All winners and nominees of the Pure Talents Contest 2020 at the imm cologne

Which “instructions for use” would you include with your product?
"Levi" is intuitive, so that it requires no long instructions for use, which is why we would only like to add that "Levi" is a very loyal companion that can both quietly lean against the wall or be present in the room and adapt again and again to changing needs.

In what context do you see your product?
We have deliberately designed our frame for the needs of university students. However, it can be used for and transferred to all possible areas of work and life, and we think that this is exactly what is interesting about our "Levi" table frame.

When developing this product, what was your main starting point? The material, the shape or the function?
For us, the function was decisive for the final design.

What is the story behind your product? Was there an occasion, a task, an inspiration, a concern?
When researching, we especially took our own experiences and needs as a starting point. In our work environment, it is important that one can quickly dissolve and reorganise work formations. This is because we work both alone and in teams and groups. Our worktables at the university were too heavy and couldn't be adapted to our working conditions. We wanted to make work easier for our fellow students and for ourselves, create an attractive work atmosphere and strengthen teamwork. Levi represents a practical alternative here.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
We can currently see that no area of design can distance itself from the theme of sustainability. The trend is toward natural materials, as well as toward experimentation with novel and sustainable alternatives. Circular design is a large, important theme, as is the focus on the durability and multifunctionality of products.

What makes the Pure Talents Contest so interesting to you?
For us it is especially valuable to establish contacts through the trade fair and the Pure Talents Contest, independent of our familiar university environment.
We also find the possibility exciting to experience the course of a trade fair from beginning to end and to be able to contribute our part to this.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
OMIT is a non-electric vacuum cleaner that works by small action. It does not have the same power as a general vacuum cleaner, but it works silently and is handy. It can be used during any time of the day, and in any place without electric supply, for example in a car. OMIT supports you with your cleaning habit and makes the cleaning much easier.

What do you think is your product’s field?
Every electric device can be non-electric. Developing countries are an ideal field to explore the necessity of it.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
Function. This is the biggest challenge of this project. As I have written on the development description, I had considered several other principles. It was very important that the mechanism has to be able to accumulate power. The idea of the combination of planetary gears and torque springs is taken from a car toy, which works with small torque springs.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
The idea came out of my own daily life. Living with flatmates, I usually cannot use the vacuum cleaner during weekdays because of the noise. This made me investigate the problem of vacuum cleaners. I realized that about 70% of users can use vacuum cleaners only at the weekend, because of the noise and trouble with cables. Even rechargeable ones can be forgotten to be recharged. However, more than 80% of people use it for house cleaning. Furthermore, I found out that before the appearance of electric vacuum cleaners, manual vacuum cleaners were used in the 19th century. So I thought vacuum cleaners can be less noisy and more handy by omitting electricity.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
In the field of interior design and consumer products, the people realize what authentic beauty is. The meaning of “authentic beauty” is not only seen from a visual point of view. It is including environment responsibility, mental health, social community, traditional culture etc. As a designer, I could say that we have to observe deeply our society and have to direct where we can explore. In order to direct to the next stage, we need to investigate history and advanced technology at the same time. This investigation tells us the right point of marge future and past in our present life.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
I am interested in the Pure Talents Contest because the finalists get the possibility to exhibit at the imm cologne. Through the contest, I would like to find the clients or partnerships which have the same philosophy as I do, so together we can explore the “authentic beauty” which I mentioned before.

Which “instructions for use” would you include with your product?
Jojo is a lamp that winds up like a yo-yo and radiates a bright, warm light. Within a short period of time, the light gradually dims before going out.

In what context do you see your product?
In the home, primarily in the bedroom.

When developing this product, what was your main starting point? The material, the shape or the function?
It was inspired by the function and form of a yo-yo (“Jo-Jo” in German).

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
I’m interested in the relationship between light and our sense of time. At the same time, I wanted to create a playful interaction with the object. When I read to my son, the idea that story time should be over already often seems arbitrary to him. Then I had the idea for a lamp that, by changing the intensity of the light it gave out, could make it clear that a period of time was slowly coming to an end.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
I think that more designers are addressing environment-related themes.

