Challenging the Future

Store Store pavillion

During the London Design Festival 2024, OvN saw a number of projects that brought together young people to explore complex issues through design, community and creativity. Critical thinking is vital in today’s world, enabling individuals to analyze information, question its validity, and make informed decisions. For young people, in particular, developing this skill is crucial as they navigate a future shaped by artificial intelligence and misinformation. Understanding how to impact systems change empowers them to challenge existing structures and drive positive societal shifts. Cultivating critical thinking fosters resilience and equips young people to influence meaningful change.

Youth Empowerment 

Young people are important stakeholders in shaping our collective future. Policies and strategies frequently identify long-term key development areas but need to pay more attention to effectively integrating youth voices and perspectives into initiatives. This gap needs to be addressed, as engaging youth in finding solutions to societal challenges is vital for creating sustainable, relevant strategies. Climate change is an example of an issue where youth engagement is key; over 75% of young people express deep concern about the climate crisis, reflecting its prominence in their worldview. As the generation that will bear the brunt of climate change, it is crucial that young people are actively involved in developing future solutions, strategies and policies.

Collective Creativity

Young people know they cannot solve all the world’s challenges alone. They work with a collaborative mindset and draw energy from working together towards common goals. The synergy created through teamwork allows youth to see their contributions in a broader context, transforming potentially overwhelming individual responsibilities into shared tasks. By fostering environments that encourage collaboration and embrace the strength in diversity, their collective creativity can be harnessed to strengthen civil communities. This inclusivity not only enriches the solutions they develop but also creates more resilient, far-reaching strategies for a better future.

Future Focused Design

Design is becoming a powerful tool for positive change, as it can open up new avenues for addressing current and future challenges such as climate resilience, flooding, food and water scarcity, advances in artificial intelligence, and breakthroughs in materials research. Urban interventions and civil design play a crucial role in this, offering tangible solutions that reshape our cities and communities. Approaching future-focused design requires a global perspective; ideas must illuminate the potential for shaping a radically different world. Research shows that as climate concerns increase among young people, this worry fuels a strong desire for action and involvement. The unique perspectives of young people can lead to innovative thinking and a change in priorities. Young people have proven to be effective catalysts for change within their families, motivating parents and other generations to adopt new behaviours.

London Design Festival 2024- Learn, Think, Do

London Design Festival 2024 showcased several spaces dedicated to future observatories and the exploration and learning of young people. These areas represented personal journeys and interests, and the most intriguing aspect was often the interaction where participants voiced relatable questions and uncertainties on written notes. These spaces embodied the continuous process of reimagining, rethinking, and reflecting on acquired knowledge. It highlighted that learning and adjusting strategies is a journey of a lifetime, not a destination. Engaging in research, investigation, and exploration and absorbing information and experiences can fuel creativity and a better understanding.

Store Projects

Store Projects is organized both in London and Rotterdam to support young people from underrepresented backgrounds through creative courses and address the social imbalance in art, design, and architecture education. Designed and built by 14-18-year-olds during three STORE Summer Schools, the STORE STORE Pavilion uses locally reclaimed and fallen timber to create a community space. The project emphasizes the importance of applied learning and participatory design, empowering young people from the local community to work closely with designers to bring their vision to life. This approach places value on the personal experiences and contributions of each participant, creating a deeply meaningful connection to the space. The pavilion fosters interaction through notes visitors can attach, creating a sense of connection. The choice of materials and the intricate carvings made in the wood further enhance this feeling of unity and shared purpose, making the pavilion not just a space to meet, but a symbol of collaboration and creative expression. ⁠Read more here

Best of MOME

Questions such as: “What will we wear in the future?” headlined the projects of the University of Art and Design Budapest at the London Design Festival.  The university sees itself as an institute for the future, working to tackle global challenges. The projects on display present a diverse range of perspectives on the future of design, each demonstrating a commitment to both professional heritage and innovation. In their work, our graduates put forward considered responses to contemporary issues, ranging from sustainability and social impact to the intersection of technology and human experience. Read more here

The Observatory

The Central Saint Martins exhibition The Observatory celebrated the interdependence in creative practice. To counter the idea of a solo innovator and demonstrate how creative practice and making something relies on a vast network of people, moments, spaces, resources, and skills. During the process, a discovery in the lab, a conversation, a book, or a new tool can open up possibilities, and a mistake becomes a breakthrough. The exhibit showed the iteration, exploration, and conversation during the process. It invited visitors to look closer, to examine creativity as a process, and to witness transformation. Pictograms in the project descriptions highlighted the new perspectives gained through these moments of exploration. Each project also included a map revealing all the people involved in the process of making and the supply chain that supported it. Read more here