Chester graduate shortlisted from thousands for global art and design award

Interior Design BA Honours graduate, Abbie Beddows is an award finalist in the Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2024, the biggest annual online show shining a light on graduate creatives across the globe.

Abbie has been shortlisted in the Product, Architecture and Interiors category by industry experts after more than 5,000 graduating students uploaded their end-of-year projects across four categories this year.

The 22-year-old impressed the judges with her designs for the Aroma Fragrance store which tackles the current issues faced by physical retail environments while prioritising today’s consumers’ expectations. The designs create a personalised experience, incorporating both eco-friendly and digital features, with the interior scheme taking inspiration from how scents travel through the air. The bespoke service provides a unique opportunity for consumers to create their own scent, including a scent room experience and a one-to-one session working with an Aroma Perfumer.

Across categories, the Showcase judges include representation from: Louis Vuitton; Nike; The LEGO Group; The Dutch Design Foundation and Coca-Cola.

Abbie said: “I am delighted to have been shortlisted in the 2024 Global Creative Graduate Showcase. It’s a real honour for my project to have been recognised amongst so many other talented designers from around the world. I am proud of what I have achieved so far and being shortlisted is a great reward for all my hard work during this project.”

Lynne Bell, Programme Leader for BA Honours Interior Design at the University, added: “We are thrilled that Abbie has been shortlisted for a Global Creative Graduate Showcase award. She has excelled in her studies, and her final degree project is outstanding. To be chosen as a finalist by industry leaders from thousands of entries worldwide is a huge achievement, showing her work is world-class and that she is one-to-watch in design. We wish Abbie the best of luck.”

Abbie completed her studies in the summer and is now a Junior Designer at Cheshire-based Show Business Interiors which specialises in the design and installation of show homes for UK property developers.

Currently in the fifth edition of the initiative, the Global Creative Graduate Showcase is run by Arts Thread, a global launchpad for art and design students and graduates, in collaboration this year with WGSN, the number one consumer trend forecaster, and Coloro, an innovative colour system and partner for the design industry.

The public vote is officially open to choose favourite artists and designers from the shortlist of 500; voters can select one person from each category.

Abbie’s work can be found in the shortlist at: https://www.artsthread.com/profile/abbie-beddows/.

To see all of the entrants in all the categories, and for further details about the Showcase, please visit: https://artsthread.com/events/globalcreativegraduateshowcase.

Alongside Architecture and Interiors, the categories are: Fashion, Accessories and Textiles; Digital, Visual Communications and Film, and Fine Art, Photography and Craft/Jewellery. The competition was open to all art and design students graduating in the year 2023-24 - undergraduate and postgraduate - in any related creative discipline, located anywhere in the world.

Voting closes on Friday October 11. The esteemed panel will choose their favourite artists and designers, with the announcement of the judges’ and public’ vote later in the month.

Google Arts & Culture will also create an area on the site showcasing the 2024 winners as well as previous winners.