Tok & Stok student design award

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Multifunctional Modules by Isac Ryutaro Otsuka (2nd place in 2011)
Retailers are finding ways to work with and support a new generation of design talent to inject fresh ideas and energy into product ranges. One example is Tok & Stok, one of Brazil's biggest interiors retailers, which created a design contest for students in 2006 aiming to trigger young professionals to combine their creative skills with commercial concerns. Every year, a different theme has to be interpreted by the students that take part in the contest, taking into consideration the brand's style and necessities.

Orient Table by Paula Larissa de Souza Cruz (3rd place in 2011)
Now in its seventh edition, the contest is bigger than ever, with more than 500 participants from almost 100 universities. Finalists of the 2012 edition have already been announced on the company's website. This year's theme is "Brazil" and contestants presented solutions in furniture, lighting and accessories that brought together the country's multiculturalism, contrasts and miscegenation. Winners will be announced in November.

Subscribers can read our report Big Brands, Young Designers to see other companies who are keen to work alongside young talents.