15 Defining Designers: Ones to Watch in 2024

As we venture into 2024, the realms of design and creativity continue to evolve at an exhilarating pace. We are thrilled to present our Defining Designers issue, a special edition dedicated to shining a light on established and emerging talents sculpting the future’s landscape. Throughout the year, we’ve had the privilege of featuring a myriad of up-and-coming designers, but this issue holds a special place, providing a dedicated platform for the new faces that are redefining design as we know it.

In our annual Defining Designers feature, we bring you 15 trailblazing designers and studios from across the globe. These visionaries are not only diverse in their backgrounds but are also at the forefront of reimagining design. They are pushing boundaries through innovative use of materials, experimentation with form, and a unique blending of tradition with avant-garde ideas. Their work ranges from bold interpretations of furniture and lighting to groundbreaking exploration in material research.

Let us introduce you to these remarkable talents who are setting the stage for a thrilling 2024:

1. Maha Alavi

Maha Alavi, a Tokyo-based Canadian industrial designer, blends context, connection, and creation, drawing from her global travels. Her LITHIC series is an ode to ancient craftsmanship, starting with the most basic chair frame and extrapolating it into an exaggerated, soft form exuding comfort, softness, and poetry. Alavi’s design philosophy emphasizes seamless joinery and bold intuitive forms, and her multidisciplinary dedication to cultural crafts, especially Indian metal casting, marks her as a designer able to combine vision and heritage.

2. Orlando Pippig

Orlando Pippig, a self-taught designer based in New York, is known for his visually simple yet impactful designs. His work, influenced by diverse elements like nature and architecture, showcases his engineering mindset, resulting in strong and authentic furniture pieces. Pippig’s approach to form and material strength exemplifies the year’s emphasis on foundational design elements, using traditional materials with an architectural approach.

3. Lucas Huillet

Lucas Huillet emerges in 2024 as a designer of profound significance, particularly for his unique way of capturing and communicating the complexities of the human experience through his designs. As an artisan designer, Huillet transcends traditional boundaries, embracing transdisciplinarity at the core of his work. His creations are not mere objects; they are narratives, each piece a story woven from emotion, materiality, and artistic vulnerability.

Huillet’s creative process is a delicate dance between concept and material, a reflective journey where drawing and physical form intertwine. This process allows him to translate complex emotions into tangible objects, imbuing each piece with a sense of tension, weight, and emotional resonance. His works are more than just expressions of design; they are manifestations of his inner thoughts and feelings, presented with a raw honesty that challenges traditional notions of masculinity.

4. Moritz Bannach

Berlin’s BANNACH, led by Moritz Bannach, fuses design, architecture, and art. Known for geometric designs and vibrant colors, BANNACH’s pieces are crafted with eco-conscious techniques and traditional craftsmanship, distinguishing them in contemporary design. BANNACH’s ability to combine the most simple elements into impactful pieces speaks to this year’s move toward radical minimalism. Using geometry and color within traditional materials, each sculptural piece has a form as impactful as its function.

5. Edoardo Lietti

Florence-born Edoardo Lietti’s designs are a confluence of applied arts and honest materials. His work, often modular and humor-infused, bridges historical and contemporary design, making him a significant figure in the design landscape. Lietti’s work embodies the back-to-basics approach, with his designs offering a nod to historical influences while remaining firmly rooted in the present.

6. Project 213a

This Portugal-based design house, born from a shared vision of four friends, epitomizes modern, sustainable furniture design. The name of the studio “Project 213A” refers to a London-based address where all four founders each have lived – at different times throughout their studies. Their commitment to responsible manufacturing in Portugal marks them as front runners in sustainable design. The studio’s ability to mix materials and shapes into one coherent style mirrors 2024’s aesthetic direction toward fundamental design.

7. Adir Yakobi

Adir Yakobi blends art and design with a sculptural approach. His work, balancing futuristic and ancient aesthetics, challenges traditional perceptions, making him a pivotal figure in design. Yakobi’s sculptural approach to design aligns with the year’s emphasis on minimalist aesthetics, where the line between art and pure functionality, and expressionism blurs.

