Design is never born in a vacuum. It emerges from specific places, contexts and relationships — with materials, with people, with histories both visible and hidden. Across different geographies and cultures, designers are returning to the roots of making: working with what is locally found, reviving traditional skills, and giving voice to the material world. These approaches not only foster sustainable and meaningful practices, but also reveal powerful stories embedded in the act of creation.
Some of these stories begin not with humans, but with matter itself. In a remote corner of France, a group of creatives immersed themselves in the landscape to listen closely to the materials around them. What resulted was a poetic exploration of the tales that natural materials carry, and how design can help make those voices perceptible — not by shaping them into function, but by revealing their intrinsic narratives.
Meanwhile, in the east of Iceland, collaboration became the central method. Four designers immersed themselves in rural communities, learning traditional crafts and experimenting with local materials such as driftwood, seaweed, reindeer antler and netting. The resulting work reflects the spirit of design emerging from place and people, where modern aesthetics are grounded in geological and cultural specificity.
In Croatia, another kind of collaboration took place — one rooted in social impact and inclusivity. By involving young people with learning difficulties in co-design processes, a team of designers demonstrated how creative practices can be tools for empowerment and transformation. The initiative led to the development of a range of products with unique identities, reflecting both design excellence and a commitment to supporting inclusive creative communities.
Together, these projects demonstrate that design can be extraordinary when it listens — to materials, to communities, to the land. They point toward a future in which innovation is not measured by novelty, but by depth of engagement and integrity of process.