Seven New Media Design students have been selected as finalists for the ZGDW Award

Seven New Media Design students are bringing their ideas and creative work to this year’s Zagreb Design Week! Leon Krile, Ida Mihaica, Nora Miškulin, Nutsa Sesiashvili, Asita Singh, Đivo Vidak and Magdalena Žulj have been selected as finalists for the ZGDW Award, with their projects competing across three categories: Graphic Design, Product Design, and Digital Communication Design and Interaction Design.

The ZGDW Award is an international design prize presented annually by Zagreb Design Week. An international jury of five design experts selects the three best projects in a total of six categories, with the finalists presented as part of the festival exhibition.

Five of the students’ projects were developed as part of Elements III, taught by Dr. Mia Klemenčić, where students explored paper-based packaging through research, conceptual thinking, functionality, aesthetics, and sustainability. In the Graphic Design category, Ida Mihaica’s Be-For-Sex addresses the lack of open conversations around intimacy and personal wellbeing. Its packaging transforms unboxing into a guided experience designed to encourage awareness and personal choice. The finalists from the Product Design category include Nora Miškulin’s Orchidea, which reimagines intimate wellness packaging as an educational and empowering experience. Nutsa Sesiashvili’s Folded Forest combines origami, reflection prompts, and a mobile app to encourage more mindful responses to emotional eating. Asita Singh’s Bareform is a modular postpartum care packaging system designed around the everyday realities of breastfeeding. Đivo Vidak’s Relaxo transforms café sugar packaging into a playful tic-tac-toe and memory game.

The finalists from the Digital Communication Design and Interaction Design category represent work developed in NMD Graphical User Interface, taught by Dr. Jurica Dolić, and Interactive II, taught by Dr. Petar Branislav Jelušić. Asita Singh’s Campfire Tales is a mobile app exploring India through folklore, myths, and local legends, combining cultural discovery with community storytelling. Leon Krile’s Lekri offers a visual exploration of Dubrovnik’s maritime heritage through historical images and documents. Leon is also a finalist with Deck, an interactive card game prototype developed from concept to playable experience in Figma. Magdalena Žulj’s Virtual Pet Project: Hide and Seek brings together a virtual pet, its narrative, and a physical interaction concept in one cohesive interactive game.

These projects showcase the range of ideas explored by New Media Design students, from packaging and product experiences to digital interfaces, cultural storytelling, and interactive design.

We congratulate Leon, Ida, Nora, Nutsa, Asita, Đivo, and Magdalena on reaching the finals! They are already winners in our eyes, and we are proud to see their work recognized alongside projects by emerging and established designers!

We invite everyone to visit Zagreb Design Week and support our students by experiencing their work firsthand. Their projects will be exhibited from September 15 to 20 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, with the ZGDW Award ceremony taking place on 15 September, when the winners will be announced.