What makes the Pure Talents Contest so interesting to you?
I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to meet trade visitors and the international press. I’m also curious about the other entrants, the jury and the presentation of the exhibition.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?

They are seats — a bench and a stool for appreciating material by sitting on them.

What do you think is your product’s field?
Furniture.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
The material.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
I was shocked when I realized that a table initially thought to be made from solid wood was rather made from fake wood. This is because I have 6 years of experience in making wooden furniture and I had been using the table for already one year. The outside is covered with a printed wood sheet, and inside is particleboard. The technique to disguise fake as real is developing, and we are satisfied with this economically and ecologically. I then questioned why I need to use real wood when fake wood can function so well as an alternative. I began to explore what can come from real wood that cannot be fulfilled with a fake alternative. My answer is to show the tactility that comes from the material of real wood.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
I don’t know the current trends in design but I hope to see a movement focusing on materiality and tactility that has to be experienced in real life, beyond digital media like Instagram.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
I am curious to exhibit among other great designers.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
The venting machine Aspirator is a psychological vacuum cleaner which helps people to vent negative emotions. When people are unhappy, shouting or saying something to the venting machine will inflate the airbag. At the the end, people can get a seat which is made from their own negative emotions and relax on it to think about the solutions of their problems.

What do you think is your product’s field?
Aspirator can be used in public places, such as parks and work places.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
The function.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
When I was in college, I planned a trip with one of my friends. We were looking forward to having a nice trip, but unfortunately at the night before departure my friend couldn’t come for some reasons. In the next few days my lonely trip was also affected negatively. At that moment, I felt very bad, I wanted to shout out the negative emotions. I got inspired by that strong “shouting” feeling and designed the Aspirator to help ease the negative emotions.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
More interesting and intelligent.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
Not only does the contest give me the opportunity to show my work, but also to meet very interesting designers and to get new ideas.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Sit down and relax.

What do you think is your product’s field?
The chair is suitable for residential spaces as well as hospitality industry.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
First was a simple sketch of a silhouette but after that the details, materials and functionality were developed simultaneously.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
Flow Chair is an answer to poor quality, frustrating, flat-packed furniture. The idea was to make a chair that can be assembled and disassembled quickly but at the same time is durable, timeless and made from highest quality materials.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
High quality materials, craftsmanship, sustainability, consciousness.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
It’s an amazing opportunity to show my design to a large audience and meet like-minded people.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Simply take home, click together in seconds and enjoy.

What do you think is your product’s field/application/context?
Portable Furniture Design for high density living.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
Function.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
It all started in my third year of study. I was working at a designer furniture store and renting in a damp and cold flat with low quality furniture that was falling apart. I was frustrated with not being able to afford high quality designer furniture. I set out to design a quality product that is accessible to young professionals and students.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
Sustainability is and of course should be the first and foremost concern in any design work. There is a huge movement towards exploring new materials and processes to make use of waste materials or reduce the resources used in manufacturing. There is also more concern with a products life after use and designers are starting to consider how to deal with this aspect through the design process.
Design for small spaces is another area being tackled by designers. As our population continues to increase so do high density living situations and there has become much more demand for design that optimises these spaces.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
It is a fantastic opportunity to exhibit products and ideas to a huge and diverse audience. It’s also a great chance to network, not only with industry professionals but with fellow young designers.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Binomio is a hybrid furniture piece: it can be used as a desk or as a dressing room, but it can also be a table for dining alone, a bench to take off your shoes as you enter the house, a hanger, a bedside table, a bookshelf, an altar or a prie-dieu, as well as a support for any type of object.

