way outLondon between creative

boom and Brexit fury

1 | 2017

The magazine for form and function, meaning and value:

designreport.

3 HeadEditorial

Klaus Meyer,Editor

A fter 1989, it seemed as if history was over. The de-velopment of the future world, it was said, would no longer take the form of a wrestling match

between blind forces and antagonistic powers. Instead, the future now belonged to markets and management, it could be modelled, predicted and brought under control by technology. We had arrived in the Anthropocene age, in posthistory – where, as the “last humans” (Friedrich Nie-tzsche), we should celebrate the freedom of being able to choose between Coca Cola and Pepsi for ever after.

It may well be that some people still feel at home in this future. In reality, though, it has long since had its day. The technocratic world view that history had been overcome was soon overshadowed by the Balkan wars of the 1990s, shaken by the terror and consequences of 9/11 and con-demned to oblivion once and for all by several major po-litical events that took place last year. Those events include the supposedly anachronistic decision by the majority of the United Kingdom’s population to leave the European Union. The Brexit vote led to dismay. But not just among continental Europeans. More than anybody else, it was the Brits who had voted to stay in the EU who reacted with shock – first and foremost the citizens of London.

But the British design scene, which is interconnected with the global economy in a myriad of ways and could therefore be cut to the quick by Brexit, soon recovered from its shock-induced paralysis. In September – at the initiative of online magazine Dezeen – it published a man-ifesto that states: “Design can help the UK thrive after Brexit. But first the government has to help design.” It went on to demand that, in recognition of design’s huge importance for the British economy, the government should ensure that Brexit does not endanger the close per-sonal and structural ties the country’s design sector has with Europe and the rest of the world. And under no cir-cumstances should it become harder for foreign talents to attend British design schools or join British firms. The

countless signatories include not just prominent designers like Amanda Levete, David Adjaye, Terence Conran, Richard Rogers, Jasper Morrison and Tom Dixon, but also newcomers like Bethan Laura Wood (see p. 32) or Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay (see p. 36).

Texts like the Design Manifesto articulate group inter-ests; by their very nature, they cannot provide a platform for personal assessments. But authentic individual voices were very definitely of interest to us when preparing our “In depth” feature on London. We’d like to thank London-based journalist Eva Steidl for helping us make those voices heard (see p. 28), as well as for her editorial input for this issue. It was Eva who drew our attention to Conti-nental Drift, a series of talks organised by the Architecture Foundation at Highgate Cemetery in Camden in which London designers give voice to their thoughts on Brexit and its consequences. The results include a witty and amusing doom and gloom scenario (“You smoked your last Marlboro, you drank your last Coke. People are lithe and sexy.”), a clever meditation on the nation in globalised times, and a moving appeal to designers’ professional ethos by architect Martha Rawlinson. “Divorce is messy and destructive, but it also opens up space for change,” she says, “and in this case potentially for the conscious con-struction of a more visibly celebrated unity with each oth-er and with Europe.”

We like the sound of that. It’s grounds for hope that the return to history doesn’t necessarily have to be accompa-nied by a backwards step for civilisation. In fact, perhaps the opposite will be the case, because history – unlike the technoid agenda of radical dispossession – opens up a space in which design can reclaim its higher, humanistic meaning.

Back to the FutureBrexit is coming – and Britain’s creative industries are trying to overcome their initial anxiety and make the best of it. Many a designer is even able to see a positive side to the unwanted divorce: it could be an opportunity to change things for the better.

DESIGNPREIS DER IKEA STIFTUNGPasst Heimat in einen Karton? Was macht aus vier Wänden ein Zuhause? Wie wird aus einer Unterkunft eine Ankunft? Ist wohnlich gleich heimisch? Das moderne Nomadentum stellt Fragen. Welche Antworten findest du?

Gesucht: Produktideen für ein Zuhause Gefragt: Studierende des Produkt- und Industriedesigns sowie der Innenarchitektur Gewinn: 3 Gastsemester und 10 einwöchige Design-Workshops in Schweden Einsendeschluss: 31.03.2017 ikea-stiftung.de

RZ_IKEA Anz_Design_report_A4_20161222.indd 1 12.01.17 09:37

Contents

Design scene Business

Editorial 3

The designer’s lot 6

Calendar 86

Next issue 88

Publication details 89

Closing thoughts 90

BulletinIt’s all good: shoe soles, a corset, a fire fighter’s helmet, design thinking tools and much more 8

Back to the sameadaptions and re-editions: new furniture from the imm cologne 12

News ticker: six promising projects from the British capital 14

New Design MuseumMission accomplished: a tour of the new museum in Kensington 20

“It won’t just be about objects”: three questions for museum director Deyan Sudjic 26

