Michael is a designer who has worked in New York since 2000. After leaving behind the bayous of Louisiana for NYC he received a masters degree in architecture from Columbia University. After school he began teaching and started SOFTlab, a design studio that is a unique blend of designers, artists, architects and educators who approach every project from a fresh perspective to create rich spatial, graphic, interactive and visual experiences. By mixing research, creativity and technology with a strong desire to make working fun, SOFTlab attempts to create new and unique experiences.

Olga Noronha, a 21 years old, London based portuguese jewellery designer, has been relentlessly examining the relationship between bodies, attitudes and surroundings, both in the wearer’s and the audience’s points of view. Olga’s creations are never mere ornaments, but are art pieces that celebrate the marriage of sturdy mechanics and delicate anatomies. Constantly challenging and exploring the relationship of interactivity, Olga illustrates the connection between ‘to see’ and ‘to be seen’. Wishing people not to be apathetic towards her work, whatever the reaction – good or bad, Olga welcomes doubts for they may lead to surprise.

Filippos Fragkogiannis is a freelance graphic designer and art director, based in Athens. He holds an MA in Visual Communication, and a BA in Graphic Design from Vakalo College and the University of Derby. Having collaborated with acclaimed graphic and type designers, on April 16th 2019 he established his own practice. His research-based approach is rooted in semiotics, symbolism and the mechanics of visual language. His projects center around visual identities, posters, and print collateral, and he regularly enhances type foundries with bold imagery. In 2018, he founded Certain Magazine, an independent curatorial platform that chronicles contemporary graphic design and celebrates handpicked design projects from around the world.

Elke Kramer is creative director and designer working with objects and ornament, and resides in rural NSW beside the Monga National Park.

Marco Oggian has wanted to be illustrator since he was just a little kid. Describing his style as “simple, strong, a five-year-old could do better”, it seems that a lot of that energy has stayed with him. Although most small children don’t quite have Marco’s client base, there’s definitely more than a touch of the playful to the Italian illustrator’s colourful approach. But his simple shapes and bright colours are often deployed to highlight more serious issues, from the environment to the war in Syria. Born in Italy but now based in La Coruña in Northern Spain (for his “lovely girlfriend and of course tapas and beer!”), Marco is largely self-taught, after being expelled from college pretty-early on. Ever the optimist, the young illustrator frames his departure from formal education as an opportunity for self-study and to gain life experience. “Since I had the chance to start working earlier than my peers, I have already done a lot of interesting things: travel, give talks, put on exhibitions and performances – all this is incredible,” he enthuses.