabine Marcelis, Oeuffice
tevakohavi.com

Vilde Hagelund Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Pedestal is developed with the aim to communicate the value of combining a crafters hand, an artists eye and a designers’ mind in a process. The tables has a geometric, machine-made form language, and as a symbol of the value of the craft, texture is cut by hand to create a tactile experience and emphasize the properties of the material.

Dream collaborator: HAY
vhagelund.com

Jinya Zhao Royal College of Art, UK

Zhao’s intention is to playfully explore how glass can affect the viewers perception of reality and to engender emotional responses. For this collection she uses opaque and transparent layered blown glass to deliberately obscure the interior of the specific enigmatic forms.

Dream collaborator: Olafur Eliasson, Loewe
jinyazhao.com

Seok-hyeon Yoon Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands

Yoon’s project aims for actualising ceramic recycling for its re-production through introducing potentials of an alternative glazing, the traditional Korean lacquering material Ott, by applying it on domestic ceramic objects to experiment with its practicalities and aesthetics.

Dream collaborator: Heatherwick Studio, Thomas Alexander Heatherwick
yoonseokhyeon.com