YOUNG designers focused on sustainability for a degree show.

Final-year product design students at the University of Sussex displayed a range of innovative and eco-friendly creations at a recent show in Falmer House on the University of Sussex campus.

Exhibits at the show included a pop-up shelter to help those in disaster-affected areas, an eco-friendly shopping bag that tracks how many times it is used and a device that offers added privacy for people making phone calls on public transport.

The show, which ran on April 14, 15 and 17, featured many products designed to save energy or reduce waste.

Diane Simpson-Little, course leader, said: “The 16 students exhibiting in this year’s show have demonstrated outstanding competence in research, critical analysis, design engineering, brand development and human-centred design.”

She said the output was “the work of tomorrow’s leading designers.”

Kerem Yilmaz had first-hand experience of a destructive earthquake in northern Turkey, and designed a lightweight shelter for people made homeless by war or natural disaster.

He said: “Current shelters take five people two hours to put up. Mine can be put up by one person in ten minutes, and comes with pictures instead of written instructions for people from any country.”

It also features a solar-powered recovery light to guide emergency workers to people who are unwell and need help.

Jin Wang’s invention promises added privacy for those making phone calls on public transport.

Called i’Mtalkin, it is made from a flexible material that clamps around the caller’s head, with acoustic foam padding inside to dampen and absorb their voice.

After connecting i’Mtalkin to their phone via Bluetooth, users can chat without worrying that the person next to them is listening in.

The inventor said: “My product will allow people to have truly private phone conversations while they are travelling.”

Another item on show was a re-usable bag that tracks how often it is brought to the shops.

Daniel Roberts hopes to reduce the use of food packaging with his design, which uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tags sewn into hemp drawstring bags to track how often they are re-used.

Shops could offer rewards to customers who consistently remember to bring re-usable bags with them.

Daniel says: “People should be aware that re-use is viable, and that it comes with many benefits.”