8. Anne Nowak

Visual Artist and Designer Anne Nowak explores life’s transitions, drawing from personal and cosmic memories. Her work offers a deep, contemplative experience and resonates with those seeking profound connections in design. Nowak’s exploration of life through design reflects on current trends of imbuing simplicity with deep, personal meaning.

9. Caterina Moretti | Peca

Led by Caterina Moretti, Peca in Guadalajara showcases the beauty of natural materials and textures. Their work, exploring local traditions with a free and forward-thinking design language, positions Peca as a distinctive voice in design. Caterina Moretti’s focus on natural materials and their transformation into subtle yet strong designs embodies the essence of this year’s design ethos.

10. MOCK STUDIO

Led by designer Masha Osorio and architect Christian Kotzamanis, MOCK Studio specializes in custom furniture and installations characterized by simplicity and understatement. Their minimalist approach sets them apart as a noteworthy name in contemporary furniture design. MOCK’s pursuit of fundamental simplicity and timeless design resonates with the year’s inclination to find beauty in subtlety.

11. Lucas Gutierrez

Lucas Gutierrez Studio in Berlin combines traditional craftsmanship with digital design. His work, a modern interpretation of ancient artistry, establishes Gutierrez as a significant voice in the fusion of traditional and digital design. As a perfect example of a growing breed of hybrid designer/artist/maker, Gutierrez acts as a frontrunner for bridging the real world with the metaverse, a key theme for this year.

12. Jule Cats

Rotterdam-based Jule Cats crafts interior objects that highlight recycled and natural resources. Crafted with precision and dedication, her pieces appear poetic and almost frozen in time. Cats’ emphasis on recycled and natural resources aligns with the global movement towards sustainable and honest design practices, infused with this certain personality that speaks for itself.

13. Daniel Couttolenc

Daniel Couttolenc’s work merges curiosity with spirituality, using sacred geometry to create harmonious spaces. His unique perspective finds a balance between material and spiritual in design. Couttolenc’s use of sacred geometry to create spaces of harmony aligns with the increased global interest in spirituality and designs that carry essence and deeper meaning.

14. Aleksandra Zawistowska

Aleksandra Zawistowska, the founder of Szkło Studio, is a name to watch in 2024 for her revolutionary approach to glassblowing. Her creations, functional glass sculptures, and collectible design objects, are a testament to her imaginative approach and deep reverence for raw materials. Zawistowska’s work with Szkło breaks free from conventional glassblowing, transforming it into a playful yet sophisticated exploration of form and material.

What sets Zawistowska apart is her ability to capture the essence of spontaneity in her designs. Eschewing traditional molds, her sculptures take on spontaneous, organic forms, with the glassblowing process itself being as integral as the final product. In 2024, as the design world leans towards authenticity and sustainability, Zawistowska’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of glass as a material is particularly resonant. Her work invites us to reconsider our relationship with everyday objects, urging a shift from quantity to quality and uniqueness. With a background that spans across multiple mediums, including metal, stone, and ceramics, her multifaceted approach to design and artistry makes her an important figure to watch.

15. Rollo Bryant

Rollo Studio’s designs are inspired by nature and digital innovation. Their approach, embodying natural concepts in stunning works of functional art through digital methods, positions them as pioneers in environmentally conscious design. Rollo Studio’s commitment to sustainable and nature-inspired design epitomizes the need for understanding the math of nature to work towards a sustainable future.

Browse our selection of pieces defining 2024 in design

As we embrace the future, these designers and studios remind us that the heart of innovation lies in the daring exploration of new ideas and the relentless pursuit of redefining the norm. They are not just designing products; they are sculpting experiences, molding emotions, and crafting the very essence of tomorrow’s aesthetic narrative. Keep an eye on these trailblazers as they illuminate the path forward in 2024, promising a year brimming with creativity, sustainability, and honest design.