Our first interview since our quest for the best interview question features Octopus Design's Reinhard Zetsche. Reinhard is the designer behind the Hansacanyon ambient faucet and one of the designers of wood.e electrified wood. We actually sent him the top 10 questions as created by, and voted by, you. Coincidentally, the one modern day conveniences he can not live without? The car, "my wish would be that it fits into my pocket...". Full interview after the jump.

The Hansacanyon ambient faucet up close.

What two modern day conveniences can you not live without? How you would change/improve them?
I would have to admit, it’s the car. And my wish would be that it fits into my pocket…

When designing an object, do you start by thinking about the use first, or do you put design first?
Good concepts have a certain sex appeal about them, as do good designs: it’s all in the mix. I don’t have a standard procedure – I work intuitively. Spur-of-the-moment ideas sometimes go beyond conceptual thinking, but so do formal approaches…

When you walked out of your house this morning, what's the first thing that grabbed your attention?
Hundreds of pigeons perched on the roof of the house across the street. The pidgeon is a strange bird – if it wasn’t so pathetic, it’d have taken the leading role in the Hitchcock movie.

Is sustainability a design issue and how does this influence your work?
Yes, to a certain degree. Beyond that, you’re deluding yourself if you think you can actually organise your life in a sustainable way.

How do you think your design is helping to advance the current state of human civilization?
Please, let’s not get above ourselves: if a good design adds a splash of colour to our otherwise grey day, that’s a lot in itself…

trans|alpin's wood.e, a composite material made of pre-formed wooden elements with metal layers so that electrical elements, ie., lamps, can be plugged directly into the wood without any cables.

The world is already full of stuff; why do you make/design more?
That may be a truism, but it’s true: as long as there are living beings walking the planet, they will try to cultivate it (whether that’s in it’s best interests is debatable). Although there’s no alternative, this is no carte blanche to act wrecklessly: we have a responsibility. Repeat, we have no choice!

Do you take cost into account when outlining the goals of a design?
Of course! Costs are critical to the survival of any good product development. But not too slavishly – design processes often taken on a life of their own. Alternative approaches tend to spawn new products which can be configured for new target groups, new products – new markets – so what …

Koziol Powerflower water dispenser.

What's your favorite shape found in nature?
The smile in the face of our new-born baby boy valentine ...

Are there any things or categories of things that you won't design? Why?
I don’t think categorically, but still, there are boundaries I wouldn’t cross…

Art Deco, Mid-Century, Post-Modern… is it possible to describe the design era we're currently in?
Sure, design has become “intellectualised” to a certain degree since the various post-modern movements, but you’d be mistaken if you thought that because of this there has been a revolution of reason…

Is style superficial unless the product evolves the function/system of the object?
I don’t think so! “form” affects you deep down mentally, although a function-first approach is definitely a good way to go.

What's next for you?
I would like to redesign the unloved euro. I’m sure I’d come up with better results than the miserable, faceless, compromised banknotes we have today…

+++

VITAL STATS
Full name: reinhard zetsche/ octopus-design
Location: munich / germany
Size of team: 3, also member of „transalpin“ (q.v. „wood.e“), and cooperation with dr. bruno sacco
(former head of daimler-benz designgroup)
In business since: 1987
Claim to fame projects:
Spare time: love arts

MEDIA FAVES
Favorite website(s):
What music is on your iPod or radio?
Your favorite magazine(s): economic magazine ”brand eins”, ”wallpaper“, “Cicero”
Last or current book you are reading: stefan zweig: ”die welt von gestern”
Last movie you saw: ”vitus“ by fredi m. murer