23 September – LDF Emerging Talent Collective

  • Date Saturday, 23 September 2023
  • Time 1pm 6pm
  • Address Arch 23 (entrance via Flat Iron Square)
Bankside launches new design collective to celebrate young creators as part of diverse London Design Festival 2023 line-up. From a new variable-gradient font to AI in design, pioneering new ideas are set to be showcased from 16-24 September. The students and alumni come from institutions across London including London College of  Communication and University of the Arts London  and have been supported by Better Bankside to ensure their work is showcased on a wider stage as part of the wider cross-city design festival.
23 September, 1-6pm, Arch 23 Southwark Street: [Map]
Designer: Zhan Zhang
Description: Zhan Zhang is a graphic designer currently studying at the University of the Arts London, exploring a variety of fields including multimedia, book design and photography. His collection is of documentary photographs. A story of a series of coincidences is told by documenting an old trailer and its surroundings over a long period of time, with the date of each photograph marked underneath, reflecting the passage of time and the subtle changes in the surroundings through its random relationship with the cars around it.
Designer: Caitriona McAllister
Title: Plastic Vortex; A series of interactive visuals designed to raise awareness of ocean pollution and micro plastics.
Description: Plastic Vortex takes a deep dive into ocean plastics and marine debris caused by human negligence. The project is inspired by a NASA satellite data that tracks the movement of micro- plastics in a densely polluted area of the Pacific Ocean, also known as the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’. This series of interactive visuals include an audio and motion reactive installation piece, supporting editorial and augmented reality animation. This project was a collaboration between three University of the Arts London alumni: Caitriona McAllister (Project Lead), Jacob Deakin (Visual & Sound specialist) and Luke Augur (Projectionist).
Designer: Ariana Cowan
Title: ” _____ & I Verses The World is an invitation, a physical rendition of human emotion through language.
Description: The start of a growing anthology of experiences expressed through poetry. Printed using analogue printing techniques, this piece questions the possibilities of traditional poetry publication. Poetry as hand held objects, conceptually presented as artefacts of interaction, that invite one to reflect, relate and ponder upon the stories captured within these printed abodes. Engaging with the objects, storytellers in their own right, invites you to welcome a moment of sonder as you take in every word and make it your own.”Designer: Muskeen Liddar
Title: Sound, Chaos and the Sky
Description: The pattern is generated from real time data about journeys to this location. The journeys contain a blend of real-time feelings, sounds and observations —interconnecting when they reach the shared destination. The design is based on visual style and grids on moquette patterns as used on London Transport tube seats. It further considers, how these patterns become part of our memories.

Designers: Jinxiu Chen and Lu Zheng
Title: Unbeknownst, we live in a micro-plasticized world.
Description: Microplastics in the Thames River Project is a data visualization design project based on a plastics dataset, created by data visualisation designers Jinxiu Chen and Lu Zheng. For residents of London, the Thames River is the most essential source of tap water for 70% of their lives. This project explored microplastic pollution in high-density areas along the river over six months, using the Thames as an observation point and a location for collecting samples. These objects were remade in resin, which retains all traces of the microplastics in our lives. Through the physical and local data collection, this project aims to give people a sense of how close we are to microplastics, thus inspiring them to make more sustainable and healthy life choices.

Designer: Daniel Montanchez
Title: Andy Smiles
Description: This project involves showcasing giant-sized comic strips of the character Andy Smiles, whose purpose is to motivate people to chase their dreams, remember their worth, and explore their creativity. While Andy is a child and the graphics are childlike, they are designed to be easily understood and friendly for individuals of all ages.

Designer: Tian
Title: Pilgrimage to Dragon Fruit Buddhist, 2023 – PP Land II
Description: PP Land II is built on the idea of de-anthropocentric creating a futuristic world. Transforming the ‘human’ into the ‘other’, by dismantling of the human body and its integration with nature (vegetation) to create these quirky, humorous new creatures to question human existences in today’s modern society, how will the human body exist in the future? The work is intended as a critique and satire of the anthropocentric civilization of modern society and a call for the body to return to nature. Film 5:07 1080p 16:9

Designer: Vivian Yang
Title: Botanic Dreams
Description: Botanic Dreams is an exploration in the fields of nature therapy and game therapy. This project seamlessly weaves together spatial, auditory, and visual elements, transcending the boundaries of reality to create a VR experience with healing properties. Drawing inspiration from the esteemed Barbican Centre, the artist Vivian Yang deftly combines imagination and ingenuity to fashion an ethereal hybrid garden of whimsy. AI technology is employed to generate artistic renderings of the Barbican Centre, which are then used as textures for the botanical garden. Within this transcendent realm, the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur, unveiling a sanctuary capable of mending both body and spirit. This project is grounded in research on nature therapy and game therapy, offering an at-home experience for children, individuals with social disorders, and those who are unable to go out due to physiological factors. Botanic Dreams seeks to demonstrate the power of artistic expression, summoning individuals to embark on a transformative journey in the immersive dreamscapes of virtual reality. Within this dream, the harmony of nature intertwines with the release of gaming, providing respite, revitalization, and a new promise of tranquility.

More information coming soon on
Alessia Ganzerla

Bookable sessions

Designer: Sophia Tia
Venue: Citizen M, SE1 0NZ
Date and time: 21 September 2023 7-9pm
Type: Lecture/Demo
Title: Foldit: The first variable-gradient color font and how it was made
Description: Learn a basic introduction into Colour Font formats, and hear Sophia share her experiences working on Foldit, one of the first fonts in the newest COLRv1 format. It’s a colour font, it’s a variable font, and it has gradients which are also variable. This is a project which made the creation of variable gradient fonts accessible to everyday designers. In this talk you will find out what it was like to work on a new font format (the trenches). After a short break, there will then be a demo of the workflow for creating your own variable-gradient colour font (the process we developed for you). Foldit is now available on Google Fonts.
Book now

Designer: Elizaveta Stolyarova
Venue: The Bridge, SE1 0NQ
Date and time:  21 September, 12.30-2pm
Type: Lecture/Demo
Title: Co-creative Partnership with AI: Shaping the Future of Design and Creative Work
Description: Discover the transformative potential of co-creative partnerships between humans and AI. This lecture unveils how AI is reshaping design and branding frameworks, dispelling fears of job displacement. By learning from historical shifts, attendees will grasp the importance of collaboration and innovation, enabling creative practitioners to harness AI’s power as a tool for positive change. Join us to explore a future where AI enhances creativity and drives design evolution.
Book now

Designer: Tihara Smith
Venue: The Africa Centre, SE1 0BL
Date and time: 23 September 2023 1-3pm
Type: Workshop
Title: Learn a new craft and celebrate Caribbean culture with this raffia embroidery workshop.
Description: In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll learn the basics of raffia embroidery and create your own piece of tropical wall art. Choose from a tropical hibiscus or monstera leaf design, with all materials provided. This workshop also celebrates the 75th anniversary of Windrush, a pivotal moment in British history. You’ll learn about the Windrush Generation, Caribbean culture, and crafts. It’s a relaxing and mindful way to spend an afternoon, and you’ll leave with a beautiful piece of art to hang in your home!Book now