Design Awards 2024

The 5th annual Department of Design Awards recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of final year students studying in our six Design specialisms of Graphic Design, Illustration with Animation, Craft, Textiles in Practice, Product Design and Interior Design.

The awards are made in recognition of academic excellence, original contributions to the subject specialism and impact into the wider contexts of innovation, sustainability, health, society, culture, and community.

Award winners and highly commended were announced at the Degree Show private view on 14 June 2024.

Design Breakthrough Award

An individual who has demonstrated design excellence through the inter-connected possibilities of design practice; challenging the norms of their specialism which has led to responses in new and unexpected directions.

Winner:

• Tom Skelton — BA (Hons) Interior Design

Highly Commended:

• Matt Turner — BA (Hons) Product Design and Craft

Shortlisted:

• Noura Mohammad — BA (Hons) Graphic Design
• Sam Bonser — BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
• Lucy Vincent — BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
• Dexter Wisby — BA (Hons) Product Design

Design Innovation Award

Projects which demonstrate exemplary innovation in craft, making or digital processes across any medium, such as drawing, typography, print, weave, digital modelling, film, physical artefacts and other means of communication or design development.

Winner:

• Izzy MacSween — BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice

Highly Commended:

• Sam Holmes — BA (Hons) Product Design and Craft

Shortlisted:

• Joanne Xinyi Xu — BA (Hons) Graphic Design
• Lucas McCoy — BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
• Dario Tameu — BA (Hons) Product Design
• Bethany Rooney-Stone — BA (Hons) Interior Design

Design Futures Award

Projects which address the future design landscape, including responses to political, economic and social shifts and challenges including the innovative use of design or rethinking of a familiar design practice with an unfamiliar purpose/outcome.

Winner:

• Dexter Wisby — BA (Hons) Product Design

Highly Commended:

• Hollie Harrison — BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice

Shortlisted:

• Adomas Lukas Petrauskas — BA (Hons) Graphic Design
• Heather Burke — BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
• Ollie Linnell (Hons) Product Design and Craft
• Samuele Dalla Fina — BA (Hons) Interior Design

Design Award for Community, Diversity & Inclusion

Projects which address design in the context of community including issues of social justice and equity, and fundamental human rights and dignity for all.

Winner:

• Ben Saunders — BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation

Highly Commended:

• Alex Horne — BA (Hons) Interior Design

Shortlisted:

• Laura Sheridan — BA (Hons) Graphic Design
• Niall Trowsdale Stannard — BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
• Dario Tameu — BA (Hons) Product Design
• Jessica Mok — BA (Hons) Product Design and Craft

Design Contexts Award

A dissertation, essay, or alternative submission which demonstrates exemplary research and critical analysis of cultural and professional contexts in the field of design.

Winner:

• Annabel Simmons — BA (Hons) Interior Design

Highly Commended:

• Jessica Mok — BA (Hons) Product Design and Craft

Shortlisted:

• Bradley Sansom — BA (Hons) Graphic Design
• Amber Carter — BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
• Eleanor Anderson — BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
• Chloe Brighton — BA (Hons) Product Design

Design: Global Challenges Award

Projects that demonstrate the impact and value of design to wider global contexts and challenges. This award also encourages the submission of projects that have been developed in partnership with international collaborators.

Winner:

• Roxanna Luke — BA (Hons) Graphic Design

Highly Commended:

• Ellen Deane — BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice

Shortlisted:

• Ming-Hui Hsieh — BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
• Kaan Seyhan — BA (Hons) Product Design
• Matt Turner — BA (Hons) Product Design and Craft
• Yakeen Ahmed — BA (Hons) Interior Design

Kellogg’s + PAC Inclusive Packaging Design Award

This is a Manchester Met Design Department specific award in collaboration with PAC Global and Kellogg’s to recognise and support students with innovative and inclusive packaging design ideas. Priorities will be given to students from marginalised groups and the prize will be €1,000. Students for this award were nominated by programme leaders in Design. The award will be selected by a panel chaired by Dr Jea Na, Jon Spruce and John Walsh from the Design postgraduate team - with the winner announced as part of Design Dept Degree show awards.

You can view the work of these and other Design students on our digital showcase platform Meet—the Future.