AUGMENTED THOUGHT
For 16 years, this collective headed by designer Marc Berthier, a leading figure of 1970s design, has been picking up international distinctions with discreet elegance.
While this team of around10 designers continues to maintain a degree of anonymity today, Eliumstudio can take pride in having elevated some of its creations to iconic status - their Lexon Tykho radio (1998) is exhibited at MoMA.
THE VISIONARIES CLUB
Never where you would expect them to be, these "Doc Browns" of the connected objects world transform their concepts into genuine media experiences for their users.
From the self-folding stroller to the hairbrush that analyzes capillary density, via an educational tablet for school kids, they fashion both tangible and virtual and inject some extra soul into 3.0.
Interview with Anne Klepper, Eliumstudio
Why did you prefer more of a studio approach rather than that of a design agency?
Anne Klepper: We started out working with the brand Lexon for whom we had a kind of "typeface" that was both global and very personal. We don't function according to a hierarchy or by the attribution of jobs. On the contrary, from the very genesis of a project, it is nourished by the influences and sensitivities of each of us.
What is "creating an object" to you?
A.K.: It's a general alchemy that invites us to keep stretching technical limits. We are very attentive to the sensorial rapport with an object and to its proportions. Our approach consists of working a lot on archetypes and materials, so as to make an object durable and slow down obsolescence.
Most of your collaborations are industrial. How do you manage to add a more personal touch?
A.K.: Today, boundaries are blurred; there's no longer a disconnect between an author's work and mass consumption. Our approach is timeless; we apply author's design to industry. We assist the client by making a large part of our work listening to them, so that the project is written in their brand history and finds coherence with its collections.
Protean, cross-disciplinary, trans-generational...it's hard to categorize your studio. How do you define it?
A.K.: We have a lot of different strings to our bow, but we remain first and foremost designers. What's close to our hearts is forming long-term partnerships with our clients; we like to progress and grow together. It's our way of doing things; we have forged genuine friendships.
For you, what does the restroom of the future look like?
A.K.: Today, it's still one of the few places left where you are alone, with no connection to the outside world. And it should remain a moment of disconnection from the ultra-solicitation of your senses and your attention, especially in offices. I work on lighting and soundproofing, precisely for preserving this moment of calm.
Anne Klepper, Senior Product Designer at Eliumstudio
Photo credits: Eliumstudio
