Sima Benni is a multidisciplinary designer who rarely stays within one discipline. Moving between materials, spaces, objects and visual communication, her practice is driven by curiosity, sustainability and a desire to understand how things can be made differently.
Hello, I’m Sima
I’ve always been interested in understanding how things work and how they could work differently. My path into design started with a technical education in Design and Product Development at Kattegattgymnasiet, where I developed an interest in materials, construction and making. I later studied Design + Change at Linnaeus University, where I developed a deeper interest in sustainability, social design and the systems surrounding the things we create.
Since then, my curiosity has taken me in different directions. I studied Interior Design at LUCA School of Arts in Belgium and spent a semester in Japan exploring ceramics, craft and material culture. Each experience has changed the way I look at design and given me a different way of approaching a problem.
I like being close to the process. I enjoy sketching an idea, modelling it in CAD, testing a material, building a prototype and figuring out why something does or doesn’t work. But I’m equally interested in what sits behind the object: the people who use it, the systems it belongs to, the resources it requires and the stories it can tell.
Sustainability is therefore not a separate part of my practice, but something I try to consider throughout the design process. I’m interested in questioning how things are produced, used and discarded, and in finding ways for design to respond to both social and environmental contexts.
My work has taken me from exhibition spaces and product development to ceramics, glass, publications and visual communication. I don’t see these as separate directions, but as different ways of exploring the same curiosity, how ideas, materials and people can come together to create something meaningful.
I’m currently exploring where these different parts of my practice can meet—and what I can make from the space in between.
Resume
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· Mentored young entrepreneurs in developing and launching summer businesses, guiding them in branding, business strategy, and leadership. Supported participants throughout the full entrepreneurial process, from idea validation to execution.
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· Planned and led technical and creative educational programs for youth, managing a team of instructors and developing pedagogical materials focused on technology, innovation, and problem-solving.
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· Led the regional initiative “Young Entrepreneurs of Halland,” developing strategic programming and collaborations aimed at strengthening youth entrepreneurship and regional engagement.
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· Delivered workshops, leadership training, and organizational development support to youth associations across Sweden. Evaluated organizational structures and supported long-term growth and sustainability.
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· Led the project “Av Unga För Unga”, supporting young people in initiating associations, study circles, and independent cultural projects.
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· Delivered lectures and workshops on entrepreneurship and leadership for upper secondary students.
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· Facilitated technical workshops and coordinated youth education programs in technology and entrepreneurship at a Technology & Entrepreneurship School.
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· Founded and ran a student enterprise focused on designing and producing handmade ceramics.