Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs will interview figures including Benjamin Hubert, Philippe Malouin, Gam Fratesi and Tomás Alonso, all of whom have exhibited at [D3] Design Talents in the past.

Established designers including Tomoko Azumi, James Irvine and Erik Degenhardt will also feature. All interviews will be filmed and broadcasted on www.dezeen.com after the show.

Dezeentalks at [D3] Design Talents will take place at 12.30 each day from Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 January in the lounge area of the D3 Design Talents Hall. We hope to see you there!

Venue: D3 Lounge, Hall 3.1, Stand B 030/E 049 imm cologne

Tuesday 19 January

12.30 James Irvine
12.45 Tomás Alonso
13.00 Tomoko Azumi

Wednesday 20 January

12.30 Philippe Malouin
12.45 Erik Degenhardt
13.00 [D3] Design Talents winners

Thursday 21 January

12.30 Marco Dessi
12.45 Gabrielle Amman
13.00 Gam Fratesi (Stine Gam and Enrico Fratesi)

Friday 22 January

12.30 Benjamin Hubert
12.45 Kai Linke
13.00 Reinhard Dienes

Design lives from a constant stream of new ideas. And sometimes from the reinvention of old ones. What’s crucial is a constant change of perspectives that questions what has already been achieved, penetrates beyond established aesthetics and ventures to suggest new approaches. Experimental design thus fulfils an important function for the entire discipline – by ensuring continuous input.

The works of young designers are like a fountain of youth for the professional league. They take a self-confident approach to new technologies and are more than willing to improvise if it means turning their ideas into prototypes. And yet young designers are increasingly on their own: jobs for graduates are even rarer than commissions.

Both, they fear, will be in even shorter supply as a result of the financial crisis. That’s why many designers have come to terms with the idea of turning their product ideas into reality single-handedly, either as spectacular one-offs or in small editions. This has led to the development of an aesthetic language that is less indebted to industrial considerations and even less inclined to compromise. Humorous, unconventional, flamboyant, ambitious, visionary and sometimes just ingeniously simple – that is the face of young design today.

Creative fireworks in Cologne
That benefits platforms like D3 Design talents and its international newcomer competition, the D3 Contest. The exhibition at the international furniture and interior design fair imm cologne sparkles with creativity and has established itself as a talent forum and creative powerhouse that is highly regarded by the industry and design scene alike.

Six years ago, Koelnmesse and the German Design Council were looking for a format that would be just as compatible with the designers’ situation as it was with the public’s interests. They succeeded: the curated exhibition in Hall 3.1 is meanwhile one of the imm cologne’s most popular attractions. Experimental design rubs shoulders with the market-driven offerings of the furniture industry, rough prototypes are juxtaposed with the perfect sleekness of exclusive brands.

A spark of anarchy in a commercial, meticulously organised world. For American architect and art designer Johanna Grawunder, it is this contrast between the commercial and the experimental that makes the imm cologne so attractive. “In the last two years in which I’ve sat on the jury of the D3 Contest, the presentation has been extremely good, really amazing, and shown an incredible amount of talent,” says Johanna Grawunder. “On the one hand you’ve got a professional selection of commercial design, and on the other a strong area of purely experimental design. And the two complement each other wonderfully because there’s nothing standing between them. Both sides can learn a lot from each other. It’s an elegant, intense reduction of what happens in the design world, like the essence of a good sauce.”

Only the best get to show what they can do
Koelnmesse holds the competition every year in connection with the imm cologne. This year 521 young designers from 43 countries took part, submitting a total of 649 ideas. The best 29 works will be shown at the imm cologne 2010.

The curation ensures that the objects shown and the way they are presented meet the contest’s high quality standard. All students and graduates who qualified less than three years ago are eligible to enter their prototypes. The D3 Contest aims to give young designers a forum where they can present their ideas for the furniture, lighting, home textiles and accessories of the future to an international public.

What makes this talent show so special is not just its competitive character but the unusual generosity of its organisers. Only those who manage to convince the selection panel are allowed to exhibit their ideas. But once this hurdle has been cleared, Koelnmesse invites the winning designers to take part in the exhibition with no ifs and buts. “We support the participants by making sure the presentation of their prototypes doesn’t end up being a financial burden,” explains Rüdiger Sprave, who organises the exhibition for Koelnmesse along with Natalie Köhler from the German Design Council.

Those hoping to qualify for the competition can submit their entries free of charge – and Koelnmesse organises and finances transport, travel and accommodation for the lucky few who get to exhibit their designs. The concept has proven its worth – a verdict also shared by Munich designer Stefan Diez: “I really like the Design talents show at the imm cologne. It’s great that the Cologne fair has it curated and doesn’t just set up one design shop after the other as they’re increasingly fond of doing in Milan. It’s so confusing and usually a real disappointment as far as the presentation is concerned – so much so that I didn’t even go and look at it this year.”

