Dezeen School Shows: a gravity-powered mountain trike designed to extend mountain tourism beyond the ski season is among the projects from the University of Ljubljana.
Also featured is biodegradable play equipment made from urban leaf waste and a multisensory exhibition system designed to make artworks more accessible to blind and partially sighted visitors.
University of Ljubljana
Institution: University of Ljubljana
School: Academy of Fine Arts and Design
Course: Industrial Design (BA), Industrial Design (MA), Graphic Design (BA)
Tutors: Patrik Bevec, Boštjan Botas Kenda, Žan Brezec, Rok Kuhar, Tamara Lašič Jurković, Jure Miklavc, Barbara Predan, Tim Prezelj and Barbara Prinčič
School statement:
"At the University of Ljubljana's Academy of Fine Arts and Design, industrial design is taught as a critical, research-led practice for engaging with the social, technological and environmental conditions shaping contemporary life.
"Slovenia's only university-level industrial design programme offers a continuous path from BA and MA study into interdisciplinary doctoral research, bringing together design practice, theory, strategic thinking and material experimentation.
"Project-based teaching sits at the centre of the programme. Students work across disciplines and within an internationally connected network of academic, public and private partners, addressing real-world challenges through product and service design, circular strategies, social innovation and critical speculation.
"They develop ideas through research, prototyping and testing, supported by tutors whose expertise spans academic inquiry and professional practice.
"The programme is further distinguished by its research in design culture and visual literacy. This foundation enables students to question established assumptions, understand how design shapes behaviour and meaning, and communicate complex ideas with clarity.
"It also expands the field beyond conventional human-centred approaches to consider systems, environments and more-than-human perspectives.
"The projects presented here show this approach in action: from biodegradable materials and inclusive exhibition tools to shared mobility, speculative interfaces and new models for year-round tourism.
"Together, they demonstrate how rigorous research, experimental thinking and close engagement with context can produce design that is imaginative, responsible and relevant."
Leafo by Iva Ferlinc and Maja Selinšek
"Leafo transforms urban leaf waste into biodegradable tools for open-ended sand play.
"Developed as an alternative to plastic beach and playground toys, the project connects two overlooked urban conditions: the disappearance of sandpits from public playgrounds and the seasonal accumulation of fallen leaves, often burned as waste.
"Processed leaves are combined with natural binders and plant-based pigments to create tactile, nature-inspired forms that invite sensory exploration, imagination and experimentation.
"After use, the tools can be composted, returning to the soil to complete a regenerative material cycle."
Students: Iva Ferlinc and Maja Selinšek
Course: Industrial Design (MA)
Tutors: Tamara Lašič Jurković, Jure Miklavc, Barbara Predan, Tim Prezelj and Barbara Prinčič
Email: iva.ferlinc[at]outlook.com and maja.selinsek[at]gmail.com
Hella Atmospheric Lighting by Žan Brezec and Rok Kuhar
"Developed in collaboration with international automotive lighting specialist Hella, this project reimagines the parked car as a portable social hub.
"Extending atmospheric lighting beyond the vehicle interior, it combines a car-body lighting system with a responsive digital service.
"The physical system projects light into the surrounding environment, while the service generates visual scenarios based on location, mood and user preferences.
"Together, they allow drivers and passengers to transform campsites, viewpoints and other temporary gathering places into immersive, personalised settings.
"By treating the car as more than transport, the project explores how automotive lighting can shape shared experiences beyond the road."
Students: Žan Brezec and Rok Kuhar
Course: Industrial Design (MA)
Tutors: Žan Brezec, Rok Kuhar and Jure Miklavc
Multisensory Exhibition Experience by Zoja Čepin
"This multisensory exhibition system makes artworks accessible beyond sight by combining layered tactile booklets with audio description.
"Each booklet translates an artwork into three progressively detailed tactile layers, allowing visitors to move from composition to key features at their own pace.
"Developed through interviews and testing with blind and partially sighted people, the system is simple to produce, affordable and easy to integrate into displays without altering them.
