Dezeen School Shows: a board game that stimulates conversations about climate change is included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at University of the Arts London.

Also included is a project that saw people working together to hand-make a cape that celebrates queer identities and a shiny metallic vinyl record that represents cultural identity in Hong Kong.

University of the Arts London

Institution: University of the Arts London
School: The London College of Communication Design School
Course: MA Design Management, MA Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures and MA Design for Art Direction
Tutors: Sara Ekenger, Jordan Hodgson and Ella Britton

School statement:

"The London College of Communication Design School at UAL is a multidisciplinary community of internationally recognised educators, researchers and practitioners.

"The school's ethos builds on the aesthetic traditions of design practice and encourages experimentation, critique and innovation within the context of post-digital culture.

"The student work featured here comes from three MA courses – Design Management, Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures and Design for Art Direction.

"All three courses believe in the power of design practice, design thinking and design research to effect strategic change, shape positive futures and produce cultural value."

Upcycled Sajada by Tika Pratiwi Sufyan

"Salah (a prayer) is deeply intertwined with spiritual fulfilment and cultural identity for practising Muslims, who usually use prayer mats (sajada) for daily prayers.

"However, daily rituals relying on manufactured prayer mats raise sustainability concerns due to material waste created during production.

"This project investigates eco-design possibilities at the intersection of green values and prayer mats.

"The Upcycled Sajada brand holds three core values – to repurpose production, reflect on sustainability and Islamic values and reconnect with communities and individuals.

"Through an upcycling workshop practice, Upcycled Sajada aims to reflect the concept of sustainability within Islamic values while promoting awareness of sustainability values in young practising Muslims."

Student: Tika Pratiwi Sufyan
Course: MA Design Management
Tutor: Sara Ekenger
Email: hi[at]tikablah.co.uk

Acunar by Catalina Carafi Calvo

"Acunar provides users with support, guidance and information about early pregnancy loss in Chile.

"I wanted to develop a user-centred platform to support Chilean parents confronting an early miscarriage – early miscarriage is defined as pregnancy loss during the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

"Acunar presents information in a more informed, accessible and humanised way to facilitate dealing with grief, understanding their existing rights and developing self-advocacy on the parents' decisions by providing a platform with a user-friendly onboarding process where users can efficiently and accurately find correct and trusted information."

Student: Catalina Carafi Calvo
Course: MA Design Management
Tutor: Sara Ekenger
Email: catacarafi[at]gmail.com

Gully Tails by Kanika Kalra

"A burgeoning population of free-roaming dogs in India gives rise to several animal welfare and public health issues – every day, Indian streets bear witness to human-dog conflicts.

"This study brings forth stories of those who feed, vaccinate, sterilise, shelter, foster, rescue and share love with local strays.

"Using participatory design, it brings together members of the animal welfare community in Gurugram to envision a future of harmonious co-existence between humans and dogs.

"Examining barriers faced by the community in making this collective vision a reality, the project proposes Gully Tails – a digital toolkit and a series of virtual events fostering connections and facilitating knowledge exchange."

Student: Kanika Kalra
Course: MA Design Management
Tutor: Sara Ekenger

Eco-Koselig by Angeline Lee

"Eco-Koselig is a tabletop game fostering climate change talks with empathy.

"It aids in exploring emotions and environmental identity among youth, addressing the crisis' personal impacts.

"Due to limited representation in climate advocacy, such discussions often feel daunting and disconnected.

"The game offers a safe, enjoyable space for capacity building in the practice of care and encouragement."

Student: Angeline Lee
Course: MA Design Management
Tutor: Sara Ekenger
Email: angeline.leety[at]gmail.com

Traces by Sonya Yim

"Traces encapsulates the elusive thread of Hong Kong's cultural identity, inviting viewers to reconsider preconceptions of identity and engage with the evolving interplay between heritage, storytelling and materiality beyond an anthropocentric perspective.

"The project navigates the confluence of preservation, heritage, anthropological landscapes and narrative ecologies, carving out a generative third space that reimagines materiality, form and matter.

"Traces aims to unravel hidden narratives of Hong Kong's past, present and future through a multi-sensory approach.

"This project challenges conventional notions of humanity, cultural identity and materiality, whilst acknowledging the continuous act of making as a method of preservation, fostering active collaboration with both tangible and intangible elements."

Student: Sonya Yim
Course: MA Design for Art Direction
Tutor: Jordan Hodgson
Email: sonya2007[at]gmail.com

Le Bal by Alexander Ekholm

"Le Bal is a conceptual dance film delving into the constraints imposed by gender constructs and beauty norms on our quest for self-expression.

"At the enigmatic Le Bal, guests are encouraged to navigate their desires free from societal expectations.

"Uncertainties loom, however, regarding the ball's true purpose and what lies beyond its confines, what external norms and conventions appear to permeate even the ballroom?

"The film invites us to re-evaluate and reclaim ownership over our attitudes towards gender, beauty, ugliness and our right to unrestricted self-expression.

"Alexander was nominated to present this project as part of the Collective Anomalies symposium in London."

Student: Alexander Ekholm
Course: MA Design for Art Direction
Tutor: Jordan Hodgson
Email: houseofekholm[at]gmail.com

Eulogy for A Dying City by Bobbi Jelgerhuis Swildens

"Gentrification creeps up on us in all corners of the city – although place is made for new city dwellers, existing communities are ripped from their soil.

"Resident and activist groups try to combat this with all their might, but there is little work to be done once a development has been completed.

"Hurt, neglect and struggle are buried beneath new high-rises and wallpaper – my research asks designers and artists to start operating in this vacuum.

"Guided by a set of design principles, we can craft eulogies at the sites of displacement that help past residents process their gentrification grief."

Student: Bobbi Jelgerhuis Swildens
Course: MA Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures
Tutor: Ella Britton
Email: bobbielbobbmail[at]gmail.com

Colossal Queer Cape by Caroline Glover

"This heart-warming project was in support of the new 'Wishbone' drag tent at Green Man festival endeavouring to represent the burgeoning queer community there.

"We hosted workshops where participants were asked to design a patch from reclaimed material in response to the question: 'what does queer joy mean to you?'.

"The result was a massive, community-made, very camp cape.

"Over the course of two days, queers and allies congregated to sew, paint and stick together their designs, which were then sewn together backstage.

"The process fostered community, helped amplify different voices at the festival and provided a platform for storytelling."

Student: Caroline Glover
Course: MA Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures
Tutor: Ella Britton
Email: carolinejaneglover[at]gmail.com

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and University of the Arts London. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.