TAKING THE PAST FORWARD

HOW BRAUN SHAPED GERMANY’S IMAGE.

Interview with Benjamin Wilson *

Germany as a business location has a crucial meaning for us throughout the complete process: from Research and Development to design process and production. Some of the iconic Braun products are made in Waldüm, a small town in Odenwald, Germany. It is impressive to watch how much love for detail flows into the products that carry the reputation ‘Made in Germany’ to the world.

We are undergoing a phase of social and cultural transition in Germany right now, and I am convinced that design can help shape the country's image as future-oriented. Braun stands for design that is useful, simple, and durable. Those values can also serve as a guiding thread for Germany's future self image – a country that brings together sustainability, precision, and innovation. Design that is not based on short-lived trends but on a timeless, meaningful approach, as we experience it in Braun, could underline Germany’s pioneering role in sustainability and quality.


BM 12 Lady Shaver – 1972, designed by Florian Seiffert. Photo: © Braun.
Braun has greatly influenced the international world of design. Braun exhibits are in many prominent design museums. These products are not there only because of their aesthetics, but also because how they were developed. I often call it – even in English – the Braun-Haltung/Braun attitude, the philosophy and the reductionist process that leads to Braun Design.

Braun Classics, especially products from the 1950s and 1970s, are still in demand by collectors. At Braun we see those historical products not only as our heritage but also as a source of inspiration for future designs. We call this idea, Taking the Past Forward.

Sustainable design has always been a fundament of Braun philosophy. In the post-war period and in the 1970s, a shortage of materials and limited resources were big challenges for us and lead us to design functional and durable products.
Today we face similar but more global problems such as the climate crisis and energy shortage. This is why we still prefer minimalistic designs that both look nice but also save resources.

Dieter Rams summarized the idea as “less, but better.”

While the global market is increasingly dominated by cheap, throw-away products, at Braun we strongly believe that there us a place for high quality, fair-priced, and durable products. When we show people that a nicely designed product that works for eight, ten, or more years is not only cheaper but also consumes fewer resources, they recognize the advantage. The Braun attitude is now more relevant than ever!


* Benjamin Wilson, Industrial Designer & Scientific Communication at Braun.

LINKS:

braun.com/design-and-craftsmanship

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