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Three Graphic Design students at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ (²ÝÁñÊÓƵ) Leicester have had their work recognised as the Best in Show at the 2024 D&AD New Blood Festival.

Hikari Funayama, Ollie Carter and Grace Smith all received Best in Show badges for their university portfolio work, which was on display for festival judges and professionals in the graphic design industry to admire. 

Taking place across three days in London’s trendy Shoreditch area, the annual festival showcases up-and-coming talent in the world of design and advertising, with ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ being the only university to have three of its students recognised as Best in Show. 

“It’s such a big event that I never expected to win anything,” Hikari said. “I was delighted to be chosen to represent ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ and have the opportunity to speak with design industry experts.”

, raises awareness of colour blindness and teaches budding designers more about colour contrast, as well as integrating accessibility into their work through interactive lessons. 

She said: “Colour is an essential element of design but colour blindness is still not spoken about much in the industry. We need to be as inclusive as possible, so I wanted to make a fun, interactive platform.

“On the second day of the festival, I saw a ‘Best in Show’ sticker. I was really hyped about it.

ChromAcademy, Hikari's design to raise awareness for colour blindness 

“Having the chance to absorb everyone’s opinions on the design work and the industry was the best part of the show for me. I’ve been able to connect with a lot of designers now on LinkedIn and that will help make my career path clearer.”

Her work impressed so much, that it helped the 23-year-old, originally from Yokohama, Japan, to secure a two-month internship with Nomad Studios in central London and a portfolio review with Pearlfisher, which has offices in the capital and New York.

Hikari’s branding campaign to promote improved hygiene among university students to stop the risk of spreading infections was also praised by judges.

22-year-old Ollie, from Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, received a Best in Show sticker for his poster promoting in Leicester. The former factory on King Street is currently undergoing a and will be transformed into a co-working space for businesses in the city.

Ollie undertook the task as part of his university portfolio and based his design and typeface on the new windows that are set to be installed on the front of the building when it opens next year.

He said: “I felt a huge sense of pride when I found out I had won, and all my hard work had paid off.

Ollie's Pilot House branding, which saw him win best in show at last year's awards

“It was nice that my work had been appreciated by fellow professionals in my field and has given me confidence moving forward. It’s going to be a welcome addition to my portfolio.”

Having now graduated from ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, Ollie will be starting a four-week internship with London-based graphic design agency Koto.

Inspired by exploring the great outdoors and making camping more accessible for people in cities, Grace scooped her – a company she conceptualised as part of her degree.

Outpack would allow people to rent camping equipment instead of having to shell out potentially hundreds of pounds to camp. Packaging would also be personalised to best suit customers’ needs, with a car boot size even taken into account to ensure the equipment will fit inside the car, and lightweight, compact backpacks available to hikers and cyclists.

The 22-year-old from Staffordshire designed all the proposed packaging, logos, clothing and camping equipment as part of her brand.

Grace said: “It was a really lovely feeling as I worked very hard for my degree, so winning Best in Show felt like the recognition in the real world.

“I loved how hands-on my course was. I was able to combine the university’s facilities like the textiles print studio, so I can put my design onto ripstop fabric to help my work come to life.

Like Hikari, Grace had her portfolio reviewed by Pearlfisher following the D&AD festival.

Outpack, designed by Grace Smith, won a Best in Show award 

She added: “I had an amazing conversation about my portfolio with the [Pearlfisher] creative director and then proceeded to receive several offers for interviews for internships but I’d already accepted a role as a junior designer beforehand.

“D&AD was a phenomenal experience and I would recommend it to any young designer in a heartbeat!”

Will Wright, Programme Leader for Graphic Design & Graphic Design Illustration at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ, said the awards demonstrated the university’s calibre in producing talented designers.

He said: “We’re so pleased for the students. They have worked hard all year and completed their degree show to then come down to D&AD and get that recognition, against some of the best universities in the country, is truly something special. 

“For the course as well, it’s just brilliant. When we arrived at the show, we wanted to demonstrate the range of work that our students undertake here in Leicester, so winning the ‘Best in Show’ awards really demonstrates our course is on the right track.

“We’re hoping to be back at the New Blood festival in 2025 and showcase more of our students’ work.”