by Ludovica Proietti
Chosen for their ability to reinterpret a 20th century defining object, the winning projects were capable of going beyond decoration and function, giving back a truly new vision of table lamps.
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The second edition of Ideas for Business by DesignWanted closed on July 22nd, concluding with the selection of three winning projects. This time, the challenge revolved around a familiar, functional object: the table lamp. A staple of our homes, this humble object was reimagined by participants with a bold ambition – to break free from tradition and embrace daring forms, unconventional aesthetics, and forward-thinking functions.
Lamps offer complete creative freedom. Unlike many other everyday objects, they are a relatively young invention of modern times – in fact, before the Industrial Revolution, there were fire, lanterns, and rudimentary light sources, but nothing resembling the electric magic of the lightbulb. Yet with such freedom comes, to paraphrase Spider Man, great responsibility: designers must balance function and beauty, crafting objects that are both useful and poetic. This competition asked participants to go beyond mere decoration or practical utility, to find new ways of thinking about light itself, and the role a lamp can play in our domestic and professional lives.
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The judging process, by our jury, was guided by a search for creativity, functionality, and vision. Rather than ticking boxes, the judges were looking for projects that could shift perspectives, where creativity meant more than just making a lamp look different; it was about a fresh and unexpected approach to interaction and identity. And here, functionality was not limited to technical performance but encompassed the seamless integration of usability and form. In the end, vision meant pushing the typology forward, adding tangible value while staying true to the essential nature of a lamp.
Among the many submissions, three designs stood out, each capturing these qualities in its own unique way. They showed that even a simple object like a table lamp can still surprise us when designers question assumptions and challenge conventions.
Ideas for Business – Call#2: winners
- Kepì by Elia Cais, Eleonora Cotti, Carlo Bergui, and Michele Cordonatto
- Yurameki by Jingwen Gu
- Focal by Mateusz Pawela
Kepì by Elia Cais, Eleonora Cotti, Carlo Bergui, and Michele Cordonatto
Kepì reimagines what a table lamp can be with a minimalist design and an interactive spirit. At first glance, its refined form suggests simplicity, but in use, it reveals a playful intelligence. A distinctive conical handle transforms into the lamp’s structural arm, allowing it to shift effortlessly from a portable ambient light to a stable desk lamp with just one fluid gesture. Inside, a Dual LED Light System automatically adjusts brightness and focus depending on the configuration, making the experience completely intuitive and button-free. Crafted from aluminum and polycarbonate, with telescopic sliding, integrated dimming, and rechargeable battery operation, Kepì balances elegance, durability, and emotional engagement.
Yurameki by Jingwen Gu
Yurameki is a pendant lamp that captures the fleeting moment of a droplet falling through the air, transforming it into an evocative lighting experience. Its handcrafted glass shade gently sways, casting dynamic, ever-changing reflections and bringing a kinetic quality to illumination. Supported by a minimal metal frame, Yurameki emphasizes lightness and suspension, allowing the glass element to become the poetic focal point. More than functional lighting, it introduces movement and atmosphere into interiors, offering a calming, meditative presence. Through refined materials, artisanal techniques, and sensory interaction, Yurameki transcends its typology, blurring the line between lighting design and kinetic art, becoming a reminder that light can be more than static brightness: it can be alive, moving, and emotionally resonant.
Focal by Mateusz Pawela
Intended for professionals like architects, designers, and engineers, this task lamp brings precision and reliability to the forefront. Mounted to a work surface via a clamp, its structure combines modular aluminum tubing for the arms with CNC-milled joints and a secure locking mechanism, ensuring stability in any position. The standout innovation is its anti-glare optical system. Unlike conventional task lamps that move the lens, Focal shifts the internal LED module along an axis, allowing seamless adjustment of the light cone’s diameter – from a narrow spotlight to a wide flood – without ever causing glare. The attention to detail extends to its recyclable aluminum construction, wiring protection, and a thermally efficient focusing ring that doubles as a functional heat sink. With its quiet aesthetics and supernormal presence, Focal is less a decorative object and more a finely tuned instrument for professionals who depend on perfect light for their work.
What these three projects share is an ability to distill complex thinking into simple, approachable forms. They redefine the table lamp not by adding unnecessary complication but by stripping away assumptions, finding new meaning in gesture, material, and interaction. Kepì’s transformation from portable to static, Focal’s glare-free precision, and Yurameki’s poetic movement each propose a different future for lighting, one where lamps are not just fixtures but responsive, expressive elements of our spaces.
This second call of Ideas for Business has revealed how much potential still lies in everyday objects we think we already understand, and shown that design can continue to surprise and challenge, even when the brief is centered on something as familiar as a table lamp. As this edition comes to a close, it leaves us with a sense of anticipation. If this competition can uncover such fresh perspectives on lighting by designers, what unexpected ideas might emerge from the next challenge? One thing is certain: the upcoming edition of Ideas for Business promises to once again push boundaries and invite us to see ordinary objects in extraordinary ways. Stay tuned for the next call!