DESIGNING THROUGH A CRISIS

The ND Class of 21 have had to remain resilient, adaptable and work through a new normal, graduates looking to the future when their current and unfamiliar world continues to emote feelings of uncertainty. 

From over a year of lockdown’s, designers have harnessed their feelings, experiences and been influenced in many ways by COVID-19. From the newest designers ND invites you to explore a collection of projects which are inspired by lockdown.

LYDIA KINZETT

BA (Hons) Decorative Arts, Nottingham Trent University 

Born from an interest in human nature, what we do and how we look doing it. This has greatly inspired this collection, focusing on what the average person got up to in the past year during the pandemic. 

ERICA POYSER

BA (Hons) Design Craft, De Montfort University 

A 2020 UK summer survey reported by Young Minds resulted in 80% of respondents agreeing that the corona-virus pandemic made their mental health worse.

Erica’s collection of glass pieces represent the overwhelming emotions many have tackled alone over the past year. Hopefully representing those emotions in a physical form can bring a cathartic feeling as people can relate her art to their own emotions from the past year.

RACHEL COX

BA (Hons) Product & Furniture Design, Kingston University London

The aim was to design a piece of furniture that provided indulgent refuge, furniture that hugs and comforts the user. 

SOPHIE FORSTER

BA (Hons), Textile Design, Falmouth University 

Euphoric Escapism is a 12 pattern collection inspired by the glimmers of hope and happiness experienced throughout the 2020 lockdown. This collection revolves around the activities and distant memories that united us all through such a challenging time.

SORCHA GROOCOCK

BA (Hons) Ceramic Design. University of Ulster 

Sorcha creates fragile and challenging sculptures from porcelain. Her current collection of work tells the story of the last year, Twenty-one porcelain bottles signifying twenty-one events of importance, with a heavy focus on police brutality, Covid-19, and the Belfast riots.

THOMAS RYCHTER

BA (Hons) Illustration, Plymouth College of Art

Lockdown and rise of working from home highlighted how we got detached from nature and the negative effects it has on us. Bloom & Green looks for the answers on how to make our homes healthier and ways to create and market a product that is based around healthy living.

EMILY HATTON

BA (Hons) Interior Design, University of the West of England 

Inspired by the values of democratic design and do-it-yourself culture, this designer has truly developed her practice and philosophy during her volunteering experience in Uganda in 2014 and her work/travel in Guatemala in 2015.

Through design, she seeks to contribute to society by unveiling ways to play and benefit from local resources and natural forces in order to empower people.

ZAC BREWER

BA (Hons) 3D Design, University of Plymouth 

Specialising in the combination of traditional woodworking and digital fabrication methods this emerging designer produces functional objects with simplicity, if something is working – why change it?

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