The past couple of years have proved challenging for creative industry graduates.

Opportunities and resources have been limited, leaving many feeling unsure of what the future holds for their careers.

Thankfully, the Designer of the Future Award is one opportunity that has helped fill the design void by providing graduates with the chance to submit designs from their degree projects.

Following the passing of design legend Sir Terence Conran in 2020, The Designer of the Future award was established to honour his legacy.

It aims to continue the late designer’s work by providing a new generation of talent with the chance to showcase their designs and take the first steps on their career path.

The latest winner of the 2021 Designer of the Future Award is Kingston School of Art graduate Cameron Rowley.

His ‘One Step Ladder’ caught the eye of judges for its design simplicity and ingenuity that perfectly encapsulates the core values of Sir Terence Conran; plain, simple and useful.

Good design is born from everyday needs, and Rowley found his inspiration from observations around his own home.

To him, the everyday step stool caught is an object that is frequently used around the home but has an unappealing and bulky design.

Rowley sought to make it more aesthetically appealing and ergonomic while allowing it to function in the same way.

Overall, his simple but effective design was easy to understand and use and, as with all good design, offered an improved solution to an everyday task.

The 2021 Designer of the Future Award received almost 100 submissions from recently graduated design students across the UK.

The applications were narrowed down to a group of 11 finalists and carefully considered by a panel of judges.

The judges represented a unique cross-section of the creative industry, bringing together knowledge of what makes a design stand out and appeal aestheticallywhile remaining functional and commercially viable.

The committee included fashion designer Anya Hindmarch, British Fashion Council Foundation co-chair and investor Narmina Marandi, and renowned architect Lord Norman Foster.

Several senior executives from The Conran Shop, specialising in commercial design, completed the remainder of the panel because they will be working closely with the winner.

This award was devised with the support of The Marandi Foundation in collaboration with The Conran Shop to provide a platform for young emerging designers.

The 2021 winner, Rowley, received an incredible prize worth £40,000, consisting of £3,000 in cash to help support his design career and a three to six month work placement.

The Conran Shop facilitates thee placement at its headquarters based in London, and it is there that Rowley will be given the opportunity to work alongside top industry designers to bring his One Step Ladder to market.

Sir Terence Conran believed that young designers should be supported, encouraged and uplifted into the creative industry.

The Conran Shop, with the help and support of The Marandi Foundation, is now helping to ensure that this dream is kept very much alive.

The Designer of The Future Award is more than just a prize; it is fundamental in keeping creativity and innovation alive in the modern world.

The next generation of designers must be shown that the need for ‘plain, simple and useful’ design has never been greater.

As we hurtle into an uncertain future, what we know is that it is free, creative and brilliant young minds that will guide us in creating a better tomorrow.