Orgatec in Cologne, Germany

My reflections on my previous job as product manager and involvement in the design process

With this blog post I would like to share a very personal reflection.

This week I took the chance to visit 'Orgatec', a trade fair focussed on office furniture in Cologne, Germany. It was a unique opportunity for me to see the product development projects I have worked on in my previous job as product manager for Vitra on display on Vitra's fair presentation.

Impressions of Vitra's Fair Presentation of the Eames Tables (Hinger, 2018)

Until August 2018 I worked on the update of the well-known Segmented and Contract Tables, designs by Charles and Ray Eames from 1964/1968 (Vitra International AG, 2018). The main aspects of the update were to adjust the offered table sizes to current office requirements, to integrate electrification possibilities into the standard offer, to update the colours and materials and to promote the tables as a wide-ranging family. And all this whilst keeping the distinctive look of the original design, questioning ourselves constantly 'What would Charles and Ray say?'.

As part of my previous job, together with a multidisciplinary team, I went through the stages of research of current customer demands, technical possibilities, prototyping, design decision making with the CDO and the Eames Office that takes care of the design heritage, supplier choice, development of a logistics concept up to creating a marketing plan and sales training. When we conducted the single steps, I did not completely realise that I actually went through a whole design process for a customer centred development project. Only now that I reflect on my tasks I see the complete scope of it, which astonishes me and also makes me a bit proud. I never saw myself as a designer, but somehow, I was.

On the fair, one of my former colleagues asked me, how different Vitra's development process was from theory taught. Last week when we talked in class about the IDEO design methods, I knew a lot of the approaches - not by their official name, but because we used them in the development process practically. So I was glad to answer to him that Vitra actually applies a lot of the theoretical approaches.

Just to give some examples, 'Historical Analysis' that analyses the development of certain aspects through time, the 'Scenarios' approach of a detailed investigation of how a product will be used in different contexts are used, and of course surveys and questionnaires are deducted as well as of course prototypes are build and tested (IDEO, no date)

Through this experience and reflection, I now feel more confident to engage in design discussions with peers that have an academic design background.

Reference List:

Vitra International AG (2018) Eames Tables: Charles & Ray Eames, 1964/1968, Available at: https://www.vitra.com/en-gb/product/eames-tables (Accessed: 26.10.2018).

IDEO (no date) IDEO Method Cards: 51 ways to inspire design, San Francisco: William Stout Architectural Books.