Lydia
Huntington

Lydia Huntington is a graduate from our BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design course and recently exhibited work at the January Furniture Show at Birmingham NEC.

How was your experience exhibiting work at the Young Furniture Markers exhibition?

I had the pleasure of exhibiting my design, Amuse Chair at the Young Furniture Makers exhibition and it was an absolutely amazing experience! I got to meet so many interesting people and showcase my work to reputable names within the industry, such as Will Hardie.

I was lucky enough to win an award at YFM and therefore received the invitation to exhibit Amuse Chair at their prestigious January Furniture Show in Birmingham. It was another unforgettable experience where I gained valuable exposure, met talented peers who also won a place at the show, and had the opportunity to attend some inspiring talks.

What career opportunities have you had since graduating from NTU?

I was pleasantly surprised by the career opportunities I found after graduating from NTU. Towards the end of my degree, my interest in interiors had grown significantly, and I came across an opportunity with my current employer, Deanestor. I now work as a Trainee Furniture and FF&E designer, which bridges my interest in furniture and interiors, and has given me the opportunity to learn new, complex CAD software such as Revit.

What was it like undertaking a placement while on your course?

NTU has fantastic links to industry and I was able to secure a placement through the employment website with London based design consultancy, Spiral Product Design. My placement year was my favourite part of my degree. It helped me advance my CAD skills drastically, improve my ideation abilities, and helped me gain creative freedom and confidence in my ideas.

If you could give yourself one piece of advice you wish you’d known before starting at NTU, what would it be?

Believe in your ideas! Your final year is about you and it may be the only opportunity you get to design something that is completely yours and that really means something to you. It's also important to work hard but not to get too bogged down by your grades as ultimately you can’t control them. You can go much further than you think you can with your ideas, your market is out there!

You can find out more about Lydia's work on Instagram

Lydia Huntington with her work 'Amuse Chair' at the January Furniture Show at Birmingham NEC