Bulletinair-filled packaging, therapeutic tools, a smart stargazing set and much more 50

Patron of design thinking an interview with Hasso Plattner: the co-founder of SaP and various institutes talks about his commitment to design thinking 53

Bulletinthe oslo Manifesto, EaD conference, Iconic awards, otl aicher pictograms and much more 58

Creative hopefulsGerman Design award: portraits of the GDa New-comer award finalists 60

Stream of harmonyarchitecture and design in tune: Hamburg’s new Elbphilharmonie concert hall 64

BulletinDaimler dares to dream, a new owner for Poggenpohl and much more 82

Good prospects Licensed-based payment methods are now easier to enforce – even retroac-tively 84

Continental driftBrexit and its consequences: thoughts and reflections from Steve webb, Julia King and Martha Rawlinson 28

London’s got talenta portrait of the most interesting newcomers between wembley and Greenwich 32

London callingGerman design professio-nals declare their love for their adopted home 40

In depth London

ProductsStandards Newcomers

Reviews

BulletinExhibitions: robots in weil am Rhein, Stefan Diez in Cologne Books: new insights on the Futura font and the Eames, a book on de-sign from an animistic perspective and much more 56

People

BulletinMaddalena de Padova has passed away; Paul anderson new dean at the RCa School of Design and much more 68

Report

A visit to Thomas Schnur“things are just starting to take off”: the talented young-ster from Cologne trained hard – and is now reaping the benefits 70

The lifestyle eGoistE-mobility: an urban run-around by the name of e.Go Life and its designer Stefan H. Frey 78

Bulletina breathable facade, smart electricity meter, bioceramic for bones and much more 44

Grass rootsa company from Hennef uses grass as an alternative pulp in paper manufac-turing 46 Designer biopolymersSwiss designer Beat Karrer and his company Fluid-solids 48

Materials

76 the designer’s lot Standards

F rankfurt furniture manufacturer e15 is suing Ikea because it considers the Swedish furniture giant’s Malm bed a copy of its minimalist Mo design – and

is taking the case all the way to Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. Although the lawsuit has been making its way through the courts system for a few years now, the news has only recently been hitting design portals. But it wasn’t so much the accusation of plagiarism that surprised us design people as the courage to sue the huge furniture retailer, just as Nils Holger Moormann did several years ago. We’ve long

CopycatsIn the furniture sector too, plagiarism is considered discreditable. But could it be that the industry has long since adopted “me too” as its guiding principle?

By Markus Frenzl Illustration: Lars Hammer

But users’ comments on the reports are also interesting. Something as simple as a bed consisting of nothing more than a few boards is impossible to protect! A copy is the greatest compliment of all! Three years of development for such a banal design? A price difference of € 3,000! Any car-penter could knock that up in a couple of hours! That ar-gument is about as plausible as a museum visitor claiming they could build Donald Judd’s expensive sculpture out of a few sheets of anodised aluminium in next to no time. And it proves that, in the digital age, many people have lost their appreciation not just of authorship but of detail as well.

While an absorbing interest in furniture classics and showing off with one’s knowledge of design may have be-come a widespread hobby, it would seem that the ability to judge the quality of design independently of big-name designers, labels and numbers has not grown proportion-ately. It is therefore all the more astonishing that judges virtually never seek expert testimony, preferring to decide on design issues themselves instead.

Copy and paste, the key cultural technique of the digi-tal era, has already become a common principle in the furniture industry as well. Even established designers are blatantly helping themselves to the rich treasure trove of modernism and imitating creations by Hans J. Wegner, Hans Gugelot, Edvard Kindt-Larsen, Børge Mogensen, Enzo Mari, George Nelson or Nanna Ditzel. At Salone-Satellite, youngsters show products that can be effortlessly attributed to the style of successful big-name designers, as if the key idea behind the design is to produce an imitation that is as perfect as possible.

However, the accusation that Millennials work on the “me too” principle rather than taking their own position could just as easily be levelled at many a young furniture label: their designs are becoming increasingly interchange-able, they all earn their money with accessories, and none of their customers can tell whether the marble candlestick, brass bowl, pink cushion, wooden pepper mill, copper tray or understated glass lamp comes from Hay, Muuto, Nor-mann Copenhagen or & tradition. All the manufacturers seem to have the same role models, all of them value craftsmanship and tradition, all of them are issuing re-edi-tions of “long-forgotten iconic design classics” and gravely claiming a place in the long line of modernist tradition even if their company has only just been founded. What a practical solution! It allows them to save themselves the effort of a lengthy development process and sometimes even the royalties for the designers. And so the countless

since become accustomed to the fact that “references” crop up in major producers’ mass-market product ranges on a regular basis. Furniture is no different than fashion: a rap-idly produced copy of the design avant-garde – sometimes euphemistically referred to as its “democratisation” – is all part of the business concept. Online shopping, Facebook and Instagram have given images incredible power. That goes for the field of furniture and interior design too. The result is a focus on trends and the kind of fast-moving pace hitherto only familiar from the fashion world.

re-editions of the last 20 years are not just a sign of a new-found appreciation of the qualities of historical design; they are also an indication of the fear of genuine innova-tion and investment in new developments.

