Light and Bright: New Talent Annual 2022 Entries

This week’s New Talent Annual 2022 submissions explore light, shadows, textures, and feelings in a variety of forms.

Appropriately named, “Lumi” (above) encompasses a double entendre, capturing both the brand’s name and the subject matter of light and shadows. York University student Emily Wentland approached her assignment by creating a lightbulb package inspired by fireflies that could be turned into a lampshade after opening the product. The inside packaging is designed to keep the lightbulb secure to prevent it from breaking during handling. It’s made from two separate pieces of recycled cardboard that work together to position the bulb so it’s safe and correctly displayed in the front of the package. The larger, outside piece of cardboard has cutouts of fireflies and small, circular holes, which allow firefly shapes to be cast on the surrounding walls when it is used as a lampshade.

“The core concept of Lumi is built around fireflies, so it’s only fitting that the brand name also reflects that,” Wentland said. “Fireflies produce a chemical reaction inside their bodies which allow them to glow … called bioluminescence, and [that] is the meaning behind the brand.”

Benjamin Bay Min Chu, a student at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, created “Peta Chair” (above) for his assignment of a product that does something. “Growing up as a child, and especially during national service in my home country, I was constantly told to sit up straight whenever I slouch,” Min Chu said. “Learning from my personal experience, I chose to create something that would help people sit up straight without constant reminders.” Peta means “to poke” in Swedish, and that’s exactly what the chair does. Min Chu inserted a hand with a pointed finger centered in the back of the chair so that if the user leans back, they are poked, which reminds them to sit up straight.

If you’re a student working in design, submit your best work into our New Talent 2022 competition here.