Create your vision of the future of generative things and contribute with a “prototype” in our exhibition.
We select ten proposals to be exhibited. Are you one of these?
Open Call – how to join
A special program part of this 10th edition is an exhibition we commission as ThingsCon team. In short, we invite in this open call all designers to visualize generative things as prototypes that can be exhibited during TH/NGS 2024, and possibly at other places in 2025. The design briefs will be based on envisioned futures and critiques by former ThingsCon speakers.
In bullets:
- We invited future thinkers who have spoken at our conference in the last 10 years to reflect on our theme, “Generative Things,” and ideally describe a situational context for future generative things.
- These reflections will be translated into design briefs
- During a dedicated ThingsCon Salon during Dutch Design Week on 23 October, we will present the theme and the briefings to all interested designers. You can join the session also online if you cannot join in Eindhoven.
- We propose that you enter a rough concept/story/sketch of your vision on generative things before 7 November (online) as a one-pager with a description, story or sketch. We invite our future thinkers, the ThingsCon team, to vote for their top ideas.
- 2 December, we ask you to send in your final idea and design.
- Ten designers are invited to detail their concept in a mock-up that can be exhibited on 13 December 2024. Selected designers will get a free full ticket to the conference.
- Ideas that are not selected will be part of an online exhibition.
ThingsCon will create the exhibition space. The selected designers will receive a small budget for materials.
Timeline for participation
| 📭 15 Oct Register to participate | Use the form, and we will send more information and an invitation for the briefing session and project website. |
| 🎤 23 Oct Join our briefing | An interactive session to explore the briefings. Join in person during Dutch Design Week or online if that is not possible. |
| 💡 7 Nov Check your idea | Optional; send your idea as one-pager and we will provide feedback. |
| 📦 2 Dec Deliver your design | Upload to the project website your sketch including rationale, and a plan for building the Generative Thing. |
| ✨ 5 Dec Selection of 10 Things | Our judges and ThingsCon team will select the 10 things that will be part of the exhibition. |
| 🗿 Build your “prototype” | Create your final mock-up that can be exhibited. We provide a small budget for materials per project. |
| 🎪 13 Dec Exhibition | The exhibition will show the mock-ups and rationale. You will receive a free ticket. |
Final notes:
- We partner with Master Digital Design at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and UMEA School of Design. Their students will enter the competition, and we expect to select about 5 projects from their concepts. The other five objects are part of this open call.
- If you want to participate, please ensure you have enough time to work on the design and mock-up.
- It is also possible to take part as a team.