“20th Pure Talents Contest” Design Competition for Young Designers

As one of the world’s most prestigious competitions, it offers design talent a unique springboard into the interior design industry, giving them the opportunity to establish valuable contacts and business relationships. The Pure Talents Contest has an impressive track record and will celebrate its 20th edition at imm cologne 2024 with an exciting new concept.

From now on, the competition will recognise students and young professionals who engage with the challenges of the future. In addition to designs for products, interior design concepts can now be entered for the first time. The aim of the Pure Talents Contest is to find promising designers who will have a lasting impact on global issues and the interior design industry.

The Themes for 2024

• Lifestyle and home living in cities with limited space
  • It’s highly likely that 70 per cent of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. Because less and less residential property is available in metropolitan areas, more and more people are living in small spaces. Can minimalist living also offer certain freedoms?
• Lifestyle and home living in a circular society (with circular ready materials and products)
  • The way resources are used in today’s social and economic model largely follows linear paths. The linear product life cycle can be described in three words: make, use, waste. This approach leads to high levels of resource consumption and environmental pollution. To be more sustainable, the society must shift towards a model based on a circular economy, resource efficiency and lower levels of consumption.
• Lifestyle and home living as a statement/message/concept
  • The lifestyles and homes can be very individual and express certain values and beliefs. Products, spaces and concepts can be a statement on socio-political issues and trends or communicate a message.

Objects

• Each participant may submit up to three products addressing the mentioned themes. A full-sized model of the submitted product or products must already be available for presentation in the exhibition, or it must be possible for the entrant to produce a full-sized model in time for the exhibition at his/her own expense. The designs should be recent. Product entries are restricted to prototypes that are not yet in series production. At most, they may be in the preparation stage for series production. The products may have already been shown at other exhibitions or may have already featured in publications. Products may be entered from any of the following segments:
  • Furniture
  • Home Accessories
  • Lighting
  • Floor Coverings
  • Wallpapers and Textiles
  • Smart Home
  • Kitchens
  • Kitchen Accessories
  • Outdoor

Spaces

• Each participant may submit up to three interior design concepts addressing the mentioned themes. The interior design concepts or spaces should bring the chosen theme to life and depict visions of future living.
• Koelnmesse will provide each of the shortlisted interior design concepts with a stand area of 20 m2 with wall elements and lighting, plus a budget of Euro 5,000 with which to style and furnish their space. The nominees may also seek sponsors to support the realisation of their designs.

Prizes

• Following confirmation, all twelve shortlisted projects will receive a “Nominee” label. Prize money will be awarded as follows:
  • Winner of the Lifestyle and home living as a statement/message/concept category: Euro 1,000
  • Winner of the Lifestyle and home living in a circular society category: Euro 1,000
  • Winner of the Lifestyle and home living in cities with limited space category: Euro 1,000
• The awards ceremony will take place on the first day of the trade fair.

Participation

• The competition is open to students and professionals (18 years or older) from all over the world who are active in product design, interior design, industrial design, scenography, architecture, interior architecture or a related discipline.
• Entrants must still be in education/training or have been working in their field for up to five years. Entries from groups of up to three members are also welcome as long as each member meets the requirements.
• Group applications must be identified as such during the online registration process. The subsequent addition of participants to the group is not permitted.
• Participants can apply to enter both the Objects category and the Spaces category.

For more information, visit imm cologne.