The best new talent from Edinburgh Napier’s School of Arts and Creative Industries has been recognised with a plethora of awards at the University’s 2024 Degree Show.
The awards – which included five Best in Show and numerous industry recognitions – were presented at last week’s Degree Show launch night at Merchiston campus.
The award winners are part of 145 students showcasing their work at the show which is open to the public until 31 May.
They are as follows:
Interior & Spatial Design
The Form Design Award –
Undergrowth is an urban farming project, in an abandoned railway station underneath Glasgow Botanic Gardens, aimed at tackling food insecurity through innovative growing methods.
Best in Show from Michael Laird Architects –
‘The Sustainable Dram Hub’ is a dedicated centre for sustainability for the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), designed to facilitate the organisation’s goal to be a net-zero energy business by 2040. Based in the Old Dr Bell’s Baths in Leith, Edinburgh, this project provides a space to create positive connections between SWA members and industry experts, whilst also tackling the public’s perception of sustainability in the world of scotch whisky.
Graphic Design
StudioLR Gutsy Graduate Award –
Birds of a Feather is a Club that aims to reimagine the identity and perception of birdwatching, making it more exciting and appealing to an audience of young adults and teens who are otherwise underrepresented in the hobby.
Best in Show from The Lane Agency –
Food for Thought is a pop-up supermarket selling products that educate and spread awareness about type 1 diabetes. It was created to show how design can be used to educate non-diabetics about type 1 diabetes in a fun and interactive way.
Product Design
Best in Show from Bright Red Triangle –
Nexa is a unique system that has been developed to cater to the needs of neurodivergent teenagers and to mitigate the tension that often arises between parents and their children. This system is not confined to being a mere application, but a comprehensive solution that empowers parents to identify triggers, regulates emotions and provides tailored support for their teenagers.
Creative Advertising
The Studio Something Best in Show -
A campaign where Durex breaks down the educational barriers to sexual freedom by sending women on a comedy ‘quest’ to find the clitoris and discover their true sexual self.
Photography
Fine Art Photography Award from WEX Photo Video –
‘Is It Just Me?’ uses self-portraiture to explore the topic of women’s safety outside the home, reflecting the fear Maya experiences every day when leaving the house.
Commercial Photography Award from WEX Photo Video –
Dear Bob, a photographic project by Louise Elisabeth Haughey, documents North Edinburgh communities and the housing conditions of many of the residents, the mould they are living with and overcrowding being central.
The Anjool Maldé and Best in Show Award from Tate Modern –
The Moon and the Yew Tree is as much about origin as it is return; it seeks to bind powerful symbolism from Blair’s family home together with the people, places and things Blair has gone on to encounter. Ultimately this is a work about growth and discovery but equally it's reflective of Blair’s roots.
This year’s award
This year’s Best in Show award was designed by second year product design student Laura Georgie Baird and created by the innovative Midton - an industry
leading specialist in cast acrylic and the production of custom acrylic materials.
The unique design features two translucent diamond-like parts that can be detached from the base of the trophy. Award winners are encouraged to give one part to someone who has influenced and inspired them in the career to date while keeping the second part for themselves
A massive well done again to everyone who won an award at this year’s Degree Show – we can’t wait to see what you do next!