An abundance of inspired – and at times provocative – designs will provide a great deal of inspiration and lots of fresh ideas for the interior design of tomorrow.

The success of this format can be seen by the many designers who have been discovered here by internationally renowned companies and whose designs have gone on to become part of exclusive collections. D³ Design talents is both a taste of things to come and a springboard for a career in design.

D³ Design talents is composed of three events:students and graduates from design schools take part in the D³ Contest international design competition. The three prizewinning designs along with around 30 others are shown in their own dedicated exhibition.

Under the banner of D³ Professionals young independent designers and design studios present their creations.

D³ Schools is the forum for universities with departments for product design, interior design and architecture, where they can demonstrate their unique creative potential by presenting outstanding projects.

Here, you are directly in the centre of a thriving market, here, business is made. There are many good reasons why you should be there, when Cologne is again home to all things design, trends and business.

1. At the first interior design trade fair of the year, you’ll find out which trends will dominate in the months ahead. The event is a rich source of information and inspiration.

2. Only at imm cologne is the entire spectrum of products and services from the international furniture and interior design sector brought together in a concentrated way.

3. The important suppliers from Germany, the rest of Europe and all over the world will be here: Around 1000 suppliers from about 50 countries are expected to attend in 2010.

4. At imm cologne you can experience market-ready interior design ideas in an unrivalled scope and diversity – from the basics for the general public to luxury and top-end design.

5. In the new segment Pure Village, the trendy lifestyle themes of bathroom fittings, lighting, textiles and accessories are presented in aspectacular setting.

6 . The future of home design is presented here. D³ Design Talents introduces talented new designers and their innovative – sometimes provocative– approaches to design. The trendbook Interior Trends 2010 predicts and visualizes the home design scenarios of the future.

7. An outstanding infrastructure and a broad range of products and services create the optimal setting for productive work and good business.

8. imm cologne is the central meeting place and communication centre for suppliers and decision-makers from all over the world’s important markets. This is where the opinion leaders and multipliers get to talk to one another.

9. And this is where you should be, too. We look forward to seeing you!

In the coming years imm cologne is set to be Europe’s most cutting-edge furnishings and interior design trade fair. By fulfilling all market-oriented criteria, it is offering optimum prerequisites for business and networking on the international scale. In the modern design area – halls 10, 11 and 3 – visitors will be presented with a show of ideas for global design developments in a compact form. Over 300 companies will have stands there, including such brands as COR, interlübke, Ligne Roset, Walter Knoll, Domaniecki, de Sede, Kettnaker, Fraubrunnen, girsberger, Team 7, Riva, and Gervasoni, all with strong emotional appeal. “We are firmly convinced that in the coming weeks additional registrations will come from renowned companies, particularly from Italy,” says Udo Traeger, Head of the Furniture, Interior Design and Textiles division at Koelnmesse.

Visitors will find a completely new accentuation of the design theme in Pure Village in hall 3.2. Here the trade fair is creating a stage where exclusive design objects and creative interior design concepts will be presented with equal impact. In hall 3.2 the highlights from the trade ranges, including lamps and textiles, will come together from 19 to 24 January 2010 in the direct vicinity of the furniture in the Pure segment (hall 11) and the ideas of the Forum d3 Design Talents (hall 3.1).

If hall 11 stands more for large-format presentation in the foreground, in hall 3.2 advanced ideas and product solutions from all range areas relevant to interior design will be brought together over a small area.

For the first time, the bath segment with its trend developments will also be represented at imm cologne. Pure Village will present the bath as a fixed component of the world of interior design under the slogan “Living Bath Room”. “With this concept we have the opportunity of winning back market areas again, and initial conversations are looking very promising,” says Dick Spierenburg, design advisor responsible for the new concept.

Facing the design area is the consumer area with its strong brands, which will be concentrated at the north end of the site. The Smart area in halls 7 and 8 are almost fully booked up, with almost 100 companies. Under the label Junges Wohnen [Young Living] in the Smart areas, familiar labels such as CS Schmal, Tvilum-Scanbirk ApS, Welle Möbel, Wiemann and Parisot will present their innovative interior design concepts.

Hall 9 has grown continuously in recent years with the “sleep” area. Important new exhibitors have been gained in the mattress manufacturers Houben, Bico and Swissflex. A central component of the hall is again the presentation of the Trade Association of the Mattress Industry [Fachverband Matratzen-Industrie e.V.], which will declare the “Year of Good Sleep” at imm cologne.

In halls 5, 6 and 10 imm cologne will show the entire range of upholstered furniture in comfort. For the first time, the whole of the Steinhoff Group will be presented here at the next event. Particularly in the consumer-oriented area of the trade fair, visitors will see new marketing concepts that will give the right impetus even at the POS.