"Museums and galleries can adapt it with communities for permanent or temporary exhibitions, while visitors may take the booklets home.
"The result is a richer, more inclusive encounter with art for everyone."
Student: Zoja Čepin
Course: Industrial Design (BA)
Tutor: Jure Miklavc
Email: zoja.cepin[at]gmail.com
Šerkul – a circular bike-sharing service for Ljubljana by Patrik Bevec
"Šerkul is a station-free bicycle-sharing service that turns Ljubljana's discarded bikes into a shared urban resource.
"Recovered bicycles are repaired in a community workshop – fitted with GPS trackers and 3D-printed locks – and added to a mobile platform where users can locate and select them by size.
"Rather than building docking infrastructure, the service operates through a network of cultural institutions, public organisations, cafes and shops.
"Cycling earns users "green points", redeemable for benefits such as library membership or partner services.
"By connecting repair, reuse, shared mobility and local rewards, Šerkul creates a circular system that keeps bicycles and value moving."
Student: Patrik Bevec
Course: Industrial Design (MA)
Tutor: Patrik Bevec
Sustainable Goat-Cheese Packaging for Kumparička Organic Farm by Lina Glavan, Ana Kovačič, Špela Novak and Vita Puc
"This concept for Kumparička Organic Farm in Istria turns goat's cheese into a sensory encounter with its origin.
"The pack pairs the cheese with herbs inspired by the Istrian landscape and a recipe for marinated goat's cheese, extending the experience beyond the product itself.
"A foldable structure brings together paper partly made from olive waste, biodegradable whey-based bioplastic, untreated jute and recycled cardboard.
"Rooted in the farm's visual identity, its Mediterranean character connects packaging with landscape, craft and food culture while reducing reliance on conventional packaging materials."
Students: Lina Glavan, Ana Kovačič, Špela Novak and Vita Puc
Course: Industrial Design (BA) and Graphic Design (BA)
Tutors: Boštjan Botas Kenda and Rok Kuhar
Email: lina.glavan[at]gmail.com, spela.novak01[at]gmail.com, pucvita[at]gmail.com and ana003.kovi[at]gmail.com
Carrot Reader by Pia Golob, Florian Janez Gutmann, Maja Selinšek and Jovana Mališić
"Developed within the subject History and Theory of Critical Design, Carrot Reader challenges anthropocentric design by casting a houseplant as a tarot reader.
"Instead of allowing users to choose the cards, the device uses data from a moisture sensor in the plant to generate a different combination for every question.
"Giving a non-human participant control over the outcome, the project reverses hierarchies between people, technology and nature.
"Designed as a speculative companion for the home or office, Carrot Reader proposes an unusual exchange: the plant receives water and care, while its human caretaker receives more-than-human guidance in return."
Students: Pia Golob, Florian Janez Gutmann, Maja Selinšek and Jovana Mališić
Course: Industrial Design (MA)
Tutors: Tamara Lašič Jurković and Barbara Predan
Email: piagolob01[at]gmail.com, gutmann.florian[at]gmail.com, maja.selinsek[at]gmail.com and jovanamalishic[at]gmail.com
Antidote – a gravity-powered mountain trike by Matic Čič and Vid Lebič
"Antidote is a gravity-powered mountain trike steered with the whole body through an innovative pendulum-based mechanism.
"By translating the rider's weight shifts into smooth, carving-like turns, it creates a downhill experience between sledding, skiing and mountain biking.
"Developed with input from ski-resort operators and refined through iterative testing, the project culminated in a fully functional prototype.
"Responding to snow-scarce winters, it enables lower-altitude resorts to extend their offering beyond the ski season by reusing existing slopes and lift infrastructure.
"With no onboard motor and minimal need for new construction, Antidote proposes a low-impact route towards year-round mountain tourism."
Students: Matic Čič and Vid Lebič
Course: Industrial Design (MA)
Tutors: Jure Miklavc and Barbara Predan
Email: Matic[at]cic.si and ebic.vid[at]gmail.com
Partnership content
This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and University of Ljubljana. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.