From ingenious visual concepts in award-winning kitchens to colorful cocktails: It is no secret that when it comes to food and drink, appearance is almost as important as taste. So why should the look be any less important for the products with which food and drinks are prepared, served and enjoyed? This is why the design aspect is essential at WMF. However, design is about more than just making a product look good. “It’s about creating an overall experience. This starts when customers notice an item in a store because of its unique design. The closer they get, the more elaborate details they discover. The care we take in processing and how we handle materials and surfaces becomes apparent. They ultimately pick up the product and the simple act of touching it can trigger excitement and joy, which they experience again and again when the product is used later,” says Achim Bölstler, explaining the design journey – the path from the first impression to an emotional bond with the brand through a holistically designed product.
Design is conceived holistically. The product design aims to represent a harmonious unity between esthetics, functionality and utility.
Real materials, colors and surfaces are used – very carefully and precisely – for every product.
Attention to detail is essential. All the subtleties and details must be thought out.
It is important for the design to combine zeitgeist and timelessness in order for it to endure and achieve sustainability – and in the best case to create design classics.
Achim Bölstler
Vice President Research & Design
At the company’s site in Geislingen (Steige), Achim Bölstler works with a diverse team of designers, design managers, model builders and innovation managers. Important input also comes from the Article Design, Strategic marketing departments and external partners for special design projects. The close cooperation between these various disciplines constantly gives rise to new design innovations. Take, for example, the Kineo series, which clearly demonstrates how the design attributes of one product are applied to others: As the first product in the line, the Kineo cutlery range defined a design vocabulary and esthetics –“dynamic elegance with interpenetrating surfaces, sensual tension and deliberate slopes and diagonals,” as Achim Bölstler describes it. The fundamental features of these esthetics can then be applied to other objects. As a result, the Kineo series now includes cups, decanters and many other items.
WMF - a company of Groupe SEB
