We are Rebecca and Peter and we work in Innovation Excellence at Covestro. Our job involves talking to designers about different uses for Covestro’s materials so we can find out exactly what designers want and need from our materials.

So, let’s start with some definitions. Design… that’s all about colors and things like that, isn’t it? Yes, that’s right, but it’s also about much more than that. In order to design a product, you need to research the needs of the future users of that product. And you need to know all about the properties of the materials you’re using. Designers are often the ones who make key decisions about the choice of materials – so they are very important for Covestro.

Today we want to tell you about a very special design project we have just been involved in: the first Covestro Makeathon. In preparation for the K 2016 trade fair for plastics and rubber in Düsseldorf in October, we invited twenty-four students of architecture, product design, industrial design, fashion and graphic design to a workshop at the University of Applied Sciences in Münster. Together we spent five days (and nights) exploring our materials and discovering new aspects and uses for them. After a short briefing, the students were given completely free rein in their search for innovative uses of these familiar materials. At the end of the week we were able to present eight exciting and inspiring new ideas to a panel of Covestro management representatives.

The week with the students was a truly amazing experience: within just a few days we grew into a strong team where everyone put an incredible amount of energy into the various projects. It was really impressive to see what you can achieve when everyone pulls together as a team, sharing their knowledge and talents.

So, what was the outcome of it all? Unfortunately, we’re not allowed to tell you just yet – you’ll have to wait until October to find out. We very much hope to see you at our stand at the K 2016 in Düsseldorf, where all will be revealed!

In the meantime, here are a few impressions from our week in Münster.