The furniture industry is becoming increasingly spine-less. Many manufacturers are resorting to what already ex-ists, to the tried-and-tested, to surfaces and styling. They are copying commercially successful products and produc-ing the kind of small-scale stuff that sells well in online shops. They are producing pictures for Instagram and in-venting stories that aim to communicate emotions rather than the ideas behind the design. The hype surrounding a constant stream of shooting stars who do little more than put a few hip materials and colours together is evidence of the absence of content that prevails in many parts of the industry. Nowadays, manufacturers often only lead us to believe that they grapple with forms, research new materi-als and explore ground-breaking technologies. It is becom-ing increasingly common for them to adopt the principles of the fashion world and think in terms of trends and sea-sons rather than durability and collections that have been built up slowly over time. As a result, the appreciation of detail, of painstakingly developed solutions, a carefully considered choice of materials, scrupulously calibrated proportions, a perfect join between pieces of wood or a meticulously produced hinge is being lost – as is the un-derstanding that the simplicity of a piece of furniture, while it might look easy to achieve, is in fact an extremely difficult accomplishment – and definitely does not amount to a carte blanche to screw a few pieces of foil-covered par-ticleboard together in a roughly similar way. l

“a rapidly produced copy of the design avant-garde – sometimes euphemistically referred to as its ‘democra-

tisation’ – is all part of the business concept.”

15 LondonIn depthIn depth

London commuters are at a definite advantage when it comes to guessing what’s behind this recent project by design studio Loris & Livia. Their many trips on the underground gave Loris Jaccard and Livia Lauber the idea of taking a closer look at the carriages’ flooring. The snazzily speckled synthetic rubber proved to be extremely hard-wearing and flame resistant. The designers convinced operator Transport for London, which holds the rights to the flooring’s special mix of colours, to let them make table mats out of the colourways for the Victoria and Piccadilly lines and even develop a composition of their own. The collection goes by the name of Wonderground and is ideal for anybody in search of a kitsch-free London souvenir. lorisetlivia.com

It sounds tempting: instead of charging tuition fees, as is the norm in most of the UK, James Dyson is offering students at his newly founded Dyson Institute of Technology an annual salary of up to £ 16,000. The designer and technology entrepreneur, who was the only prominent member of his profession to come out in favour of Brexit, believes the initiative will have a beneficial impact on the country’s economic recovery. The immersive degree is to be offered in collaboration with WMG, University of Warwick and will include practical modules at Dyson’s company. Dyson is planning to invest £ 15m in his training programme over the next five years with the aim of promoting practice-based design education. dysoninstitute.com

Despite Brexit and bank crises, London is booming as always – and has more to offer designers than ever before. Fascinating design events, for instance. Good education opportunities. Magnificent museums. Intrepid startups. and on top of everything else, a unique flair that continues to bring creatives from all over the world flocking to the British capital. as curator Jana Scholze puts it on p. 41, “Everybody comes here – it’s the kind of place where you can get things off the ground.”

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LoNDoN

1716 LondonLondon In depth In depth

British entrepreneur Denis Sverdlov is aiming to revolutionise the truck market with a new kind of vehicle. His lightweight, quiet and eco-friendly electric truck Charge is to be built in different sizes and can reportedly be assem-bled by one person in just four hours. The simple, modular design plays no small part in the rapid and inexpensive production process. From the middle of 2017, up to 10,000 trucks a year are to take to the roads, produced by just ten employees at the first factory in Oxfordshire. And Sverdlov has already thought ahead to the days when autonomous vehicles will be a common sight on the streets of London: “Just like smartphones, all the vehicles will receive regular wireless updates and are designed in preparation for a driverless future.” charge.auto

Beautiful illusion or glittering folly? The Thames bathed in light: that was the goal the Illuminated River Foundation set itself when it asked Malcolm Reading Consultants to organise a competition to shine a spotlight on the river. Among the entrants were renowned architects David Adjaye and Diller Scofidio + Renfro, but the judges ultimately voted in favour of a concept developed by New York light artist Leo Villareal in collaboration with architects Lif-schutz Davidson Sandilands and the team of curators from Future\Pace with the aim of enlivening London’s most important waterway with dynamic light. The result will show whether it’s merely a case of urban razzle-dazzle or an opportunity for some substantial synergies.illuminatedriver.london

4140 LondonLondon In depth In depth

No otHER CIty IN tHE woRLD IS aS oVERFLowING wItH CREatIVIty aS LoNDoN – at LEaSt tHat’S wHat LoNDoNERS tHINK. aND wHat Do GER-MaNS wHo HaVE MaDE tHE BRItISH CaPItaL tHEIR HoME HaVE to Say? SIx PERSoNaL StatEMENtS, aS toLD to EVa StEIDL.

