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PRODUCT DESIGN

Yeonsu Na – Emerging Absurdity

by Yeonsu Na

Emerging Absurdity is a series of five accessories for contemporary daily life. Drawing on everyday norms, the designs incorporate elements of humour and charm, while remaining rigorously constructed and thoughtfully resolved. The project includes a cigarette umbrella, a floss ring, a glue stick-inspired candle holder, a MagSafe cosmetic case, and a signature ruler. Each object responds to moments that are oddly specific yet strangely familiar. These are not solutions to urgent problems, but careful responses to emotional details. The designs take absurdity seriously, exploring how even the smallest gestures and habits can be elevated, questioned, or gently exaggerated through form.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Natsumi Komoto – Baya

by Natsumi Komoto

Baya is a lounge chair inspired by animal nests. Starting with the question “Why do humans need to create?”, I explored instinctive structures built by animals—nests where function and form merge, offering a pure model of creation beyond culture and ornament. Baya’s CNC-bent stainless steel frame is imagined as branches, hand-wrapped with leather strips to form a personal nest that blends industrial precision with primal gesture. Leather, used since ancient times, softens metal’s rigidity and symbolizes the deep bond between nature and humans. Its enveloping form welcomes varied postures and moments of reflection, while the reconfigurable design fosters long-term care over short use. Baya quietly asks what sustainability means—physically, emotionally, and philosophically.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Louis Bosnjak – Repose

by Louis Bosnjak

Traditionally, upholstered furniture is made from a mix of materials like wood, metal, polyurethane (PU) foam, glue, and fasteners—forming a complex composite that is nearly impossible to recycle. PU foam, the industry standard for comfort, is especially difficult to process and often ends up in landfills. Repose rethinks this system by replacing synthetic components with fully biodegradable, organic materials. Combining a cantilever wooden structure with flexible wood fiber panels, hemp cord webbing, kapok fibers, natural latex, and expanded cork, the project creates furniture that is comfortable, durable, and designed for biodegradability—offering a coherent, circular alternative to conventional upholstery.

PRODUCT DESIGN

James Caruso – The Catalog Collection

by James Caruso

The Catalog Collection explores the potential of designing furniture and home goods exclusively from standardized components in the McMaster-Carr catalog, bypassing much of the traditional manufacturing process. Using Fusion 360’s McMaster-Carr plugin, its extensive 3D library enables rapid experimentation with precise, digital parts—bringing new immediacy and efficiency to the concept of ready-mades. By eliminating the need for custom tooling and minimizing physical prototyping, the process reduces waste, streamlines workflows, and asks: What becomes possible when we stop designing from scratch and start designing from what already exists?

PRODUCT DESIGN

Liyah Tomashof – Ensemble

by Liyah Tomashof

Rooted in the Vaud region, Ensemble explores proximity as a tool for sustainable and ethical production. In a globalized world where materials and knowledge are increasingly detached from place and people, this project explores how the design process can reweave a return to local relationships: craft, territory, and creative practice. In collaboration with a local ceramic artisan, the project has resulted in a series of porcelain objects shaped through shared dialogue and learning. Alongside the objects, mapping, interviews, and documentation of regional artisans accompany the work—highlighting a method of making that is relational, grounded, and reciprocal.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Marco Ciacci – ACE

by Marco Ciacci

ACE is a collection of hearing aids and wearable hearing devices, made with cellulose acetate, a bio-based alternative to plastic, traditionally used in eyewear. This material brings warmth, tactility, and function to the hearing devices, aiming to reposition hearing aids in much the same way glasses have shifted from medical tools to desirable accessories. The design revolves around a modular system where core technology snaps onto interchangeable, adjustable frames crafted from cellulose acetate. The result is a collection that spans from cochlear implants and over-the-ear hearing aids to earbud-style and bone-conduction solutions for healthier listening.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Oscar Massaud – Sisyphe

by Oscar Massaud

Sisyphe is a loudspeaker designed for outdoor use, taking advantage of the acoustic and durability qualities of fiber-cement (also known as Eternit), a material never before used for this type of application. Frost-, shock- and weather-resistant, it guarantees long life and reliability. An enclosure you can forget about outside, without worrying about the weather. Sisyphe becomes a discreet companion, from garden to terrace, right into the heart of the forest. Like a large carved pebble, it blends into its environment, leaving only the music you want to dance to.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Jacob Kouthoofd Martensson – SoundTrack

by Jacob Kouthoofd Martensson

SoundTrack is a synthesizer video game that explores new ways of making and visualizing music. What began as a search for accessible musical interfaces—an instrument anyone could use—led to the discovery of how video games offer a precise bridge between physical input and digital possibilities. Inspired by children’s marble run games, SoundTrack merges complex digital music tools with simple, modular blocks, allowing players to build and shape their own soundtracks.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Min Xiyao – Hay Day

by Min Xiyao

HayDay — a low-tech comfort solution: a low sofa filled with hay that embraces simplicity, sustainability, and tactile warmth. In contrast to overly complex internal constructions, it offers a refreshingly honest and charming approach to lounging. Made from just a single rope, fabric, and straw, its minimalist structure highlights the beauty of essential materials. When the rope is untied, the sofa unfolds into a daybed, adding versatility to its humble and grounded design.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Takumi Ise – Ballection

by Takumi Ise

Ballection is a collection of balls, each designed to offer a distinct quality—whether charming, surprising, or playful. The series forms a creative exploration and a personal portfolio of the designer’s fascination with materials, techniques and approaches.

