BLUM

What's on the participants' minds most right now, in the weeks just after moving to Bergamo? What did "arriving" feel like, and what do they miss the most? The team focused on the theme of long-distance relationships, and on how hard it can be to keep a relationship healthy and alive when you're hundreds or thousands of kilometres apart. In particular, they explored how difficult it can be, away from the phone, to send the small everyday gestures of affection that partners usually give each other.

"Blum" makes exactly that possible: a bouquet of light waiting for you at home. The principle is simple: whenever one partner thinks of the other, they speak a small thought, a greeting, a message, a compliment, and so on, into a pendant. This message is then translated into light and form.

When the second partner comes home and sees that they've received a "flower", they can go to the vase, where the flower appears as a sphere of light, joining a bouquet of compliment-flowers received over time. After a while, the light-flowers fade — just like real flowers. To say thank you, the partner can simply hold the vase for a moment, creating a moment of closeness and making both partners feel more connected.

Of course, "Blum" doesn't replace communication via smartphone, but it fills a gap that many couples in long-distance relationships feel. Small gestures and loving thoughts that transform the space at home into a special, glowing atmosphere bring the feeling of being loved back into one's own four walls.

Through this project, the team learned a great deal about brainstorming strategies, teamwork, communication, and collaborative working. They built three different prototypes, each with different functions, and shot a video explaining the concept.

Ultimately, Blum is a small reminder that even across great distances, it is the little gestures that can make someone feel close, remembered, and loved.