Design Meets Emotion: A New Way of Rethinking Form

“Form follows function.” That was Louis Sullivan’s mantra. In the late 1800s, this visionary architect pioneered skyscrapers, believing a building’s shape should mirror its purpose. Every beam and window had to serve a practical role. No fluff was tolerated. But now, in 2025, could the design world be turning the tables? What if form doesn’t just follow function? What if it breaks free entirely? Now, envision installations pulsing with emotion, not just utility. Welcome to the possibility of a formless frontier. A chair isn’t just for sitting; it sparks joy. A building doesn’t just provide shelter; it weaves a story that stops you in your tracks. With the new London Design Festival about to start, let’s see a few highlights of what is coming. Find out more in Design Meets Emotion: A New Way of Rethinking Form.

Left: Image of “Accalmie Table, 2023,” designed by Corentin Mahieu, Bento Architecture, and Sonian Brussels. Photograph: © Corentin Mahieu x Bento x Sonian, courtesy of the Design Museum.

This evolution, this new vision, is more than a trend. It’s a bold rebellion against rigid rules. Consider objects that tease your senses. A lamp’s glow might conjure a mood, not just light a room. A dress could be a statement of identity, not just fabric. Formless design blurs boundaries.

It weaves tech and art into experiences that feel almost human. Think of virtual spaces shifting with your emotions. Imagine furniture adapting to your whims. This approach doesn’t abandon function. Instead, it lets form run wild. It’s free to provoke, inspire, or even unsettle. In this exciting new world, design doesn’t just solve problems. It dares to ask, “What if beauty and feeling matter most?” And this September, a city is poised to redefine design.

London is ready to take the lead. From 13 to 21 September 2025, the city becomes a playground of imagination. The London Design Festival returns for its 23rd edition. This year, it’s bigger, bolder, and more emotionally charged than ever. Expect mind-bending installations. Look forward to talks that ignite your imagination. Prepare for creations that don’t just work, they feel, they dream, they defy.

“Design is not just about aesthetics. It’s a fundamental driver of innovation, economic growth, and societal progress.”

Festival Director Ben Evans

His words reflect the very spirit of this year’s Festival, a celebration of design’s power to connect, uplift, and transform.

Every corner of London will buzz with creativity. From the industrial edge of Shoreditch to the elegance of Chelsea, ten Design Districts will showcase how design can move us, surprise us, and maybe even change us. But this isn’t just about pretty objects or clever spaces. This year’s Festival is about what design feels like and why that matters more than ever.

Let’s start with the showstoppers, the Landmark Projects. These aren’t just exhibitions; they’re experiences. In Trafalgar Square, designer Paul Cocksedge is flipping perspectives literally with “What Nelson Sees”. Visitors will peer through sculptural viewing tubes that offer a surreal, time-travelling glimpse through the eyes of Admiral Nelson. First, you see London as it is. Then, the city rewinds centuries into its past before leaping forward into an imagined future. It’s poetic, powerful, and completely unforgettable.

“Beacon” designed by Lee Broom

Meanwhile, by the riverside, Lee Broom’s installation “Beacon” glows with a different kind of magic. Made entirely from upcycled glass, this giant sculptural chandelier reimagines the humble street lamp as a monument to sustainability. Lit by memory, glowing with purpose, and designed to be taken apart and reborn as individual light fixtures, it’s beauty with a conscience.

“The Ripple Effect” by Alicja Patanowska. Photo by J. Celej

Step inside the V&A Museum, and you’ll find design on the frontlines of the world’s most urgent issues. From cultural erasure to climate disaster, this year’s programme, co-curated by Carrie Chan and Kristian Volsing, shows how artists and designers are responding to crisis with compassion, resilience, and imagination. Expect powerful works by Alicja Patanowska, Jakkai Siributr, and Roo Dhissou that ask: What does it mean to care through design? Humans are pushing boundaries by exploring how design can shift our focus beyond.

Vivienne Lynn, Boy George, Chris Sullivan, Kim Bowen, Theresa Thurmer, and a Blitz attendee at the Blitz Club, 1980. Photo by Derek Ridgers / © Unravel Productions

Over at the Design Museum, things get personal and political. The Festival programme features Blitz: The Club that Shaped the 80s, exploring the iconic Blitz club night’s transformative impact on 1980s London style, fashion, music, film, art, and design. More Than Human blends art, science, and bold ideas to address design’s role in planetary well-being, with a symposium. The annual platform showcase highlights Bethan Laura Wood’s innovative work, including a Festival workshop, while an audio-described tour of the museum’s architecture will be available.

“Green Carnation” by 2LG Studio

This year also marks the launch of Design London Shoreditch, a daring new hub packed with installations, workshops, and exhibitions that blur the line between art, tech, and lifestyle.

At Protein Studios, “Design at Work” reinvents the office. At Kachette, “Design Culture” challenges how sustainability and identity shape the world around us. And at Shoreditch Town Hall, “House of ICON” dives headfirst into interiors from Nordic calm to maximalist chaos. With names like 2LG Studio, Ben Cullen Williams x Google DeepMind, and Moleskine all on the lineup, this is where the future of design feels alive.

‘Reishi™ In the Nordic Light’ by MycoWorks.Courtesy of MycoWorks..

And just a short walk away, Material Matters returns with a powerful message. Taking over the iconic Space House from 17–20 September, the fair focuses on one of design’s most crucial yet overlooked elements: materials.

Across three curated zones, Knowledge, Specification, and Experimental, you’ll find everything from market-ready biomaterials to radical explorations in recycled textiles, fungi-based forms, and wood innovation. Brands like 3M, MycoWorks, and Filie Material join forward-thinking studios like Micaella Pedros and Revive Innovations to ask: What does it mean to make responsibly? From expert-led talks to hands-on exhibits, Material Matters is not just about what we build; it’s about what we create with.

Don’t miss the Global Design Forum at the V&A, a week of thought-provoking talks that tackle the big questions head-on: How can we design for inclusion? What does sustainability really look like in practice? And how can design help us reconnect with each other, with nature, and with ourselves?

Poster portrait designed by Pentagram for the London Design Festival 2025

Design company, Pentagram’s striking new visual identity for the Festival showcases its innovative design, suggesting a focus on connection and collaboration this year. Their signature red thread weaves through every poster, post, and pathway, symbolising how creativity links us all across districts, disciplines, and dreams.

And behind it all, the Festival’s longtime supporters help make it possible. Fortnum & Mason returns as Supporting Partner of the London Design Medals, honouring both rising stars and established legends of the design world. Bloomberg Philanthropies continues to empower digital access through Bloomberg Connects, the Festival’s official free mobile guide.

So, what is design? Maybe it’s not just something you see. Maybe it’s something you feel in the depth of a story, the shimmer of recycled glass, or the quiet hope that a better world can be built one thoughtful object at a time. This September, let London show you.

LondonDesignFestival.com find all the information here for all programming and for ticketed events, please click here.

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.Cent Magazine London, Luxury Minded