B orn in Berlin, Corinna Warm founded her design studio in 2007 and has been creat-ing everyday objects, furniture and interi-

ors ever since. Her own collection of straightfor-ward, functional furniture made of premium natural materials is likewise called warm – and made en-tirely in England by superb craftsmen.

“After 17 years in London, I’m still discovering new places: I recently came across a riding stable in a little lane right in the middle of town. I love roam-ing the city and hearing lots of different languages, encountering other cultures – it’s like travelling without travelling. My favourite way to get around is by Vespa: it’s flexible, manoeuvrable and you’re guar-anteed a seat! I can’t imagine living in any other city, even though a lot of people I know dream of going to Berlin, which is where I originally come from. London is an important location for my firm, be-cause there’s a lot of appreciation for design here and my clients like to furnish their interiors very in-dividually.”

Torsten Neeland left Hamburg for London in 1997 and went on to establish lighting and tableware as two of his main areas of

focus. His often interdisciplinary designs range from objects like the Cut lamp for anta all the way to interior concepts for yohji yamamoto or audi.

“Let’s not talk about the high rents and Brexit! It’s the people who live here that make London so unique – and the huge cultural offering. I’ve always loved the city, but I didn’t actually come here with the intention of staying so long. But then opportuni-ties to work on interesting projects kept popping up. If you take a walk through East London you’ll see just how lively the creative scene here is. And be sure to stop off at the Albion in Boundary Street – Terence Conran’s café manages to be modern but very British all at the same time.” B orn in Halle in the state of Saxony-anhalt,

Moritz Waldemeyer trained as a mecha-tronic engineer. with the aim of forging

links between art, design and technology, he uses LED and laser lighting to sensational effect – as in the My New Flame lamp for Ingo Maurer or the il-luminated stage outfits he has designed for stars like Rihanna or take that.

“London is definitely the most exciting and in-spiring city in Europe, probably in the entire world: it’s international, creative, charming and always on the move – if it wasn’t for Brexit, that is! On the oth-er hand, though, the city is one huge compromise: it forces you to adopt a lifestyle that means sacrific-ing quality of life in return for excitement and inspi-ration. And the ever-increasing costs never fail to cancel out any professional progress you might make. It’s weird: if you’re looking for one place that will give you a concentrated taste of London’s de-sign scene, your best bet is the Salone del Mobile in Milan.”

Jana Scholze worked as a curator for con-temporary furniture and product design at the Victoria and albert Museum for 13 years.

Since January 2016, she has been an associate pro-fessor at Kingston university where, in partnership with the Design Museum, she teaches the Curat-ing Contemporary Design master’s course.

“Everybody comes here – it’s the kind of place where you can get things off the ground. London is open, stimulating, fast-paced, rich in contrasts – and green. In the summer, my daughter and I often go swimming at the women’s pond on Hampstead Heath, and on my way to work I cycle past deer in Richmond Park. The British Library is the most in-spiring place for me right now because I’m writing a book. It’s incredibly quiet there, but full of life as well – and not just because of the books. The library is a good meeting place too – for readers.”

LoNDoN CALLING

Rolf Sachs was just 20 years old when he came to study in London. His motto: form follows emotion – many of the designer

and artist’s creations imbue their functionality with humour. whether it’s conceptual art or an everyday product: Sachs’ tongue-in-cheek approach is al-ways in evidence, as with the current edition of the Leica M-P grip, which he covered with the same kind of rubber normally used for ping-pong bats.

“I’m a dyed-in-the-wool European, so London was really the only cosmopolitan city that came into question for me. London’s atmosphere, the mix of people, the cultural diversity, the different districts – all of it is unique. The city is changing all the time, and I’m always discovering something new. Lon-don’s slightly shabby, offbeat flair and the contrast between old and new are both interesting and charming. On the other hand, the infrastructure is outdated and sometimes the quality of the buildings leaves a lot to be desired. If you want to get to know London, you have to take your time. Some of my fa-vourite places are the Chelsea Physic Garden, which is hidden away on the Embankment, the Wallace Collection, the Serpentine Gallery, the new Design Museum in Kensington and the Tate Modern.”