What do you think is your product’s field/application/context?
I think that we are living in an era where we’re all nomad people. This is the era of Airbnb where a house can become a hotel, a coffee shop can become an office and so on. Binomio is conceived to be used in this kind of hybrid living spaces. You can put this object in an Airbnb room, in a hotel room, in a small flat or also in a lobby or in a coffee shop.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
I always start my projects with an anthropological and sociological research where the contemporary man is the main character. Thanks to this research I always try to find new functions and new ways to design a new object.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
I developed Binomio during my one-month residency in Paris, where I focused my attention on a particular type of Parisian housing which is still in use: the Chambre de Bonne. The Chambres de Bonne are small apartments located in the attics of the bourgeois buildings built at the beginning of the 19th century. The literal translation of the term is “maid’s room”: these small lodgings – no larger than 10 square meters – were in fact intended for servants. Today they are occupied mostly by young people like students or temporary workers. The residency period in Paris was fundamental for my study of these small apartments and of the people who inhabit them, having everything that is necessary for survival within a few square meters: a small kitchenette, a sofa bed, a table or desk, a shower and some appliances. The few pieces of furniture are often used to perform more than one function and to intelligently inhabit the available space. Binomio is the piece of furniture that can translate into an object the spatial features of the Chambre de Bonne.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
I don’t like to speak about trends, I think that design shouldn’t have trends, that are more related to the fashion industry. Unfortunately we are living in a hyper-decorative design period. Otherwise there are some interesting design studios that are seriously working on all the themes related to sustainability. In general when we design something new, as designers, we have to think more about the life cycle of an object, the materials we have to use and if we seriously need that new object we’re designing.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
I think that imm cologne is one of the most important events in the design world, and as a young designer I think that the Pure Talents Contest could be a good platform where I can compare myself with other international designers of my generation, and of course I would like to get in contact with some leading companies to start a dialogue with them and hopefully start new collaborations.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Vase, but also as a sculptural object in space.

What do you think is your product’s field?
Living space

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
Material

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
Two years ago I worked six months on the context of veneer. I developed a technique that enabled me to convert a small amount of veneer into hollow, conical objects with minimal waste production. I now apply this technique to all kinds of board materials in order to discover new boundaries. The technique revolves around material awareness, frugality and waste.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
Ecology and sustainability are important terms. I am convinced that a contemporary designer cannot and should not design without these terms in mind. As a designer, you have a responsibility not to just bring new products into the world. Formality is of the past, sustainability is now.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
I am convinced that as a designer, and certainly as a recent graduate, you have to seize all the opportunities that present themselves. The Pure Talents Contest is a very interesting one, because it is free. This means that everyone get the same chances and more designers are submitting their products. The level of submission increases as a result.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Designed to arrive in two parts, Fold respects lower volume during transportation, considers exchangeability of the different parts and encourages/highlights the first interaction between user and product. By unfolding and placing the fan to the stand the tactile interaction with the warm and cold materials might establish an emotional bond between the user and the lamp.

What do you think is your product’s application?
Traditional, light plays a major role in Scandinavian culture, especially during shorter days in winter. You will hardly find a windowsill without a light which brings warmth and pleasure for both, inside and outside. Against this background, Fold is made for domestic use, and is therefore designed to create a pleasant ambient light.
The table lamp is a part of a bigger family which also consists of a wall lamp and two big volume pendants. Whereas the table lamp is mostly thought for the domestic and hospitality, the pendant is designed for bigger spaces and therefore also fits into the contract market.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
We wanted to design a lamp which could give a soft ambient light and to create an aesthetically pleasing object. The focus was therefore just as much focused on the function of the light as to combine feminine and masculine qualities throughout the choice of material, its manufacturing technique and visual appearance/shape.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
Fold is inspired by the simple shape of a paper fan. We wanted to combine the familiar paper accessory with a light source, deliberately leaving the parts dividable. By unfolding and placing the paper shade into the aluminium stand we wanted to create a pleasant yet playful interaction between the user and the object. By contrasting paper and metal, craftsmen ship and industrial design, we wanted to find an aesthetic balance between feminine and masculine connoted materials. New light source solutions hereby give us the chance to work unrestrictedly with various shapes. In addition, we like the thought that the choice of different coloured paper and powder coatings or anodization for the aluminium base gives the chance to find its own individual version.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
It might not be a trend, but we hope that the current environmental situation encourages designers more and more to think in circular chains and the value of high product quality. We like the thought of long lasting design, and design which focus on certain aspects of sustainability and emotional connections in contrast to a fast-consuming world.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
The Pure Talent Contest has a broad audience and wide reach within Europe and abroad. It is one of the fewer contests which supports young, aspiring designers to introduce their work to the industry and the design world within a fair.
We are very thankful and looking forward to be part of PTC 2020, as for us, it gives us the unique chance to exhibit and introduce our work at a fair of that size, which we would not be able to afford on ourselves at the current stage of our education.

