New Designers 2026 it’s time the UK design industry goes to see what’s next. Not trend predictions, not retrospectives — but real graduate theses, from real students, presented live to the professionals, brands and institutions that will define the next chapter of their careers. Running for more than four decades, the fair has given a platform to more than 3,000 graduates a year, making it one of the most lasting and consequential investments the UK design world makes in its own future.
The 2026 edition, to be held July 1-4 at the Business Design Center in London, marks the most significant structural change in the event’s recent history. For the first time, New Designers is moving from its previous two-week format – in which disciplines were split into separate weeks – to a single, cohesive week-long exhibition. All graduates, all disciplines, all under one roof at the same time. It’s a change that reflects something true about how design actually works today.
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One week, each discipline
Integration is not just logistical. It’s a statement about the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of design practice—the reality that the most interesting work rarely stays within the boundaries of a single field, and that the most productive conversations tend to happen within them.
The 2026 program covers fashion and costume, contemporary design crafts, textiles, ceramics, glass, jewelery and metalwork, furniture, product and industrial design, architecture, graphic design, illustration and animation, motion and digital arts and UX and game design. Over 100 BA and MA courses from leading universities across the UK will be represented, with institutions such as Manchester School of Art bringing seven courses and the University of Staffordshire presenting three.
For industry professionals — designers, creative directors, brand managers, talent scouts — the new format makes the proposition much simpler. One visit, one week, the full range of the UK’s postgraduate design talent in one place. As Sally Bent, his Events Manager New Designersputs it: “For 2026, New Designers is introducing a refreshed approach that sees all courses presented together in one week, creating a more vibrant, collaborative environment that better reflects how design works in the real world.“
The timing is no accident. “As graduates enter a tough job market and AI brings a new dimension to the job landscape,” adds Bent, “New Designers remains committed to championing students, giving them a platform to showcase their work to industry, while connecting visitors to the full range of UK design talent.“
ND Educates, ND Connects, ND School Days
Beyond the exhibition floor, New Designers 2026 runs a program of structured initiatives addressing the full ecosystem around emerging design talent.
ND Educates is at the heart of the educational dimension of the event, offering talks and workshops designed to equip graduates with the commercial and industry knowledge they will need to navigate their professional practice. A special Wednesday program brings together design teachers, industry experts and education leaders — developed in partnership with Benchpeg and its founder Rebecca van Rooijen — with a particular focus on jewelry and silverware, addressing the challenges of training hand skills in precious metals. Participants include figures from Birmingham City University, Cartier’s English Art Works division, Bishopsland and Vipa Designs. It marks the first teacher-focused event of its kind with an industry-connected dimension, with potential to expand to other industries in future editions.
ND Connecting addresses what is, right now, one of the most pressing questions for any emerging designer: how to build real relationships with industry professionals who can open doors. In an age shaped by digital interaction and communication through artificial intelligence, the program insists on the irreplaceable value of face-to-face exchange — one-on-one advice sessions, consulting services and portfolio reviews with leading professionals.
The impact of these connections is well documented. Jake Inglis, winner of the BDC New Designer of the Year 2025, whose work is addressed to Morphopaedics™ medical device designwas direct about what the report delivered:The exposure at New Designers greatly increased the visibility of both my work and Morphopaedics™. The win reinforced that further. It led to conversations with clinicians, investors, designers and manufacturers that would not have happened otherwise.”
School Days SWtaking place on Friday 3 July, opens the event to students aged 14–18, offering workshops, university interactions and guided visits designed to map pathways into creative careers. Seats are limited and sell fast.
ND Awards and more
THE ND Awards The program returns with 16 confirmed awards for Wednesday’s awards preview night — supported by more than 30 industry partners, including Allermuir, John Lewis, Hallmark, Joseph Joseph, PriestmanGoode, Romo, Oliver Bonas, Kenwood and Sanderson. The evening culminates with the coveted New Designer of the Year Award, with a keynote speaker being announced. Previous awards nights have been headlined by Zandra Rhodes, Morag Myerscough and Simone Brewster alongside 2LG – a roll call that signals the level of cultural seriousness the event brings to recognizing graduate work.
ND Selects extends the platform further into the calendar: arriving at Shoreditch Design Week during; London Design Festival In 2026 (September 12–20), the shoppable curated showcase will highlight design businesses established over the past five years — bringing the next generation of emerging studios to different audiences at a different time of year.
For anyone working in or alongside the design industry, New Designers 2026 remains one of the most focused and genuinely useful ways to spend four days in July. The new format makes this case more exciting than ever.
