From Life-Saving Devices to Circular Design: New Designers 2026 Crowns Its Winners
This year's winners – working across innovation, textiles, jewellery, ceramics and furniture – prove that today's new designers are as driven by purpose as by craft
July 3, 2026
1-4th July Business Design Centre
LONDON (2 July 2026) – The UK’s biggest graduate show New Designers opened yesterday with its new one-week format at London’s Business Design Centre. This annual event celebrates the best emerging talent in the UK, featuring over 2,500 design graduates from more than 100 university courses – get tickets now. The event focuses on various disciplines, including Fashion and Costume, Contemporary Design Crafts, Textiles, Ceramics, Glass, and Jewellery and Metalwork. The awards event was opened by one of the world’s leading designers and artists, Lee Broom. He honoured a group of exciting graduates with 19 accolades supported by international brands and businesses as part of the show’s ND Awards programme.
BDC New Designer of the Year
Rupert Murphy of Bournemouth University won the prestigious BDC Designer of the Year Award for Re-Warm. Re-Warm is a portable rescue device designed for the critical minutes after cold water recovery. It targets an overlooked pathway – the airway. By supplying warmed, humidified air through the casualty’s natural breathing, it reduces respiratory cooling. Supports gradual rewarming. The jury commented: “Design at its best – honest intentional and obvious, and saving lives whilst doing.”
BDC New Designer of the Year Runner-Up
Sharm Eid from Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts has created ‘Noor’, a graphic novel about a young girl leaving her country due to the impact of war, and her family’s experience of moving to England. The story is loosely based on Shiam’s childhood in Libya and settlement in the UK. The novel uses a combination of digital painting and handmade textures.
The full release and list of winners is attached below. A selection of images by Mark Cocksedge are here. A bigger selection is here.
New Designers Awards Press July.docx
DOCX - 3.3 Mb
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Christine Samuelian | Berna Sermet | Friends&Co
christine@friendsandco.co.uk | berna@friendsandco.co.uk