M unich-born Julia von Werz is an archi-tect, interior designer and furniture de-signer. She moved to London for family

reasons and has worked with a number of prac-tices in the city, including that of David adjaye. She has since developed her own collection of furniture. Her style: elegant and eclectic.

“London was one of the world’s first truly cos-mopolitan cities. And you still sense that today: here, foreign communities feel like locals rather than guests. You can just let yourself drift: the city is civilised, eccentric and wonderfully inspiring. Sure, the South Pacific has better weather, Germany has lower school fees, and virtually anywhere else in the world has better bread. But still: London has a special place in my heart. If you want to explore the city, you’re best off with one of the 3Bs: a bus, a black cab or a Boris Bike. And whatever you do, don’t miss Kyoto Garden in Holland Park!”

42London In depth

4544Materials

By armin Scharf l

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How High the MoonFive teams from several countries are still in the running for the Google Lunar XPrize worth $30m. The purpose of the corporation’s competition is to inspire the development of low-cost methods of ro-botic research in space. The prizemoney will go to the first team that manages to land a lunar rover on the moon, have it travel at least 500 metres and transmit high-definition images back to Earth. One of the competitors is a group called Part-Time Scientists from Berlin that wants to send not just one but two spacecraft to the moon in late 2017. Thanks to 3D alumin-ium printing, the Audi lunar Quattro weighs a mere 30 kg. It has a four-wheel electric drive and is powered by an Audi e-tron battery of the type used in the compa-ny’s terrestrial vehicles. The automotive manufacturer is contributing its engineer-ing expertise and simulation processes to the project.ptscientists.com

6Electric lorriesIn 2020 US-based Nikola Motor wants to put a zero-emission lorry on the roads that can even cover long distances of around 2,000 km. The vehicle’s called Nikola One and driven by 1,000hp electric motors. It’s powered by 320 kWh lithium-ion batteries and an onboard fuel cell behind the cab. The cell supplies the base load power while the battery buffers energy required for fast acceleration. Even with a full load the lorry can reach a speed of 60mph in 30 seconds. According to Nikola Motor, the lack of diesel motor and auxiliary units has freed up 30 % more space in the cab. It now includes two spacious beds, a prop-er fridge and a WC.nikolamotor.com

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on the mendTo stabilise complicated fractures, screws and titanium plates are usually applied that have to be removed again once bones have healed. In partnership with several clinics, the IFAM Fraunhofer Institute has now developed a cross between a screw and a nail that’s made of bio-ceramic material. Called a Schragel, it’s care fully hammered into the bone and the thread causes it to rotate just a few times until it sits securely in place. The ingenious part is that the Schragel’s made of calcium phosphate or hydroxy apatite, grows into the bone and can stay in the person’s body. The item is injection moulded or 3D printed for customised implants.ifam.fraunhofer.de

4Breathable facadesTobias Becker from the University of Stuttgart has developed a facade system whose breathability is precision adjust-able. The Breathing Skins emulate real skin and are made of transparent polycar-bonate plates from Covestro with pneu-matic muscles allowing them to be her-metically sealed or opened. When open, the facade can fully ventilate an interior via pore-like air channels without any no-ticeable draught arising. The sandwich design, inspired by bionics, has around 140 invisible muscles per square metre. A transparent showroom with a ten-metre-long facade and load-bearing polycarbon-ate elements serves as a display model. The German Federal Ecodesign Award 2016 was one of the accolades Tobias Becker received for his technology.breathingskins.com

covestro.com

5Powerful breakdownsWhile conventional electricity meters merely calculate the total electricity con-sumed in a household or factory, the dig-ital SmartMeter delivers a more detailed picture. The intelligent meter was devel-oped at the IMS Fraunhofer Institute and operates with nonintrusive load monitor-ing technology (NILM). The technolo-gy’s algorithms allow it to identify con-sumption patterns specific to certain de-vices. By highlighting the consumption of specific devices in real time it’s easy to see when and where energy requirements peak. Faulty devices are also quickly spot-ted because their typical signatures change. The SmartMeter is chiefly intended for commercial applications where, by improving energy manage-ment, it allegedly achieves energy savings of around 12 %. The use of the new mea-surement equipment in households is controversial anyway. Intelligent electric-ity meters can lead to a loss of privacy be-cause a detailed breakdown of electricity consumption allows precise conclusions about consumer behaviour.ims.fraunhofer.de