Which “instructions for use” would you include with your product?
Of course the online assembly instructions
In other words, you have to build Tenok yourself. Established companies have little interest in offering a model that can be repaired indefinitely and doesn’t need manufacturer-specific spare parts and consumables.

In what context do you see your product?
If you need a vacuum cleaner, you simply buy one and that’s it. In any case, at least for a few years until you get the urge to replace it. If you get tired of passive consumption, you can build a Tenok instead. It will only develop more character over time with a few scrapes and, to top it off, can be easily repaired and modified. At the same time, you also gain basic knowledge in woodworking, 3D printing, sewing, etc., while building it. Since detailed instructions are provided, you don’t even need experience in these areas – but it would be best to have access to an open workshop or makerspace.

When developing this product, what was your main starting point? The material, the shape or the function?
The material because the vacuum cleaner is equipped with used parts. With adjustable adapters, you use motors and parts from various manufacturers for your own Tenok. However, it’s also no coincidence that Tenok is a wooden box. It can be easily put together by a lay person and, unlike conventional plastic spaceship-like vacuum cleaners, ages gracefully.

What is the story behind your product?
At the start of this project, I just wanted to work with things that were obsolete and searched through an electronic waste collection site for usable parts. There were a remarkably larger number of vacuum cleaners there and I decided to remove the motors from seven models to test whether they still worked. All of them worked perfectly. I then did some research and found a recent British study, which showed that over half of all the vacuum cleaners thrown out still work. I see the components in the discarded devices as a potential resource and Tenok renders them usable through its adaptive design.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
I find the democratizing effects of 3D printing, Arduino and similar tools very exciting. Such technological developments put the concept of the producer who makes things for passive consumers to the test, just like the internet has done with traditional mass media and its audience.

What makes the Pure Talents Contest so interesting to you?
I think it’s great that this competition has been a forum for exciting, unconventional design solutions for many years. Many of the projects seen here surprise us with creative approaches and solutions that allow us to see and question everyday things in a completely new way. That is good.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
The initial idea for Skilja was to create privacy, divide space and create a room inside a room. Since it is flexible and modular it can be used any way you like it.

What do you think is your product’s application?
The main focus throughout the project has always been the home and its needs, and therefore Skilja is primarily designed to fit this area.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
The main starting point was the function and how it could be designed to be modular in an easy and understandable way.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
Skilja was a university project in collaboration with IKEA. As IKEA is a company with a strong focus on the home I decided to look at the changes of the home from the past to the future. My desire was to create something flexible to fit the needs of the home as they are ever changing.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
As people are more aware of how consumerism is affecting the environment I think quality, sustainability and simplicity in products are desired. Green products are not a trend but a shift in peoples mind set.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
The Pure Talents Contest is a great opportunity to display my work to a broader audience.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
The product Uion can be used for sitting, decorating, or however else you like.

What do you think is your product’s context?
The cane furniture of contemporary Oriental style that can be used in a habitable room.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
The material.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
The idea comes from my curiosity and thinking about rattan material. Rattan is a natural environmental material. Its appearance has a modern linear structure characteristic. The deformation is achieved by hot bending. Different colors, different shapes can present different temperaments and states. The product Uion tries to present the unique Oriental temperament with the modern simple linear form. It extracts the characteristic appearance of the traditional armchair, and removes all the unnecessary structural components of the chair, minimizing the use of materials, to present a simple and quiet natural beauty.
What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
The design is diverse, and I think innovative lifestyles and how to use biodegradable recycled materials are timeless themes.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
The opportunity to receive constructive criticism on an international level and in front of a large audience is the most valuable to me. Thanks very much for the platform of the Pure Talents Contest.

