The main task facing young designers is how to turn their creativity into a successful business. They strive to develop their business skills and take their place in the design world.

Designcommunication wanted to contribute to the career development and future of young designers. We spoke with the winners of the SaloneSatelolite award who have become successful designers. They gave advice to young designers on what is important at the beginning of their professional careers.

The question posed by Designcommunication was simple: do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? The answers are below:

Nao Tamura: The Star of the SaloneSatellite.Milano 2010

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Nao Tamura: I can say, “Try whatever you want”. If you have time to think about the consequences, just make a move.

Precisely because we are in an age when anybody can feel as if she’s experienced something or travelled somewhere by browsing through the internet. It is valuable to actually feel and see things physically. 

Turn + Brass,design Nao Tamura for  Ambientec English Site TOP – Ambientec Image courtesy Nao Studio
Turn + Brass,design Nao Tamura for Ambientec Image courtesy Nao Studio
Turn + is a portable lamp for outdoor use with 500 hours of light without electricity. It is a high-tech LED cordless table lamp with USB charging (approx.‎ 6 hours). This product was the winner of the 2021 Archiproducts Design Awards.

Elisa Strozyk: SaloneSatellite.Milano Award Winner 2011

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Elisa Strozyk: It is much more difficult for young designers to start their careers in these restricted times.

The option to present their work at a fair or any other physical exhibition is very limited.

Try to use more digital channels to get attention. Also, it is important to stay connected with your colleagues to combine forces and exchange experiences.

Push your ideas as far as possible and be not afraid of choosing an uncommon, different way. Be open to experiment but also value history and tradition.

Transparent Collection, design Elisa Strozyk. Image courtesy Studio elisastrozyk.Photo Credit STUDIO BEEN
Transparent Collection, design Elisa Strozyk. Image courtesy Studio elisastrozyk.Photo Credit STUDIO BEEN
Wooden Textiles is made of natural materials. Its components are wood and textile, with a new appearance. It is not rigid, hard with the plain surface like wood and soft as textile. The transparent surfaces are sophisticated and suitable for curtains.

Wow collective: SaloneSatellite.Milano Second Award Winner 2012

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Monica Thurne on behalf of Micomoler (Wow collective): Believe in yourself, try to learn from the best (we mean not only designers but also craftsmen, artists...), explore new things, do not be afraid to take risks, find your path and never give up!

Banquete bench table, design Micomoler.  Image courtesy Micomoler
Banquete bench table, design Micomoler. Image courtesy Micomoler
Banquete is a tea bench, a multifunctional furniture product. It can be a seat itself, but it can also be used as a low tea table for up to four people, providing each one of them with a cushion to sit on the floor.

RE Design Studio: SaloneSatellite.Milano Second Award Winner 2013

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Hadwa Omranone of the co-founders of RE Design: Designers now need to make use of the current resources creatively, and consider a product’s lifecycle, implementing the concept of Zero Waste. As the world is filled with an abundance of neglected materials that when studied, carry a great value and opportunity for new sustainable creations.

Plastex-Basket, RE Design. Image courtesy RE Design
Plastex-Basket, RE Design. Image courtesy RE Design
Plastex is fabric fabricated from reused plastic bags and recycled cotton. RE Design revived ancient weaving techniques and create the new material of high performance, suitable for different purposes. The material is environmentally friendly.

Arturo Erbsman:  SaloneSatellite.Milano Second Award Winner 2014

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Arturo Erbsman: The advice I would give to young designers entering the design world is: follow their dreams. Think, imagine, dream, and work hard to transform those dreams into something real. This is probably the most important thing for me. Dream!!!

Gaia vase,design Arturo Erbsman.  Picture courtesy Arturo Erbsman studio.Photo credit Arturo Erbsman
Gaia vase,design Arturo Erbsman. Picture courtesy Arturo Erbsman studio.Photo credit Arturo Erbsman
Gaia is a contemporary shallow vase designed to receive one or several single stem flowers in a unique arrangement. Its capsule shape is made from a single block of soft pink onyx, or in Carrara marble. The vase is with eleven holes that differ in diameter and has superficial chambers for each stem. The shape and line of the vase are simple but at the same time attractive.

Viktor Legin from Studio Copper: SaloneSatellite.Milano Third Award Winner 2015

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Viktor Legin: My Advice would be that passion and drive are key to a successful career in design. Being a designer is a way of life, not just a job. If you have persistent talent and develop the right skills you can be a successful designer.

Convex wall mirror, design Copper Design.  Picture courtesy Copper Design.
Convex wall mirror, design Copper Design. Picture courtesy Copper Design.
The Convex wall mirror is a Mirror with a dimmable aluminium LED lit. As available in a range of powder coat colours, as well as a variation in mirror tint colours, matching to any interior is simple.

Philipp Beisheim: SaloneSatellite.Milano Winner of the First Award in 2016

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Philipp Beisheim: Find your design language. Work on one thing at a time until finished. Don't be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

Side table Toad, design Philipp Beisheim. Picture courtesy keinStil. GmbH
Side table Toad, design Philipp Beisheim. Picture courtesy keinStil. GmbH
The side table Toad is sculptural furniture of interesting but simple form. It consists of three elements that depend on each other. Each segment does not have its stability and can only stand as an ensemble namely the composition of all three segments.

Yuri Himuro: SaloneSatellite.Milano Third Award Winner 2018 

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Yuri Himuro: I think it's great to participate in exhibitions like Satelite, where young designers from all over the world gather, from a young age.

Depending on the country, it may cost a lot of money in terms of travel and transportation costs, but I think the encounters and experiences you get there are more than worth it.

Yuki textile, design Yuri Himuro. Picture courtesy Himuro Design Studio
Yuki textile, design Yuri Himuro. Picture courtesy Himuro Design Studio
Yuki is a corrugated textile made by utilizing polyester yarn through a weaving process. "YUKI" shows the scenery where the snow started to fall and that turns into the wintery scenery covered in deep snow. This roughly textile is very light and is perfect for blankets.

Philipp Hainke: SaloneSatellite.Milano Second Award Winner 2019

Designcommunication : Do you have any advice for young designers entering the world of design? 

Philipp Hainke: It might sound a bit pathetic, but maybe the most important is to stay persistent, learn from your failures and repeat.

I also believe it is needed to make yourself familiar with new technologies, like VR, and cloud-based products but at the same time continue with your analogue sketchbook (or start one if you do not use a sketchbook).

NomNom  cutlery set, design Philipp Hainke. Image courtesy Studio Philipp Hainke. NomNom  cutlery set, design Philipp Hainke. Image courtesy Studio Philipp Hainke.
NomNom cutlery set, design Philipp Hainke. Image courtesy Studio Philipp Hainke.
NomNom is ecological cutlery set durable,completely plant-based and 100% biodegradable. The surface is a purely biological coating and makes the objects water-resistant. The surface is smooth, more pleasant for the user and can be used for hot beverages such as Coffee or Tea above 80°C. Such surface is durable so the cutlery can be re-use several times. The cup is bonded with an ecological adhesive based on lime and casein which makes it extremely resistant to moisture.

The winners of the SaloneSatellite award gave their advice on the career development of young designers. They say that it is necessary to work hard, not to be afraid of uncommon, different ways and open to experimenting to find an original style. No matter how difficult the road is, it is necessary to be persistent in realizing dreams with the support of all available technological tools and sustainable materials.

I hope that young designers will think about the tips. Readers of Designcommunication posts can enjoy the design of the SaloneSatellite Award winner presented in this post.