PRODUCT DESIGN

David Ortiz Quintero – Little Helper

by David Ortiz Quintero

In cities like Lausanne, where steep slopes are part of the everyday landscape, navigating the city can be a challenge. Developed in collaboration with Senior-Lab, the project begins with the observation of a simple yet essential object. Little Helper reimagines the personal shopping cart as a tool for independence, exploring how subtle technology can enhance everyday life. It features an electric tilt-assist motor system that reduces the effort of pushing or braking, easing the physical burden of movement without the complications or stigma associated with traditional mobility aids. The project sees technology not as a feature, but as an invisible ally, fostering a more dignified and intuitive relationship with the objects we rely on.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Carl Johan Jacobsen – Hardwear

by Carl Johan Jacobsen

In the U.K new court ruling threatens trans-people while the US government is doing a full assault on trans and female bodies. Hardwear is a collection of wearable objects offering a sense of protection in urban environments, as a response to a growing tendency of hostility towards the body. Hard surfaces become flexible armor, protective shields transform into high heels. Whether to preserve personal space on public transport or to create cognitive distance Hardwear aims to create a sense of security. By using hard materials, the feeling of being safe inside a car is transformed to the outside resulting in a line of wearable objects made for for everyday resistance. Drawn on protection typologies from sportswear, Hardwear is made of 100% recycled plastic with 3D printed elements.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Wei Li Chung – Timber in Motion

by Wei Li Chung

This project explores the potential of fully wooden adjustable furniture. In today’s life, seating often serves multiple functions—from working to resting. However, modern recliners tend to be robotic and over-engineered, using complex structures and mixed materials. Timber in Motion challenges this norm by using only wood. Inspired by traditional outdoor loungers, a locking system allows for multiple reclining angles, balancing functionality with wooden aesthetics. Timber in Motion also uses precise connectors by Swiss company Lamello, making the large structure completely flat-packable and easy to assemble.It integrates structural experimentation with logistical efficiency, addressing modularity and ease of transport.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Brice Tempier – Péninsule

by Brice Tempier

Due to limited housing capacity in urban areas, more people are living in small dwellings. At the same time, renting has become a common form of housing in many countries, including among adults. These conditions, sometimes marked by instability, frequent moves, and a feeling of not truly belonging to the place where one lives, led the designer to reflect on our relationship with domestic space, its temporary nature, and the difficulty of making it one’s own. This project takes the form of a small, mobile structure, the size of a bed, conceived as a personal spatial frame within a room. Péninsule is a dense and flexible living space, a micro-architecture open to appropriation.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Cedric Zimmerman – DUCTUS

by Cedric Zimmerman

DUCTUS is investigating how tangential fans can be reinterpreted in combination with spiral ducts, which are normally used in industrial HVAC systems, in a modular, energy-efficient ceiling ventilation system. The galvanised sheet metal is perforated locally using a specially developed laser manufacturing process and then processed into spiral ducts in an industrial standard procedure with almost no material loss. These ducts serve both as air ducts and as a supporting structure for the fan unit. The system, manufactured in collaboration with the Lausanne-based company Air Ventil, generates a wide, quiet air flow while also adding architectural accents.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Alicia Stricker – Stricker

by Alicia Stricker

Folly approaches the craft of beaded embroidery from a product design perspective. It explores the value of tactility above the visual aspects that the technique is traditionally valued for. Consequently, the project manifested as something that is experienced by the body - a sofa. Scaling up the traditionally small beads and applying principles of beaded embroidery in the development of a textile sofa cover allowed for the sofa to transcend its classic typology, creating a three-dimensional surface with a biological sculptural presence - an object that breaks the mould of what we expect of something as familiar as a sofa and begs to be experienced through touch.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Adam Friedrich – Airy

by Adam Friedrich

Airy is a research project that explores the use of air as a primary resource. It uses inflatable structures to protect valuable devices during travel. The design employs contemporary materials and pays particular attention to detail to offer relevant, everyday solutions for safeguarding increasingly fragile and valuable electronic devices.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Stool Story

with Christophe Guberan

‘Stool Story’ invited students to explore innovative, re-contextualised, or intriguing materials and production techniques to create a simple yet fundamentally structural typology: the stool. Each process was documented through a short, vertically formatted video. The result is a range of stools, each demonstrating a unique perspective and approach.