PIPE-LINE - Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Use of the pull-out mechanism is intuitive. The table doesn’t hide any of its functions and makes very effective use of visual signs. This version can be easily extended from a 6-seater to an 8-seater – and it can be realised in entirely different dimensions, too.

What do you think is your product’s application?
Of course, an extendable table traditionally functions as a dining table, at which sometimes more and sometimes fewer people are seated.

When developing this product, what was your main starting point? The material, the shape or the function?
This design was 100% focused on function. The pull-out mechanism is not hidden behind the frame; instead it becomes the visual and functional focal point of the product in the form of a large tube.

What is the story behind your product?
Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
The initial question centred on what practical solutions there were to modify the geometry of a table’s framework in such a way that it would function as a pull-out mechanism. Now the framework has completely disappeared and the mechanism has become a design element instead.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
Sustainability has been a theme for some time now, and that won’t change for a long time to come. Can it really still be called a trend? In any event, it has marked the beginning of an important process of engaging in new ways of thinking, revealing all kinds of things, from greenwashing to real solutions.

What makes the Pure Talents Contest so interesting to you?
I’ve always tried to take part in every competition for up-and-coming designers, whenever I had suitable projects. And it’s paid off a few times. Now it’s finally worked at the Pure Talents Contest, too! For me, the award is particularly valuable, because it means I can present my designs at imm cologne. Of course, as someone who has chosen to live in Cologne, it’s now also a home game for me.

SoftShelf is a minimalist shelving system. Upholstered walls with functional stitching details form the frame for shelves, drawers and many other elements.
These features make the shelving system a universal product for furnishing the most diverse spaces. It creates an inviting atmosphere while naturally also assuming the function of acoustic elements

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Have a seat, explore and enjoy.

What do you think is your product’s context?
I believe all pieces within your interiors should be meaningful and bring joy. Often a stool is seen as an additional seating, rather than to be celebrated. Don’t hide your stools.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
The starting point was actually the manufacturing process, in this case 2D CNC machining, which I find very interesting. The design and the aesthetics started to develop in the workshop, where I feel the most inspired after multiple tests with various router cutters.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
The Udon Stool started off as a curious exploration of the endless possibilities of a simple 2D CNC machine combined with traditional, commonly used material and off the shelf router bit. I believe the aesthetical language of the Udon Stool has a lot of potential, which is why it is still an ongoing project of mine. I am a curious designer who works with a multitude of materials and techniques immersing myself into the making process where every project aims to be experimental.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
International exhibition with good exposure and possible future collaborations.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
The modular structure makes it easy to assemble and create extensions. Please enjoy the “Curtain” by looking at it in different directions.

What do you think is your product’s context?
“Curtain” is a decorative space divider for indoor space. It’s something in between sculpture and furniture design.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
The starting points of my product are to be seen more in form and shape. However, I think aesthetics created, based on form and shape, are also part of the function.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
It was inspired by the sea. Sea waves have no straight line and have no ends. There are always changes but the changes are calm and gentle. I tried to analyse and visualise the form and create the structure from this inspiration.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
I am not sure if there are any right answers. Trends is not a good word for designers or artists as it may avoid new creations and ideas.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
It would be a great opportunity for me as a designer showing my work on an international platform and to make new connections.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Use it for a lifetime. Triplex is designed to be a jewel that accompanies your journey of life. Designed as a combination of modules, it can be assembled easily for use, modified for different purposes or stacked for storage. Furniture has always been a massive item that is not carried along when moving to a new apartment or city. Bring Triplex along with you from one city to another.

