Bournemouth University product design student Rupert Murphy has been named New Designer of the Year 2026 for developing a portable rescue device that could improve the treatment of people rescued from cold water.
Re-Warm, Murphy’s final-year project, addresses a vital stage in cold-water rescue. After someone has been rescued from the water, their core body temperature can continue falling during the journey back to shore. Although blankets and foil wraps can help prevent extra heat loss, they don’t actively warm up the casualty.
Designed specifically for RNLI rescue crews, Re-Warm is a portable device that delivers warm, humidified air in sync with a person’s breathing. This targeting of the respiratory system enables crucial rewarming in the seconds and minutes before medical treatment.
The project was developed through a user-centred design process. Murphy worked with RNLI crew members, medical specialists and industry professionals to understand existing rescue procedures and identify where current hypothermia treatments could be improved.
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Using Bournemouth University’s Design and Engineering Innovation Centre, he rapidly built and refined prototypes throughout the project. Access to workshop facilities allowed ideas to be tested and developed as the design evolved.
The judges described Re-Warm as a standout project for addressing an overlooked aspect of hypothermia management following cold-water immersion. Alongside the New Designer of the Year title, it also received commendation awards from Joseph Joseph, Cadbury and Stannah, with the Cadbury Consumers First award recognising its strong focus on meeting a genuine user need.
Speaking after receiving the award, Murphy said he was delighted to receive the recognition and credited Bournemouth University’s workshop facilities and support from academic staff with helping bring the project to life.
The project highlights how engineering design, informed by user research and iterative prototyping, can deliver practical solutions to real-world healthcare challenges.