SHIFT presents a curated selection of works by the design studios of the Faculty of Multimedia Communications at Tomas Bata University in Zlín. The exhibition explores the notion of transformation as the festival’s central theme — understood here as a vital process shaping contemporary design. Transformation is reflected across a wide spectrum of contexts: from shifts in methodology and philosophical foundations of practice, to evolving approaches to design thinking, and redefinitions of design’s very function and its social role.

A new generation of designers brings diverse perspectives to their work, moving between an enthusiastic embrace of scientific and technological innovation and a critical reflection on its ethical, ecological, and existential implications. Transformation is also evident on a material level — from experimental uses of matter and smart materials, to practices embedded in digital tools, virtual environments, and augmented reality.

The exhibition highlights hybrid and interdisciplinary approaches in which craft traditions intersect with progressive technological research, and where creative processes continuously adapt to changing social, technological, and environmental conditions.

Within this dynamic landscape, the designer is not only globally connected but also increasingly accountable for the consequences of their decisions. Here, transformation emerges not only as an aesthetic motif but also as a fundamental challenge shaping the future of design.