This second edition sees a new approach to the educational part of the design event.

Rather than a public conference and one-day workshops in the weekend of the event, the programme this year will have a longer preparation/ incubation time. The programme consists of an integrated one month programme aimed at students in higher design education in the area (Design Academy Eindhoven, Academy for Fine Arts Maastricht and Media & Design Academy Genk).

The programme is shaped around 5 assignments for a public interior, for about 30 students, working together in small groups.  The assignments stem from the contemporary issues in the field of interior design for public spaces within the categories of the award (Show & Sell, Serve & Facilitate, Concentrate & Collaborate, Relax and Consume). But also from the actual need of a client.  Students are assigned a real client for whom they are designing the interior. The client might have a shop, manage an office, run a bar, own a hotel, manage an old people’s home, run a gallery or have a restaurant. The client will formulate their question.

For example: in the current economic situation the office has become more important. No longer do people want to work at home, but rather at the ‘flex desks’ in the office. In that way they can be physically present and show that they are ‘needed’ to colleagues and superiors. So rather than the working at home, people are back in the office at their flexible desks. But how should the interior of an office designed when it does not have any functionality only representation?

Starting with these five different assignments, students will work in groups during a month (one day a week). Individually, with their own teachers and together specially invited professionals they will confront the current issues in interior design and architecture. This will result in five interior designs that will be realized in a space provided by the client. Together these 5 interiors will form a public design route in Maastricht during The Great Indoors event.

The assignment will be kick-started by an inspirational public lecture, and also come to a close with a public lecture by a key note speaker during the Great Indoors event. The designers nominated for the award, the international jury and guests will visit the interiors and critique the designs.

These visitors will award ‘The Great Expectations Award 2009’ to the interior that succeeded in its approach to the assignment.