# Apple Unveils the 2026 Designers of Tomorrow Showcase Emerging global designers explore the theme of presence using Apple’s creative ecosystem. - **Source:** [Apple Newsroom](https://brifing.si/source/0743950f-83f2-46fa-8649-0be378237bb6) - **Published:** 2026-10-20 - **Topic:** [Design & UX](https://brifing.si/c/design) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/30aa2afe-8ba9-45e3-b4bb-c3cf7c7341ec ## Exhibition Theme and Curation The 2026 Designers of Tomorrow exhibition, curated by Rodman Primack, focuses on the theme of presence. It highlights how physical objects shape environments and human experiences. A jury of global design voices, including Apple’s Molly Anderson, handpicked participants based on their storytelling, material innovation, and craft to showcase their unique perspectives. ## Salem S. Charabi’s Lantern Architect Salem S. Charabi created The Eminence of Light, a lantern blending old-world practices with digital precision. He used a MacBook Pro for 3D modeling and sketching every component. The piece features a delicate skeleton of hand-split date palm fronds and a limestone base, showcasing a contrast between natural materials and engineering. ## Technical Craft in Architecture Charabi’s lantern construction involved meticulous hand-drilling of octagonal strands, each just three millimeters wide. He applied Japanese methods to Egyptian palms and used banana paper for the veil. The complex assembly required precise digital mapping on his MacBook Pro to ensure that the stone carving and paper molds fit together perfectly. ## Isabel Rower’s Sensory Furniture Brooklyn-based designer Isabel Rower explores curiosity through her Padded Chair 1860. The piece draws inspiration from 18th- and 19th-century papier-mâché furniture, featuring dramatic proportions and a high-gloss finish. By adding beaded fringe that creates sound upon contact, she turns the simple act of sitting into a mindful, sensory experience for the user. ## Rower’s Creative Digital Workflow Rower integrates Apple devices into her daily creative process to maintain her archive. She uses an iPhone to capture quick thoughts and AirPods Pro for focus. Her MacBook Pro serves as the primary tool for building visual archives, while Keynote helps her juxtapose ideas and explore the relationship between images and text. ## Yoonjeong Lee’s Material Transformation Seoul-based designer Yoonjeong Lee repositions overlooked objects as central subjects in her work. Her piece, New Form, utilizes roughly 5,000 thin sheets of veneer stacked to create a wooden base. By repurposing worn-down pencils as nails, she transforms familiar, forgotten items into a functional table and lamp that encourages quiet discovery. ## Lee’s Workflow and Connectivity Lee credits iCloud, AirDrop, and Notes for keeping her design process seamless. She uses an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for sketching and jotting down thoughts. The connectivity between these devices allows her to build volume through repetition efficiently, ensuring that her complex structural elements remain organized throughout the entire production phase. ## Parafernalia’s Collaborative Studio Genki Matsumura and Sebastián Zorrilla, founders of the studio Parafernalia, operate across Monterrey and Mexico City. Their collaborative process relies heavily on FaceTime and iCloud to bridge the geographic gap. They treat their digital workspace as their primary studio, allowing them to iterate and communicate in real time without sharing a physical desk. ## MonoAmbiente 1 Design Concept The duo’s piece, MonoAmbiente 1, explores presence as both a personal and collective act. The acid-etched stainless steel surface expands to reveal stools and a table, transforming a static object into an intimate setting. This dual state encourages observers to move beyond mere examination and actively engage with the piece’s functional design. ## Digital Tools in Collaborative Design Parafernalia uses iPhone and iPad Pro to trade sketches and track project progress. By utilizing Messages, FaceTime, and Procreate, they maintain a constant dialogue that powers their iteration process. For this design team, Apple’s ecosystem is an integral part of how they think, design, and cultivate presence with each other remotely. ## Apple’s Role in Creative Workflows The exhibition highlights Apple’s dynamic role in empowering designers across various disciplines and cultures. Rodman Primack notes that Apple products serve as a consistent through line in the workflows of extraordinary designers. This integration allows creators to capture, refine, and share their ideas seamlessly, regardless of their specific medium or geographic location. ## Impact of the Showcase The Designers of Tomorrow exhibition at Hôtel de Maisons serves as a testament to the power of modern tools in traditional craft. By focusing on the theme of presence, these designers shift perspectives and kindle curiosity. Their work demonstrates how technology can enhance, rather than replace, the human experience within physical environments. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/10/apple-unveils-the-2026-designers-of-tomorrow/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._