You only have to hold a Nokia Lumia 820 in your hand to see it’s a fine example of industrial design. Hardly surprising when you consider Nokia’s heritage and the fact the company has been crafting mobile technology for nearly two decades. But time stands still for no company, and we’re always looking for ways to make the sublime even better. To do this with the Lumia 820 we’ve launched the Nokia Lumia 820 Design Challenge. Our aim? Simple, to challenge design’s brightest young stars to dazzle us.

A swell shell

One Lumia 820 feature that’s gained big thumbs up across the blogosphere is its multifaceted, multi-coloured shell. Whether it’s the wireless charging feature or the rainbow range of colours, owners are loving it. Happily it also offers a great canvas for designers in Finland, the US and the UK to make their mark.

Head to head

Between now and the 3^rd of February, we’ve asked students in three of the world’s most prestigious institutions to show us what they’ve got. Creative whizz kids in the Institute of Design and Fine Arts, Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Finland, Parsons, The New School for Design, New York, U.S.A. and Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, London, UK will go head to head. The winner will be the designer who creates the most amazing new shell. And that’s where you come in.

Once the competition closes on the 3^rd of February a jury of expert judges will shortlist fifteen designs. And then, we’ll be asking you, via our Nokia Facebook page, to vote for your favourite.

A vote of confidence

Your votes will count towards making design history. As for the designers themselves, well, the designer with the most votes will get the chance to kick start their career as a paid design intern with Nokia in London. What’s more, they’ll also win a Nokia Lumia 820 with their cover design, and a trip to Social Media Week in NYC. And if that wasn’t enough already, their design will be showcased and made available in limited quantities of fifty pieces each.

It’s a great prize, but a tough challenge. To help inspire the guys and girls, why not tell us what you’d like to see on the back of a Lumia 820. Wild, wacky or just plain wonderful, it doesn’t matter. And who knows, when we showcase the shortlist for you to vote on in a couple of week’s time, your ideas might just be there.