Posted by Last night I found myself at New Designers 2026 at the Business Design Centre in Islington. I hadn’t planned to go and had no particular reason to be there, but I’m so glad I did. It turned out to be one of those wonderfully unexpected evenings that left me feeling genuinely inspired.
There is something fabulous about seeing the world through the eyes of young people on any given day, which is probably why I enjoyed being a university lecturer for so long, but on top of that to see what they created, in response to the environment around them, was just a joy.
Me and my hubby spent the evening wandering the stands, enjoying the complimentary BuzzBallz and chatting with the designers about the thinking behind their work. There were countless projects worthy of attention, but four, in particular, stood out for me for their originality, craftsmanship and the clarity of the ideas behind them.
If you want to feel inspired, go give these brilliant creators a follow, drop them a supportive email, or reach out to collaborate. They deserve every bit of recognition.
Borra bedside table by Aeryn Ingram https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeryningram/
Functional, sustainable, repairable furniture. Design with a conscience.
I was utterly charmed by this one. Aeryn explained how many students move house a lot and can’t always take their furniture with them, or they buy cheap furniture that breaks easily and ends up in a landfill. She wanted to avoid both of these possibilities.
So, she designed her Borra bedside table so that it can be easy disassembled and repaired as needed. With two sliding shelves which can be lifted on and off, the unit can be reconfigured to suit individual needs and the aluminium recesses can be powder-coated to match the decor of the room.
Flip coffee table and side unit by Anan Mohamed https://anansdesigns.myportfolio.com/
Multi-functional coffee table and side unit for tiny well-designed spaces.
The Flip reimagines furniture for small spaces, switching between a side unit and a coffee table. I found the rounded edges really well thought out, no more getting bruises on your legs if you catch the pointy edge walking by, which is the main reason I don’t own a coffee table, but honestly the Flip is making me rethink my options. I could flip it out the way when I didn’t need it.
Anan explained that it was so lightweight because it has a paper honeycomb sandwich structure which reduces the weight for easier movement letting users stylishly switch up their space as required. I am delighted she got a special recognition from Habitat.
Thérelle handheld pain relief by Alexandra Theobald https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-theobald-
Hand-held hot and cold pain relief with a comforting handle.
The Thérelle is an impressive and thoughtfully designed handheld hot and cold therapy device, created to provide pain relief in a comfortable, reassuring form that was genuinely satisfying to hold.
Alexandra explained the extensive ergonomic research behind the handle and the rigorous safety considerations for the heating and cooling elements to ensure they delivered effective relief without risking burns or cold injury. I was in awe of the attention to detail with all the elements involved to get the Therelle to work and delighted that she has won the George Poynton Award.
Barnbeez Academy Diorama by Tomos Morgan https://www.artstation.com/mythical_toad
A world in miniature.
Barnbeez Academy is incredibly striking. Tomos, explained how he created each element in Blender—a feat in itself and certainly not for the faint-hearted—before 3D printing and hand-painting each piece. His tenacity was plain to see.
The result is a highly detailed miniature diorama of the fictional academy, brought to life with remarkable care and craftsmanship, and a reminder that great design is sometimes about creating curiosity, storytelling and joy.
Inspired and hungry
I left the exhibition feeling inspired by the creativity, thoughtfulness and optimism on display. It’s easy to forget just how much care goes into all the designs around us which were once just inside someone’s head, until you hear the stories behind it from the people who created it.
After all that, we rounded off the evening with a curry (OmNom), talking about the projects we’d seen—and hoping this is just the beginning for these talented designers.
I wish Aeryn, Anan, Alexandra, and Tomos great success every step of the way!