Art & Design are by their very nature contrived; and never more so than at an annual college show, be-it fine art, graphics, fashion or product design. The Royal College of Art is no exception and is perhaps one of the greatest perpetrators of this truism. In 2020 this feels more so, due to the constraints of Coronavirus making it challenging to discern what are often very intangible qualities, which do not lend themselves easily to an online exhibition where there is so little sensual contact.

This is decidedly different from say an Amazon online experience where products are categorised by, function, star rating, cost and banality. It seems difficult to justify the assertion that 'everything made by man has been designed' (Maybe the world needs more female product designers?). The key difference is the quality of thought that has gone into each and every one of the exhibits in this years' RCA virtual show, where fundamentally design is the legacy of thought and in turn, the legacy of design is the thought and perception of the user.

As an industrial designer I have selected seven of my favourite product designs from this year, that I have found most intriguing, thought-provoking and inspiring; which is an experience I feel every year I visit the annual RCA students show without exception.

Sebastian Conran