The return of an old favourite, and no not (smow) introducing, although Welcome Back!!!, but the Rowac-Schemel, the Rowac stool, a work initially launched in 1909 as one of the world's first sheet steel furniture objects, a work that once graced not only innumerable industrial workshops, craft ateliers and educational institutes, but the workshops and ateliers at Bauhauses Weimar and Dessau, a work that became lost in the confusions of post-War eastern Germany. A work returning in 2023, some
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Name: Izabela Bołoz Born: Wałbrzych, Poland Alma mater: University of Wrocław, Poland, University of Zurich, Switzerland & Design Academy Eindhoven, Netherlands Selected Work: Responsive Furniture Waiting Spot Shadow City Waiting Rooms Leaning Bench Intersections smow blog: To begin, our standard opening question, why the decision to study design? Izabela Bołoz: Initially I studied social sciences with the intention of following a "classic" career path in, for example, economics or the
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Name: smow introducing Born: Leipzig, 2010 Alma mater: University of life Featured designers: Christoffer Martens Erik Wester Christian Lessing Eva Marguerre My Own Super Studio maigrau Stephan Schulz smow blog: smow introducing? (smow) blog: A series we used to publish in which we featured, younger, less well known, but in our opinion extremely talented and interesting designers and "introduced" them to a wider audience smow blog: "Used to publish", and
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Name: Christoffer Martens Born: Bremen, 1975 Alma mater: Product Design, University of Applied Science, Potsdam Internships: Alfredo Häberli, Zürich Products: Siebenschläfer for Nils Holger Moormann, Aschau im Chiemgau Spross for Nils Holger Moormann, Aschau im Chiemgau Obstrutsche for emform, Bockhorn Buchhalter Potbase (smow)blog: How did you arrive at product design? Christoffer Martens: I initially trained as a graphic designer and then worked in a media agency for a few years.
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Name: Erik Wester Born: Oslo, Norway Alma mater: Furniture and product design, Kingston University London Products: Standing Task Light Tartan Modular (smow)blog: Why the decision to become a product designer? Erik Wester: That’s what I like doing! Since I was small I’ve been interested in drawing and building and was searching for what I could use my skills for and arrived at product and furniture design. (smow)blog: And why the decision to study Product and Furniture Design at
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Name: Christian Lessing Alma mater: Kommunikations Design und Illustration, Düsseldorf Products: Balcony 08 Leichtgewicht Nachtflug Window Garden Grip Shelving (smow)blog: How did you arrive at product design? Christian Lessing: After leaving school I initially trained as a carpenter, then after a couple of years overseas I started studying graphic design in Düsseldorf. My specialization at college was Illustration, but I also built 3D objects. After finishing college I then worked
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Not a word of a lie, we're sitting here in Eindhoven planning an interview for later on today with some Portuguese designers - and we receive news that our current favourite Portuguese designer Rui Alves a.k.a. My Own Super Studio has been awarded a Red Dot Design Award: Best of the Best 2010 for his "Welcome to the Jungle" shelving/storage series. Which is just wonderful, and deserved, news. Congratulations to Rui, and enjoy Singapore! Our (smow)introducing Interview with Rui Alves can be
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Name: Eva Marguerre Alma mater: 2004-2010 Product design/Exhibition design Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe Internships: 2005 Luigi Colani, Karlsruhe 2006 Magazine "Brigitte", Living Section, Hamburg 2008 Designbüro Stefan Diez, Munich Products: Tagträume Nido MOA (smow)blog: Why Product Design? Eva Marguerre: That all started relatively early. For example, as a child I was interested in furniture and interiors and used to steal my mother’s magazines and cut out the things I liked.
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Owner/Designer: Rui Alves Established: 2001 Location: Paços de Ferreira, Portugal Products: Hold on Sample MIU Fiss family Welcome to the Jungle Avô (smow)blog: Why did you decide for a career in industrial design? Rui Alves: It was more or less a natural decision; I grew up, and indeed am still, surrounded by family members who work with wood. And so I’ve always been surrounded by materials and tools and thinking about making things with my fathers and grandfathers tools. In addition
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Owners/Designers: Alexander Stamminger and Nik Back Established: 2007 Location: Blaufelden, Baden-Württemberg Products: Luca lean Luca stand Ten Line Turn Superemma (smow)blog: Let’s start at the very beginning, where did you meet? maigrau: We both studied Industrial design at the Kunstakademie in Stuttgart, and we have known each other since the first semester – so since 2003 - and we completed our studies in 2008. (smow)blog: And immediately formed maigrau… maigrau: … exactly. In
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Name: Stephan Schulz Born: Schwerin, 1983 Alma mater: 2003-2009 Industrial Design, Burg Giebichenstein, Halle 2007-2008 Erasmus studies at the Design Academy Eindhoven Internships: 2008 Bellini Design Studio, Milan Products: Stellvertreter for Nils Holger Moormann, Aschau im Chiemgau Concrete bowl series "frisch ausgeschalt" for Betoniu, Leipzig (smow)blog: Why Industrial Design? Stephan Schulz: It sort of just developed. I've always built things and experimented with different
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Effortless and relaxed as this all seems, our reality is a life in constant motion as we move from one appointment to the next. As one press release closes, another opens. As it were. And along the way we meet an awful lot of excellent design from designers who simply can't command the publicity of a Philippe Starck, Verner Panton or Jasper Morrison. Which isn't really fair as the work is often just as good. And so in our new, irregular, series (smow)Introducing we aim to present some of
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