Design graduate 's recycled ocean plastics project makes waves

A Birmingham City University design graduate 's idea for eco-friendly outdoor seating was among the stand-out submissions at the UK 's leading showcase for new talent entering the industry.

Maya Zowada-Noise (pictured), a graduate of the University 's Product and Furniture Design degree course, saw her final-year project shortlisted for the Creative Conscience Environmental Design Award at the New Designers 2021 exhibition held last month.

Maya 's furniture installation is manufactured from 100 per cent recycled ocean plastics and incorporates recycling bins to engage users to think about their own actions and to practice responsible rubbish disposal.

Additionally, plastic pollution facts are etched onto the surface of the installation to educate people and further encourage them to change their ways when it comes to their own plastic consumption.

The annual New Designers graduate show provides a space for up and coming design talent to display their work and allows them the opportunity to connect with industry leads and consumers.

This year 's show, which was held online, presented the work of some 3,000 talents from across the UK in every discipline from digital design to ceramics and textiles, and saw over 1,500 entries across several categories for its New Designers Awards.

Among the near 400 entries in the environmental category was 21 year-old Maya 's outdoor seating structure, entitled 'Nalu ', which aims to educate the public about the ever-growing issue of plastic pollution in the world 's oceans, as well as encouraging social interaction.

Maya 's project made the final shortlist of five in the environmental design category, making a big impression on the judges who commended the design for its visual appeal, with its curved, wave-like form symbolising its subject matter.

Judges also complimented the ecological messages the installation carried both for their aesthetics - praising how they were subtly incorporated into the design - and for the educational value they carried.

Maya was delighted that the creative skills she has developed over the last three years achieved national recognition at the awards and was especially pleased at being shortlisted in the environmental category, as she has a long-held interest in green issues.

While Maya believes sustainability is integral to contemporary design, she also views the discipline as a medium to raise awareness of the ecological challenges the planet faces. It was this philosophy that underpinned her Nalu design.

Maya said: “I believe that design can improve interaction and inclusivity in public spaces so that thought was the starting point for my final year project.

“When doing my research, I also discovered there was a significant lack of sustainability within public furniture installations so I wanted to address this in my design both in terms of the materials used to construct the installation and by incorporating environmental messages to inform and engage users. ”

Maya is now pursuing the possibility of creating a full-scale model of her concept and, now that she has completed her degree, wants to carry on designing to make change for the better in public spaces.

She added: “Designing for social good excites and inspires me, and is definitely something I want to pursue in the future. ”

Birmingham City University offers degree courses in design across different disciplines including fashion, costume and performance.

Places on the Product and Furniture Design and other design courses are still available for entry in 2021.

Further information is available on the University 's Clearing 2021 webpage.