2En route to the 3D factorySuppliers of additive technologies are pulling out all the stops to adapt their ma-chinery to industrial processes. Until now, 3D printers have tended to be customised solutions and require a lot of manual work for the pre-press and post-press stages. Concept Laser’s AM Factory of Tomorrow shows how 3D metal printing can be au-tomated and scaled. The concept mainly uses parallel and automated procedures, in other words separating the pre-press, printing and post-press stages. In the final analysis it therefore boosts the efficiency of the actual laser printers and makes in-dustrial production processes possible. In separating these stages Concept Laser is hoping for faster, more flexible and ulti-mately cheaper 3D production. At the same time, the company’s working on in-depth process monitoring that combines machine with operational data, docu-ments it and organises the data flow via a digital process chain. This would also comply with the demand for seamless component documentation.concept-laser.de

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Bulletin

6160 Design sceneDesign scene

CREatIVE HoPEFuLSthe German Design award will be celebrating this year’s winners in Frankfurt am Main on 10 February. the five finalists in the run-ning for the Newcomer Prize have been selected, but the winner’s name will be kept under wraps until this date. It will be exciting to discover who receives the accolade because the judges’ selection includes an interesting range of fledgling designers and interests. Read on and see what you think.

a DIStINGuISHED PRIZEthe awards ceremony in Frankfurt am Main on 10 Febru-

ary is something of a mini anniversary for the German De-

sign award (GDa): launched by the German Design

Council in 2012, the competition’s now taking place for the

5th time. Its achievements so far are certainly impressive.

this year saw over 4,000 submissions for the product and

communication design categories. Products and projects

from 50 countries were entered, with the share of interna-

tional submissions jumping from 5% to 37%. that meant a

lot of hard work for the international panel of judges from

industry, academia and design. In the end, they presented

45 Gold awards and named 361 winners in a total of 48 cat-

egories. this year, the Personality award goes to SaP co-

founder Hasso Plattner, who is being honoured for his

hard work propagating and developing the design thinking

method (see interview on p. 53).

Materials and bionics play a big role for you. Where and how do you learn from nature?First of all I try to add to my own knowledge by for example making careful observations. But interdisciplinary collaboration with other scientists is vital if you want to get into a subject in more depth. Ex-changing expertise allows me to develop relevant approaches. This is exactly why we founded Spacekitchen Frankfurt. Design, architecture and engineering form one single unit in our studio. Our latest collabo-ration, which goes by the name of RM49, consists of a pool of engineer-ing and design experts and aims to forge ahead with the interdisciplin-ary mindset.What impact does 3D printing have on your work?3D printing is where digital planning meets the material. This interface taps into a whole host of ways to design materials in a new way. What does the German Design Award mean to you?It encourages me to develop my own design focus further. What distin-guishes this award from others is its appreciation of my portfolio so far, and therefore my own approach to my work.

CRoSSING DISCIPLINESBorn in 1988, Benjamin Würkner thinks in structures and has an enor-mous affinity for architecture and working across disciplines. He gradu-ated in design from the University of Art and Design Offenbach am Main (HfG) and is fascinated by the innovative potentials of new ma-terials and technologies. He often transforms inspirational examples from nature into bionic objects of minimalistic clarity. spacekitchen.de

CoSMIC EMPatHyPeter Otto Vosding studied industrial design in Darmstadt and is cur-rently following a master’s programme in product design and process development at TH Cologne. His concept studies, such as a vehicle for a manned expedition to Mars, highlight his interest in technological in-novations. His understated design language sets his work apart and has already won him several awards.vosding.de

Among other things, your portfolio includes a concept vehicle for expeditions to Mars. What draws you to these sorts of projects?Designing an object for space is a classic task set during an industrial design course – and rightly so. It’s an excellent way of learning how to put yourself in the position of people who have to live under exception-al conditions. Our profession has to come up with products for these sorts of situation every day. Whether I’m designing beakers with spouts for kids or cockpits for pilots, the principle’s the same: it’s donkey years since I was a child and I’ll never be a pilot. But I have learnt how to put myself in other people’s shoes. You work with wood and hi­tech materials – but do you have a pref­erence nevertheless?Both are fascinating and wood is one of the most attractive materials around. Currently I’m focusing on everyday items. But luckily that doesn’t preclude hi-tech materials. Developing living quarters for a Mars station or new materials for furniture manufacturing would both be fantastic jobs.And what does being a finalist for the German Design Award mean to you?It’s fantastic recognition of the work I’ve done so far. I’m now looking forward to taking the step from university to industry even more, secure in the knowledge that I’m heading in the right direction.

But which of the finalists presented here ultimately re-

ceives the GDa’s Newcomer award traditionally remains

a closely guarded secret until the big ceremony in Frank-

furt. the winner can look forward to prizemoney of €15,000.

the other Newcomers will each receive a prize worth

€2,500 for reaching the final round. andrej Kupetz, manag-

ing director of the German Design Council, underlines the

importance of putting young designers in contact with po-

tential customers and employers. therefore, the award

also comes with an invitation to a range of joint events

with the German Design Council’s foundation members,

enabling winners to benefit from the organisation’s wide

network. the GDa Newcomer award was sponsored by

Deutsche telekom.

