Pininfarina launches Global Design Contest: Materiality, the Umami of Mobility

Pininfarina has announced the launch of its 2024/2025 Global Design Contest, inviting final-year students from selected schools worldwide, specialising in mobility design, interaction design, and architecture, to participate. 

This year’s theme, “Materiality, the Umami of Mobility”, challenges contestants to envision future living and transportation, emphasising the impactful role of materials in creating groundbreaking design solutions. 

The contest encourages students to create a comprehensive mobility experience, from vehicles to spaces, where materials play a crucial role in addressing current mobility challenges such as environmental sustainability, accessibility, and technological comfort. Students are invited to go beyond these challenges, focusing on human needs and desires, and on creating an overall sense of enchantment. Just like a dish with “umami” flavor (considered the fifth flavor), the design should leave a delightful and lasting impression.

“This contest,” explains Felix Kilbertus, CCO of Pininfarina, “aims to sensitize young talents to the challenges associated with designing future mobility. It provides them with an exceptional opportunity to grow through the coaching we offer during the process, the publicity we give their work, and the chance for the winners to collaborate with us in the future. We believe in the power of new materials as a driving force for positive change and as a key ingredient in finding new design aesthetics.”

The contest is free to enter for final-year students over the age of 18 attending invited universities, schools, institutes, or academies in the fields of Mobility Design, Interaction Design, and Architecture. 

Participants are tasked with designing future mobility solutions for a specific target user group, looking ten years ahead. The context for these designs can vary, including intra-urban, rural, or inter-city/inter-country settings, and may encompass land, air, or water vehicles, as well as built environments.

The competition is structured in three relatively lightweight stages. The initial phase is open to all registered students of the above mentioned schools, from which 20 participants will be shortlisted. After a one-to-one coaching session with Pininfarina and time to refine their proposals, 10 participants will advance to the final phase. This phase includes another one-to-one coaching session and three months to develop their final presentation, culminating in the selection of winners.

Initial submissions start on August 30, 2024, and close on September 27, 2024. Rules and information are available at Pininfarina 2024 Design Contest - Pininfarina. To enter the contest, students must download and complete the entry form and submission template, then send both documents to [email protected]. Short-listed participants will receive further details about subsequent submissions, which will also be provided to the finalists.

Entries will be evaluated by a jury of Pininfarina designers, renowned industry figures, and media partners. The winners will be announced within May 2025 during an award ceremony celebrating Pininfarina’s 95th anniversary. Winners in each category will receive an internship or fixed-term assignment at one of Pininfarina's offices. Additionally, a special "Paolo Pininfarina" prize will be awarded in memory of the former Chairman, selected by long-time collaborators.