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Furniture and Product Design student wins prestigious award and recognition at New Designers Week 2

Adele Marie Sison impressed representatives from Made.com with her modular sofa design

Adele Marie Sison alongside her modular sofa design 'Alessi'
Adele Marie Sison alongside her modular sofa design 'Alessi'

Final year Canadian BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design student has scooped the Made.com TalentLAB Award at New Designers Week Two. Adele Marie Sison caught the judges’ attention for her ‘Alessia’ Sofa design. As the UK’s most eminent exhibition of graduating design talent, it is the go-to platform for industry professionals to seek out emerging talent, and to offer them routes into industry.

Over 40 students from our BA (Hons) Product Design, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design and BSc (Hons) Product Design courses had the opportunity to be part of New Designers Week 2 this month, which took place at London’s Business Design Centre in Islington.

Adele’s ‘Alessia’ modular sofa design impressed representatives from Made.com, demonstrating expressive design detail and practicality. Adele will receive design mentorship sessions with one of the leading designers at Made.com. These mentorship sessions will help Adele with her portfolio, career planning, ideas pitching, developing a business plan, product development and much more

Adele's modular sofa design 'Alessi'
Adele's modular sofa design 'Alessi'

Adele told us: “I am incredibly proud and ecstatic to have won the Made.com TalentLAB Award for my Alessia modular sofa design. As a furniture designer and enthusiast, I have always admired Made.com so this is a huge honour. I’d like to sincerely thank the design team at Duresta for their support and guidance in helping me develop my final major project, I really couldn’t have done it without them.”

James Dale, Head of Product Design at Nottingham Trent University also added: “New Designers is an incredibly important show for us and gives our aspiring students the chance to showcase their work and network with industry. Congratulations to Adele on winning this award, it is proof that hard work pays off. “

Elsewhere, BA (Hons) Product Design student Graihagh Watson has been offered a placement with Argos Home and commended by Wilko and Made.com for her Norma clothing rail, which is inspired by the beauty of curved wood.

BA (Hons) Product Design student Ashley Hunt was also commended by Allermuir for his home modular organiser 'Orii' which has integrated wireless charging.

BA (Hons) Product Design student Joe McCusker-Bland was also praised by Made.com for his Pingvin desk-space duo design, which can store loose stationary, hold keys and pin up important reminders with their magnetic 3D-printed beaks.

Interested in studying BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design or our BA (Hons) Product Design course? Book an Open Day to meet our students and staff, and find out more about life in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment

  • Notes for editors

Published on 6 July 2018
  • Subject area: Art and design
  • Category: School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment