The Beginning of German Design

With a long and illustrious history of industrial design Germany is known for its bold, minimalist aesthetic and intelligent, progressive ideas that encompass every part of contemporary lifestyle from interiors to accessories.

After the 2nd World War, Germany reinstated design study propagated by Max Bill, a former student of the Bauhaus, at the Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) in Ulm. From 1919 onwards, the Bauhaus School had a significant impact on industrial design worldwide. It was a force to reckon with, and its influence permeated into the fields of architecture, typography, and interior design. It focused on the utility of a product and adopted a minimalistic approach. The ultimate goal was to create a Gesamtkunstwerk or “total work of art.”

In 1953, the Rat für Formgebung or the German Design Council was established in Frankfurt to promote a holistic concept of design that included economic and cultural influences. It led to the introduction of the popular German Design Award to honor creations that have contributed extensively to the field of industrial design.

Another achiever of the German Design Award is the iconic German fashion designer — Jil Sander — who was awarded the 2018 Personality Prize. Another design institution established in 1907 was the — Deutscher Werkbund — which played a pivotal role in driving the industrial design movement.

Germany is the alpha and omega of auto design. With a legacy of more than 130 years of automobile invention, Germany continues to remain the innovation hub of the world. Germany is the fourth-largest producer of automobiles worldwide that drives the German economy upwards. No wonder that cars are Germany’s number one export.

German cars are top-class symbol engineering, sleek design, safety technology, and reliability. In 2017, the Volkswagen Group along the Audi, Porsche, Škoda, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Ducati brands were best-selling cars in the world. According to the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), one in every five vehicles worldwide carries the “Made in Germany” trademark. The German industrial designers and engineers are working day after day to come up with some mind-blowing innovative and quality piece of an engineered product that blows every consumer’s mind.

Read More: Design Schools in Germany

Kitchen: If you think technology is limited to just cars or gadgets, you should think again. German brands of modular kitchen are a class apart. Poggenpohl, founded in 1892, is Germany’s oldest kitchen-focused brand that presents kitchen designs that are ahead of its time.

They design a technology-based kitchen where surfaces slide and morph into different shapes at the touch of a button, a table gliding seamlessly into a drinks bar, complete with temperature-control wine cellars and touchscreen cooking systems. The latest offering for this brand is innovation and aesthetic filled designer kitchen with chrome-plated lacquered doors for a glossy, futuristic aesthetic in this most functional of rooms.

The German watch brands are not behind. The small mountain town of Glashütte, in the state of Saxony, has been known for high-quality watch production. The brand — Nomos — is an epitome of technology and engineering. Founded in 1990, the company has a team of local craftspeople who etch some fantastic cutting-edge design for watches.

Nomos was the first to introduce mechanical watches with the label ‘Made in Glashütte.’ Another brand of watches called — Lange & Söhne — founded in 1845, is the maker of the most exceptional mechanical watched. The 1815 Chronograph, is another example of a masterclass in tradition and pioneering techniques.

Other accessories: Porsche apart for manufacturing cars, has a range of covetable products that include sneakers, sunglasses, audio systems and much more. The most recent inclusion in the high-performance Book One convertible computer; the Mate smartphone (made in partnership with Chinese brand Huawei) which has an integrated Leica camera; and the sleek 911 Bluetooth soundbar. 

There are very few countries in the world who have contributed to science and technology and invented such high-class products, like Germany.

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