Against the forgetting of form
By Thomas Wagner. They drive away boredom, they liberate thought and they civilise people. In a book entitled “Die blitzenden Waffen” [English: The Flashing Weapons], philosopher Robert Pfaller explores why […]
Architects on Architects: Architects, anecdotes and analogies.
Exhilarating conversations about absent colleagues: the book „architects on architects“ collects dialogues about the significant architects of the past. It proves that personal understanding is better learned by looking through […]
Spotlight: American Look
By Thomas Wagner. A fairy tale of the stylish life. Americans love the freedom of personal choice. The 1958 promotional film „American Look“ is all about the highly stylish life […]
The Citroën DS – Not of this world
An analysis of a goddess: Roland Barthes saw a magical object in the Citroën DS; others saw a profane yet well-designed vehicle. Swiss architect Christian Sumi explores the history of […]
Spotlight: Gary Hustwit – Objectified
By Thomas Wagner. Why is it like that and not like this? Gary Hustwit is a popular documentary director in the design community, a status cemented with Rams in 2018. […]
The 100-year washing machine
By Thomas Wagner. Are our technical appliances intentionally made to have a short life? The notion of planned obsolescence alleges that developers and manufacturers deliberately shorten the life of a […]
Spotlight: We do not thirst after scenography. The long story of Alvar Aalto’s church in Riola
By Thomas Wagner. The wonder of Riola The documentary film rediscovers a jewel of modern architecture and tells the fantastical story of its creation. At its heart is Cardinal Lercaro, […]
Spotlight: The Ulm School of Design: Design for millions
Filmed for the 50th anniversary of the Ulm School of Design, this film by Günther Hörmann and Martin Krampen has now been released on DVD. It is a multifaceted documentary […]
Spotlight: Christian Dior – designer of dreams
By Thomas Wagner. Rediscovering the magic The “Christian Dior. Couturier du Rêve” exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris inspired the fashion world and the public in equal […]
Design from the Alps: how to make a lot out of just a little
By Thomas Wagner. A world away from alpine wood carvings: „Design from the Alps“ is a book founded on extensive research which offers an enthralling overview of 100 years of […]
Using strategy to achieve a strong brand: Branded interactions and personal branding
Strategic brand management is a key success factor for companies. But there is also an increasing trend for individuals to present themselves as brands – as artists, consultants and/or influencers. […]
Design Patents – Protecting Designs
By Jan Rasmus Ludwig. When did the protection of designs originate? And what factors are considered in a design patent? The publication “Designpatente der Moderne 1840-1970” (“Design Patents of the […]
AI Superpowers: Without a cultural shift, AI will divide society
By Bernd Müller. In his book “AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the New World Order”, Kai-Fu Lee writes about the global impact of AI and digitalisation, from the loss […]
Sigfried and Carola Giedion. A Power Couple of Modernity
Sigfried Giedion and Carola Giedion-Welcker write about architecture and design, art and literature. The base from which they conduct their rather unorthodox style of research is their Wilhelminian style villa […]
The most wonderful Time of the Year
Recommendations and tips for the Christmas season It’s here again: Christmas is almost upon us, and many people are racking their brains about what presents to buy. Or wondering how […]
Moby Dick and Creativity
By Thomas Wagner. When compiling “100 Books All Designers Should Know” (Original title: “100 Bücher, die alle Designer kennen sollten”), René Spitz and Marcel Trauzenberg had no intention of simply […]
Magnum opus – The Atlas of Furniture Design
By Gerrit Terstiege. In November 2019, the Vitra Design Museum launched a fundamental work of encyclopaedic proportions on the history of modern furniture design. With more than 1,000 pages, the […]