The Business Centre in the north boulevard is new, and will provide business support to visitors through free WLAN access and a few other facilities. “My hope is that our visitors here in Cologne will be able to experience their business in a totally new way,” Gerald Böse comments on the conceptual developments of imm cologne.

The next imm cologne will take place from 19 – 24 January 2010.

The newcomers forum, which is made up of the three events [d³] contest, [d³] professionals and [d³] schools impressively demonstrates there is no lack of fresh and stimulating ideas in the area of furniture and interior design.

The [d³] design talents catalogue comprises all exhibitors in hall 3.1 – the designers exhibiting at [d³] design talents and the more than 50 international exhibitors presented by Designspotter.

You can download the d3 catalogue 2009 (PDF) free of charge.

In Hall 3.1, a whole floor is dedicated to young creative individuals under the name [d³] design talents. Visionaries and newcomers will introduce themselves and their designs in three areas: [d³] contest, [d³] professionals and [d³] schools.

[d³] contest
[d³] contest is imm cologne’s internationally renowned competition for young designers. Around the world, creative individuals compete for the top places in the run-up to the trade fair. Their current projects are assessed by the same high-quality jury that awards the interior innovation awards. “We examine designs for the [d³] contest very carefully and hold passionate and controversial discussions”, reports Chantel Hamaide, a member of the jury and editor in chief of the French design magazine “Intramuros”.

The VIPs from the furniture industry select around 30 objects from the several hundred creations that have been submitted. These then get their first big showing in hall 3.1 before a backdrop that is purposely restrained. “In the [d³] contest, you get a comprehensive overview of young design from all over the world”, emphasises Chantel Hamaide. “Its form is unique” – a fact which makes a visit to the exhibition in hall 3.1 a must for all designers of interiors. It is the only way that they can get a complete picture of the best current design ideas in the world.

Many unique ideas have already made it from Cologne’s contest for up-and-coming young designers to the world of established manufacturers, including Joris Laarman’s baroque heater, Jörg Höltje’s height-adjustable “Serpentine” light and Katrin Sonnleitner’s “PuzzlePerser”.

[d³] professionals
However, a visit to hall 3.1 is, of course, also worth the effort because of a further top-class design platform – [d³] professionals. Almost one hundred independent figures introduced themselves and their current designs there last year. The spectrum ranged from young designers of the future to strategically-experienced newcomers to the industry.

One of them is the established Frankfurt product designer Wolf Udo Wagner, who took the first big step into the home segment in Cologne with his brand “Ponton”. Instead of a normal trade fair stand, he designed an award-winning lounge with fireplaces, which delighted many visitors thanks to its irresistibly simple imitation of a campfire. “I was able to make a range of international contacts at imm cologne and had a complete network by the end of the trade fair”, reports Wagner.

Visitors can also establish and firm up a great many contacts. There is something new for them to discover amongst the professionals in every respect. For example, Rephorm is taking on the “aesthetical wasteland” of balconies and patios with clever pots, window boxes and seats. Other suppliers transfer design principles from outside the industry to create furniture for modern explorers, as Christian Dieckmann, bordbar and Stadtnomaden did last year.

And design networks bundle together attractive interior ideas – for example Designspotter, which reserved a presentation space of over 500 m² for 2009 with fresh interior materials from a wide variety of designers for bright “interior victims”. Has all this aroused your interest? Anyone who still wishes to participate has until 15 October 2008 to do so.

[d³] schools
What would become of an industry without its youngest and most passionate members? Nothing! In the [d³] schools area, imm cologne thus gives universities and education institutes from Germany and abroad the chance to present themselves and their young stars to an international expert audience.

A good twenty exhibitors from Germany and all over Europe have designed this open and experimental area over the last few years. Professors, teachers, students and pupils have shown that they too provide the furnishing world with momentum and should be taken seriously.

Supporting programme
But fresh momentum is also created by a supporting programme that knows how to inspire. Whether with cool music, clever lectures or strange “fancy ideas” (short audiovisual talks on original projects from design, architecture and art) – it isn’t just the young who get ideas to the power of three for the new furniture year through [d³] design talents!

Hall 3.1 is the platform for young and independent designers, whose inspiring and visionary concepts for tomorrow’s design will surely fascinate the audience in 2009 again.

Made up of the three sections [d3] contest, [d3] professionals und [d3] schools, the event convincingly demonstrates that surprises are still possible and that there is no lack of fresh and new ideas.

[d3] contest
All students and graduates from design colleges, who received their degree not longer than three years ago, can hand in their designs to participate in the international [d3] contest. The 30 best contributions will be shown in a special exhibition.

[d3] professionals
In the section [d3] professionals young, independent designers and design studios get the chance to present their concepts to a broad audience at an own stand.

[d3] schools
[d3] schools is a platform for universities offering degree programs in the field of product design, interior design and architecture. They here can introduce their programs as well as outstanding students’ projects.

Be part of it!

Where to find the [d3] design talents