What do you think is your product’s context?
Triplex plays with the idea of duality. It is constructed with two materials, flax fiber and biodegradable resin, to form a composite with hyper physical characteristics. We anticipate the users to display it as an artwork as well as use it from time to time. It is intended to be owned and used for a long time, following ones' changing habitat and lifestyle.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
Material was our main starting point as we were intrigued by the notion of composite material. The two constituent materials are both biodegradable. Similar to the physical properties of carbon fiber, we took advantage of the flax fiber's high tensile strength to create a geometry that utilizes curvature to attain structural performance. Due to its lightness, it is most suitable for shipping and storage if stackable geometry is considered. In this project, we work closely with fiber expert Fiber Method from Stuttgart for the prototyping and optimization.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
We hope to make a high-performance furniture series in a sustainable way by challenging the form, function and material in a holistic way. We anticipate the users to develop an emotional connection through time with wearing from the user that becomes pleasing and enjoyable to look at, while staying functional and adaptable to use across different scenes. We will expand into a other furniture items with this philosophy.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
Designers are very aware of sustainability nowadays. Lately more people are aware of the afterlife of a product. It is our responsibilities as a designer to consider the whole life cycle of a product or any kind of design. Long lasting designs that are made with durable and high-quality materials are also another approach to be sustainable, reducing the waste caused by fast food type of furniture.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
We would like to advocate innovation, precision and sustainable design and the renowned Pure Talents Contest is the perfect stage for showcasing and finding future collaborators.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
The first product that emerged from the braided weave research is a handmade carpet that can transform into a basket. I focused on designing a product that is changeable in function and scale assume in a space.

What do you think is your product’s context?

My projects start by questioning how, but also wy things are developed. I look at the balance between the physical experiment into certain crafts and production techniques, durability of materials and detail in relation to scale. I belief it is important to first take a step back to understand how the basis has been formed, by reflecting this research I move further towards a new application. During this process I work closely together with the makers, surroundings and industry. They take me into their specialization and I analyze, practice, collect, structure and document this process in a visual manner towards a design. The products I design often have a connection with an interior purpose; I find it fascinating to work in a spatial scale to ensure the needs of a product function.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
I mainly focused on the technical part of textile. I started an investigation research on the similarities and contradictions between weaving textile and basketry braiding and tried to combine these two techniques into one new technic: breaded weave.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
During my research I saw that the construction of the weaving textile and basketry braiding techniques are quite different and each technique has its own characteristics in complexity and identity. This inspired me to experiment with the function, shape, traction and dimension of a woven fabric. I think it is time for new developments for the textile industry.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
The most important question is no longer whether something is beautiful or not, I think the story of origin, functionality and quality are the most important elements. Be more conscious and critical on the need of products, the use of products and the way how we develop in a sustainable way.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
I think this is a great opportunity to show my project to a large professional audience. I would like to open a dialogue with the industry to discover more opportunities and directions. I also think it is a good opportunity to present my work to a jury. It is a deadline to work towards and a possibility to reflect on my research process so far. It makes me think about how I want to continue with this project in the future.

Which ‘directions for use’ would you supply with your product?
Efterlyst is a stationery area light for the home, with the function of being used as a mobile light source.

What do you think is your product’s application?
Efterlyst was designed as a mobile light source, aiming to improve the quality of life for people during power outage.

When developing this product, was your main starting point the material, the shape or the function?
The starting point of the product was the function.

What is the story behind your product? Was there a reason, a task, an inspiration, a desire?
The projects origin came from a short brief provided by IKEA: “Improve life by using inspiration from off the grid solutions”. We chose to focus on improving life for people living temporarily off the grid. From research we then found out that the absence of light had the greatest impact on most users during a power outage.
Further, to make the product more approachable, we put a lot of emphasis on preventing the lamp from being categorized as a survivor and/or prepper product, as preparing for something bad has a tendency to go against the human nature.
Finally, the shape is inspired by older candlelights in brass.

What do you think are the current trends in design and interior design?
We think that one upcoming trend amongst customers is the awareness about sustainable consumption. Sustainability is not a new trend per se, but we believe that the behavior changes in customers consumptions are starting to influence the field of design.

Why were you interested in the Pure Talents Contest?
We think that the Pure Talents Contest gives us a great opportunity to introduce Efterlyst to a broader audience and to network with other designers.