DMU Degree Show 2026: Leicester’s Next Design Talent.

This week, some of the Arch team headed down to The Gateway to take in the De Montfort University Degree Show 2026, the annual showcase for final year students on the Graphic Design and Illustration courses. It’s one of the highlights of the creative calendar here in Leicester, and always a good reminder of just how much talent is coming through the city.

The show included branding, illustration, motion, campaign, editorial, packaging and UX UI work, with every graduate presenting a final body of work built across their three years on the course. For a studio that lives and breathes these same disciplines day to day, it’s the kind of visit that is equal parts inspiring and energising.

A showcase across every discipline.

What stood out most was the range. Students weren’t just sticking to one lane. Many of the projects showcased individually and together branding, illustration, packaging and UX in ways that felt considered and market-ready rather than purely academic. It’s a strong sign for the future of graphic design talent coming out of Leicester and the wider Midlands.

Highlights from the visit.

Designer Tarren was in attendance and said, “Having first met the Arch team at my degree show in 2023, before then joining the team, it is always an amazing opportunity to be invited back to DMU each year. It was great to see the range of students and the briefs they undertook, along with speaking to them about the industry and giving some feedback.”

Why it matters to us.

Arch Creative has called Leicester home for 20 years, and supporting the city’s creative pipeline is part of what keeps that community strong. Events like the DMU Degree Show are where the next wave of designers, illustrators and art directors get their first proper audience, and where studios like ours get a glimpse of who might be shaping the industry in years to come.

Arch is currently working with two DMU design graduates as they begin their careers, and the team recently carried out portfolio reviews at the Industry Ready event, helping students get their work in shape for life beyond university. Supporting that journey from degree show to studio floor is something we’re really proud to be part of.

You can see more from this year’s graduates over on the DMU Graphic Design and Illustration Degree Show site.

To see how Arch brings ideas like these to life for real clients, take a look at our Arts and Culture work.

Get in touch with our team.