Apple has unveiled this year’s “Designers of Tomorrow” exhibition as part of its partnership with Design Miami, spotlighting emerging creatives using Apple tech in unexpected, meaningful ways. The showcase, now in its second year, opened today at Hôtel de Maisons in Paris and centers on the theme of presence: what still captures attention in a fast-moving world. The four featured creators include Salem S. Charabi, Isabel Rower, Yoonjeong Lee, and design studio Parafernalia (Genki Matsumura & Sebastián Zorrilla), all selected by a jury led by Apple’s own vice president of industrial design, Molly Anderson.
Creative tools, global perspectives
Each designer infused Apple hardware into their creative practice in distinct ways. Charabi, blending Egyptian and Danish influences in architecture, turned to the MacBook Pro for both sketching and 3D modeling. Meanwhile Yoonjeong Lee in Seoul used an iPad Pro paired with Apple Pencil to draft ideas and brainstorm visually. For Brooklyn-based Isabel Rower, the process involved documenting her inspiration via iPhone, then refining concepts with images and text in Keynote. Parafernalia’s members, working across Monterrey and Mexico City, layered iPhone, iPad Pro, and Procreate into a remote-slash-collaborative workflow, using FaceTime to bridge distance.
Presence as more than a theme
“Presence” challenges both artists and viewers to notice what endures when everything else feels urgent. The selected works explore ways objects can alter spaces and stir our sensory perceptions, not just visually but experientially. The artists aim to shift perspectives, invite pauses, and spark curiosity—qualities that often fade in our fast-paced digital age.
This exhibit follows Apple’s earlier efforts merging tech with artistic practice, like its “From Earth to Sky” fashion venture, and while commercial agendas may lurk, there’s real value in seeing how creative professionals stretch tools we already use. The show illustrates how everyday devices—MacBook Pros, iPhones, iPads—can be repurposed beyond their expected use, yielding art that feels personal, globally resonant, and deeply human.
Why it matters: This showcase isn’t just about design—it’s about intention. As attention becomes a rare currency, artists reminding us to slow down, to feel, to engage, are offering something refreshing. For Apple, it reinforces its positioning not just as a manufacturer of tools, but as curator of culture, by spotlighting creators transforming utility into artistry. Keep an eye on how the concept of presence evolves—and how future tech supports not just what we build, but how we feel about what we build.
