IMM Cologne - D3 Design Talents

D3 Design Talents returned to IMM Cologne to give young designers, mostly recent graduates, a chance to be seen alongside (and potentially be seen by) the established brands. This years talent came from across Europe and even Canada. The UK was represented by both Magnus Pettersen and International, a design studio formed by Northumbria University graduates Marc Bell and Robin Grasby. International presented Apollo, a modular lighting system designed to be modified by the user. The 4 profiles (available in solid and perforated anodised aluminium) can be arranged around a standard screw cap lamp holder. Apollo was awarded 3rd place in the Interior Innovation/D3 contest. 

Staying with all things light, Canadian Lukas Peet showed Spotlight in 3 different sizes. Suspended by their electrical cord which wrapped around and squeezed the lights, forming a waist, Spotlight illuminates both the floor and the ceiling. 

  
Miya Kondo presented Composition Light, a series of leaning light objects, which create and frame a space. Placing them at different angles casts different forms of light and shade.

Second Prize in the Interior Innovation Award went to Listen to Your Hands by Lee Sanghyeok, a puzzle for grown-ups. A desk in walnut, the top is stacked with cubes of different volumes. Each one is a drawer and as you close one drawer, another opens. Which one it will be is anyone's guess! Using the lightest of touch will close all of the drawers, as if to say sometimes delicacy is needed and sometimes if you want to achieve something a little effort is required.


Listen to your hands from Sanghyeok Lee on Vimeo.


Studio Formafantasma, based in The Netherlands are arguably the rising stars of the design world. Indeed, they have been anointed by Paola Antonelli and Alice Rawsthorn as one of the 20 designers who "will influence design in the next decade". They presented Domestica, a low chair cum survival pack. Inspired by Gerla baskets, traditionally used by farmers to carry harvested crops, Domestica could potentially be a portable home but its new function is left undefined for the user to decide.

Martin Solem showed Daddy Longlegs, winner as the Blueprint Best New Product award at 100% Design London in September. Simple, elegant, entirely functional and a pop of colour, it won't be long before you see these in a restaurant or bar near you.  

Also notable was Lamp by Sebastian Goldschmidtbӧing, a bowl and rod in copper. The light sources is enclosed by a transparent diffuser while the rod invites attention. It almost begs to be touched. 

In fact, too many of the entries were worthy of a mention to describe them all here, so we have compiled them into an album over on our Facebook page.