Natasa Perkovic

BLENDING AESTHETICS, INNOVATION AND A DEEP CONNECTION TO NATURE IN HER DESIGN PRACTICE.

Born in Sarajevo into a family in which her father and grandfather worked for the well- known Yugoslav-era wood industry, SIPAD, Natasa grew up surrounded by the scent of wood samples and an appreciation for wood crafts and industry. Though she once found furniture design uninspiring, her perspective shifted after studying Product Design at the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Sarajevo and gaining international experience.

Returning to Sarajevo in the early 2000s, she began teaching at her alma mater and built her design practice in a country still recovering from war and industrial decline. As the country’s furniture sector moved from exporting raw materials to developing its own products, Natasa established her studio and began collaborating with local manufacturers.

Today, she is a leading voice in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s design revival, dedicated to education, regional collaboration, and shaping a bold, innovative and sustainable design culture.

Goran Milic

Expert in wood science and technology, with a focus on sustainable wood processing and hydrothermal treatments.

Dr. Goran Milic is a distinguished academic and researcher in the field of wood science. He earned his doctoral degree from the Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade, where he is currently teaching in the Department of Wood Science and Technology.

His expertise lies in primary wood processing, with a special focus on hydrothermal wood treatments such as drying, steaming, and thermal modification. His academic journey has taken him across Europe, enhancing his research through visits and collaborations in Austria, Germany, Finland, and Slovenia.

Beyond academia, Dr. Milic is a consultant for leading companies in the wood industry, providing expertise in wood technologies and serving as a court expert in wood technology cases. His ongoing research focuses on using the wood steaming condensate as a sustainable dye in industrial textile production.

WASTEWARE

Every Year 90 million tons of food are thrown away in Europe. And, in the same period, disposable crockery accounts for a further 26 million tons of garbage. So why not connect these two topics and see what could be created in this scenario?

Wasteware, Experimental Tableware,  by Austrian designer Barbara Gollackner consists of various pieces of tableware, all made from food waste, produced in different techniques, ranging from moulding over pressing up to 3D printing.

Learn more about Barbara Gollackner design.


David Jablonski

David is an activist, designer and co-founder of the climate visualisation collective Klimadashboard.org. He believes that the crises of our time need radical paradigm shifts across politics, economics and the way we look at the world and our role in it.

Aimed at making these transformations tangible, David’s work tells stories about our future on screen and on stage, merging technology with arts and data with emotion. He studied in Graz, Berlin and London, is one of Austria’s youth delegates at COP28 and COP29 and is running his own design practice in Vienna.

“I see design as deeply connected to society, politics, and the environment. It shapes the way we live and must evolve to meet the urgent challenges of our time.“

DON’T FEED ME PLASTIC

Don’t Feed Me Plastic represents the series of educational toys aiming to develop an emotional connection between the children and their environment.

Made out of reused fabric its infill contains an element of surprise. Inside each kiwi bird are several plastic caps which serve as a conversation starter. Through a tactile game and this element of surprise, we can teach the child about the negative influence we have on our environment and try, through playing, to suggest what are possible solutions.

Learn more about Maja Repotocnik


Squeeze the orange

Orange peels are a food waste residue abundant in the Mediterranean diet, and we can give them another life: many things are possible with what we consider “waste” today.

Squeeze the Orange is a research project on the reuse of orange peel to make biodegradable and compostable materials for the fashion industry.

Through the work and knowledge shared between makers and designers, they investigated orange waste to design a material that all fashion designers can use. The project was developed in collaboration with restaurants in the Poblenou neighbourhood in Barcelona. Its purpose is to manufacture a completely biodegradable or compostable waterproof bioplastic using dehydrated orange peel to produce clothing and accessories for the fashion industry.


matapalo

matapalo, by Unlable Design Studio, is a brand from Algiers that markets biophilic pots and installations made of flexible and innovative composite fabrics that stand out for their design, lightness, durability and recyclability.

The product was presented during Underground BDW, a new collective and immersive exhibition during the Barcelona Design Week 2024.

UrbanGuard

The vision was to create a product that combines functionality with style. The lattice ensures optimal air circulation, making it ideal for prolonged use.

The volumetric lattice, a three-dimensional structure made of interconnected cells, is carefully engineered using advanced materials and precision techniques. Each cell is designed to absorb and distribute
impact forces evenly, providing optimal protection. Rigorous testing, including simulated crash scenarios and stress analysis, ensures its effectiveness while maintaining a lightweight and comfortable design.

With the potential integration of smart technologies like LED lights and impact sensors, this helmet showcases how technology and design can create innovative solutions for urban challenges.