Interview Yael Mer on the Pure Talents Contest 2024

First of all, the sheer volume of entries is incredible! As a jury member, I've never experienced anything like that. It shows how much interest young designers have in the competition, community and exhibition opportunities. I think that's a good sign. For the organisers too, of course.

I was almost a little surprised that, compared to the time we took part in 2008, not that much has actually changed. There were certainly formal developments, and the designs were perhaps a little less experimental - but nothing fundamental. In the Circular category, however, the experimental works clearly predominated again. The main focus here was on experimenting with the material itself. Although the results are similar on the surface - the designs mostly look very earthy and grainy - I really appreciate the intensive search for new, sustainable materials for product design.

There were definitely differences in the development of the designs. In some categories, such as Spaces, it is of course difficult to build models. Even though good renderings are important to get a first impression of a product, the works that went one step further and built models were generally more convincing. In furniture and product design in particular, the built designs show a significantly higher level and automatically attract more attention - and this was not true for the majority, but for a good proportion of the entries.

Even with designs for larger rooms, it can be worth picking out one aspect and presenting it in the model. This increases the attractiveness for visitors and the chance of a nomination or an order.

I remember many experimental works that characterised the competition at that time. But the comparison is difficult. In their experimental work today, young designers focus less on the design process, the product itself and its performance than on the possibilities of sustainable production and use. They are trying out sustainable materials and circular concepts.

I was interested in whether small paper models could be transferred and used on a larger, human scale. To do this, we scaled up the small paper models into a large 1:1 model and filled these paper volumes with polyurethane foam. And the result of the encounter between paper and foam was so beautiful! We later replaced the paper with a wooden veneer material. The project ultimately led us to work with Cappellini.

Sustainability is the challenge for young designers. The topic has always been important for us too, but it has become much more urgent for the next generation. There are many aspects to consider: How can the product age well? How can the elements and materials be separated and recycled? Is it environmentally friendly to produce? And much more. And from today's perspective, it's actually a shame that we didn't focus on the development of such product and material properties much earlier. Another challenge today is visibility. It was easier with a trade fair such as the imm cologne: it was "the place to be" and focussed the attention of the industry and the design world in one place. Today, with Instagram and other platforms, there are so many alternatives to consider. That makes the fact that the Pure Talents Contest has such a high level of participation so remarkable!