Design awardDesign award

Spielbein: a clever seating solution where seats are interlocked to form a bench.

Fiber Spider: the machine makes lightweight and stable space frame structures out of fibre glass.

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DESIGN aS a MINDSEtBy Philipp thesen

the designer’s role has changed radically in the digital age. Design is becoming increasingly removed from creating actual products and is transferring its princi-ples to design thinking. this new way of thinking also requires a new mindset. Because the old role models are only of limited use: designers are no longer genius-es who work as lone wolves to create things for eterni-ty, but members of teams who merely tweak the next beta version. their flashes of genius are only apparent for a second in an otherwise fluid environment. there’s no such thing as perfect digital products, brands and services. they are developed as prototypes – through iterative processes and the involvement of end custom-ers and technology producers who force designers to adopt democratic working styles.therefore, it would be worthwhile for designers to re-flect on the true nature of their role. they should be me-diators between technology and the world around us, experts in lending technology a human face. Consider-ing the vast challenges artificial intelligence poses for business and society, this is a question of survival that needs to be faced sooner rather than later. this paradigm shift means it’s vital to ensure design training opens up to interdisciplinary issues. to provide fresh impetus in design courses, telekom Design has developed various in-house programmes to give stu-dents direct involvement with telekom designers’ work-

flows. In our customer lab, they can for instance try out their innovative ideas with real customers, work on pro-totypes and implement initial concept ideas. In addition, Deutsche telekom lends its support in all sorts of different ways to various partners, such as the German Design Council and its Newcomer award. Faced with the conflicting tensions of a world that is being radically changed by digitalisation, we need ex-cellent young designers who are equipped with the right mindset to shape tomorrow’s environment and the relationship between man and machine in a way that benefits humanity. we’d like to congratulate the Newcomer award prize-winners.

a HoLIStIC PERSPECtIVEJanine Dasbeck was born in 1990 and studied industrial design in Osnabrück. She’ll soon be doing her master’s in medical design at Muthesius Kunsthoch-schule in Kiel. She primarily develops and designs medical equipment and products. However, she isn’t just driven by usability criteria: people and their social relations lie at the core of her work. janinedasbeck.de

What criteria does a product need to meet to make it perfect in your eyes? A perfect product fulfils its purpose in the best possible way and offers added emotional value on top. But of course it’s a long way from the initial design idea to the finished product, which in the end is the embodiment of all compromis-es. It’s important not to lose yourself in the detail, but maintain your focus on the users. A perfect product manages to satisfy all the requirements despite the many compromises. What part does sustainability play in your work? As a designer I represent the interests of the users and don’t want to neglect sus-tainability. I hope that sustainability will enter modern brands’ value systems in future so that products will be treated sustainably during and beyond their life-cycles.What are your feelings as a finalist for the German Design Award 2017?I’m very flattered. As far as my work’s concerned, it means I can carry on with confidence and hopefully bring smiles to the faces of many more users.

For such a young designer you’ve already pulled off some sophisticated healthcare and interface design projects. Would you like to explore these ar­eas in more depth? The complexity of both these fields appeals to me. I believe that healthcare has a social dimension too. Therefore it’s very important for me to study people and the way they act very closely. During my work, I usually endeavour to single out and change one particular point. What else interests you? I’m always very keen to delve into new and complex topics. It’s fascinating to disrupt existing thought patterns, rethink and redesign processes. What does the German Design Award mean to you?The timing couldn’t have been better. It came right after I graduated and is in-credibly motivating.

REtuRN to SIMPLICItyPhilippe Vossel was born in 1989 and did his bachelor’s in industrial design at the University of Wuppertal. Although sometimes highly complex in terms of the technology involved, his work nevertheless takes a playful approach. Digi-tisation and emotional appeal play just as big a role as simplifying processes. philippe-vossel.com

DIaLoGuE wItH tHINGSDirk Biotto was born in 1989 and graduated in industrial design from the Uni-versity of the Arts Berlin. His product portfolio covers everything from graphic designs to an integrated kitchen concept all the way to emergency shelters for homeless people and reflects an interest in the social dimension of design. dirkbiotto.com

What appeals to you about dialogues with objects?The multidimensional and complex nature that reveals itself the moment you grapple with interaction between users and objects. What appears to be trivial or commonplace often entails potential that you would have never initially thought possible.How vital is sustainability to you? I believe sustainability’s growing increasingly important and applies to much more than materials or a product’s lifecycle. My goal is to exert a positive and sustainable influence on users’ lives – whether through interaction with the ob-ject or the message it conveys. What does the German Design Award mean to you?It’s confirmation that I’m on the right track. It encourages and motivates me. I’m absolutely delighted to have been chosen.

PIK a6 prints photos from mobile phones just as fast and easily as Pola-roid pictures – either for personal use or as a service for the general public.

orbit: the watch face shows how long each of the planets takes to orbit our sun.

Sonosense gives the doctor greater freedom of movement, making it easier to examine people with restricted mobility.

Visit to the telekom Design Gallery: Deutsche telekom's vice president of design Philipp thesen spent a day showing finalists telekom's Innovations Lab.

Design sceneDesign scene Design awardDesign award

90Closing thoughts

andrej Kupetz,General Manager German Design Council

I n its 50th anniversary year, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has blossomed into the world’s most notable yardstick for gauging how far the digi-

talisation of our lives has progressed. While the sense of many a development goes unchallenged, the exhibition has retained the childlike charm of an inventors’ fair: we’ll show you what we can do rather than what we need. Em-boldened by this approach, the major carmakers have been using the show for the last five years too – as a plat-form for communicating their visions of connected or autonomous driving. The German automobile manufac-turers have been making a particularly big splash in recent years: in 2015, Daimler showcased its self-driving F015 pro-totype, and in 2016 Volkswagen presented the Budd-e con-cept, perhaps hoping the accompanying publicity would serve as an electric polisher for its dented image.

And this year, although not physically in attendance, Audi, BMW and Daimler were very much present in the media: with perfect timing, a press release issued during the CES revealed that the three owners of map service Here have sold 25 % of their shares: a 10 % stake to a con-sortium from China and 15 % to chip maker Intel, one of the major exhibitors at CES. This kind of alliance is un-charted territory for the German premium brands: up un-til now, the assumption has always been that they will sur-mount the challenges facing the industry by their own ef-forts. The recently announced joining of forces may well result from the realisation that any issues concerning the future of mobility will require them to deal not with their competitors from the auto industry but with the IT giants from California. Because unlike the carmakers, the techies already know how to make money with data.

And so the smart home showcase was a lot more inter-esting than the cars. Connected light switches, refrigera-tors and thermostats have been steadily conquering more and more of the exhibition space in recent years. Now they are being joined by digital assistants designed to make

home life easier and connect it with the outside world. Take Kuri, for instance, a cute little household robot pre-sented by Bosch. If you stroke Kuri’s head, the robot turns to look at you and purrs with pleasure. Kuri can play mu-sic, alert you to unusual events or give you a friendly wel-come as you come through the front door. And if you’re not at home, an app allows you to access Kuri’s field of vision – a camera – and keep an eye on the kids or the con-tents of the fridge. In fact, fridge cams in general seemed to be a dominant theme at the CES. The smart cameras scan the contents of the fridge and decide what items have gone out of date or need to be stocked up on. It would seem as if monitoring the eating habits of the fridge’s hu-man user is only one small step away. After all, the sensors deliver the kind of data that has health insurance compa-nies licking their lips.

Developments in VR headset technology were another of the highlights at the 50th edition of the CES. Intel was showing a new product that allows users to do things like follow a football match from anywhere in the stadium.

At the presentation of the software, the company took the remarkable step of handing visitors not just a VR head-set but a paper bag as well – just in case the unaccustomed visual experience made them feel nauseous. But the head-set-with-sick-bag stunt raises far more important issues: will we get used to the new ways of seeing things? Are we ca-pable of adapting and compensating for our inadequate ability to process the data our eyes receive? In the digital age, can we optimise ourselves along Darwinian lines and adapt to the digital circumstances? Or will we simply die out like so many species before us? Well, as long as my fridge monitors its contents, at least there’s hope that it might nurture me to become a (technically) better person.

Darwinism in the digital age

Watchful cameras in the fridge and VR head­sets that come with sick bags: we will only

succeed at life in the digital world if we learn to discipline ourselves and adapt.

Wettbewerb für herausragende User Experience

Digitale Produkte, Services, Konzepte und Forschungsprojekte

Einreichung bis 31. März 2017ux-design-awards.com

Sonderausstellung und PreisverleihungIFA Consumer Electronics Berlin

1. – 6. September 2017

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Frankfurt am Main, 14. – 18. 3. 2017

WeltleitmesseErlebniswelt Bad, Gebäude-, Energie-, KlimatechnikErneuerbare Energien

Design und Funktion im Einklang.Lassen Sie sich auf den Architekten-Rundgängen von den Highlights der ISH inspirieren und sichern Sie sich Ihren Informationsvorsprung.

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