PRODUCT DESIGN

SolarPunk

with Philippe Malouin

SolarPunk is a design exploration into how increasingly accessible solar energy might shape and integrate into our everyday lives in the near future. Embracing a hopeful vision of sustainability, the movement challenges traditional perceptions of renewable energy by imagining creative, aesthetic, and functional uses of solar power. This collection of work was created by first-year Master’s students in Product Design at ECAL, under the guidance of designer Philippe Malouin. Developed specifically for the Soleil·s exhibition at the MUDAC design museum in Lausanne, the projects reflect bold experimentation and speculative thinking. Rather than focusing solely on efficiency or utility, the students explored poetic, playful, and sometimes unconventional applications of solar energy, highlighting the emotional and experiential potential of this technology. Among the featured works are two standout projects which have been developed and feature in the exhibition: ‘Solar Shade' by Carl Johan Jacobsen, a wearable hat that powers a cooling vest using flexible solar panels, and ‘Butterfly Sunglasses’ by Takumi Ise, simple lightweight eyewear that combines colour, movement, and solar functionality.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Designed in CH Made in JP

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

Designed in CH, Made in JP is a collaborative project between ECAL Master Product Design, Karimoku New Standard, and Presence Switzerland. From 13 April to 13 October 2025, representatives from countries across the globe will gather to showcase innovation, culture, and sustainability at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. For Switzerland’s pavilion, MA Product Design students at ECAL were tasked with designing a stackable wooden chair to be produced in Japan by Karimoku New Standard, intended to furnish the lightweight, bubble-inspired architecture by Manuel Herz. Under the guidance of Augustin Scott de Martinville, the class developed ten chair designs, each offering a distinct perspective. Some draw inspiration from the pavilion’s scenography, while others explore cultural iconography or celebrate the symbiosis between two nations—each unique in heritage yet united by shared values of craftsmanship and innovation. Of the ten designs, one was selected to be produced for the pavilion: HUG, designed by Jacob Kouthoofd Martensson and Min Xiyao, is a circular chair that stacks inversely—a feature that not only informs its name but also visually embodies the essence of collaboration. This versatile design accommodates a range of uses, from conferences to general pavilion seating. The final chair will be unveiled both in Osaka in the Swiss Pavilion at the World Expo 2025, and during Milan Design Week 2025, with the full project exhibited at the House of Switzerland.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Heat Pumps for Viessmann

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

Heat pumps are energy-efficient household climate systems essential for transitioning to renewable energy and combating climate change. Typically installed outside close-by to buildings, they are becoming common visual elements in urban landscapes, often resembling air conditioners with limited design variety across brands. To reimagine these essential typologies, Viessmann, a world leading Heat Pump producer, invited MA Product Design students from ECAL to develop innovative concepts, resulting in designs that challenge norms and explore new visual identities of heat pumps.

PRODUCT DESIGN

ReGrid

with Thélonious Goupil

During this one-week workshop led by Thélonious Goupil, edits were made to a ‘drop false ceiling’ in Bar Gala Lausanne. By hacking the system, playing with existing elements such as lighting or ventilators, the outdate ceiling was given new life without the need for full renovation.

PRODUCT DESIGN

One-Off 1/1

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

For this semester, students were invited to focus on the creation of a “One-Off” of their choice. They were encouraged to free themselves from the issues traditionally associated with industrial design - mass production, costs, market positioning, etc. The project concluded in a silent auction at the ECAL's traditional Christmas Market.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Transformations

with Studio Isabel + Helen

This workshop was led by Isabel + Helen Studio, a duo of London artists known for their captivating kinetic sculptures and installations. They blend art with movement to create playful and thought-provoking works. During the week, they guided students through the fundamentals of creating dynamic, moving sculptures. Using umbrella mechanisms, students created fireworks.

PRODUCT DESIGN

No Signal!

with Reed Kram

No Signal! Is the the outcome of an exploratory one-week workshop completed for, and now exhibited in, the Mudac’s exhibition ‘We Will Survive’, which delves into the world of ‘Preppers.’ Guided by designer Reed Kram, students from the MA Product Design program, worked in pairs to create solutions for a hypothetical scenario in which phones no longer work, the internet is down, and grid electricity is unavailable. Faced with this breakdown of modern infrastructure, their mission was to reimagine how we might fulfill one of humanity's most essential needs—communication.

PRODUCT DESIGN

SORTIR DU CADRE – ECAL + DECATHLON

with Camille Blin

On the occasion of Paris Design Week 2024, DECATHLON is partnering with ECAL's Product Design Master's programme to unveil "Sortir du Cadre", an installation showcasing two prototypes of electric-assisted trekking bikes based on research into eco-design. Through this collaboration, DECATHLON engages the younger generation of designers around eco-design themes. These concept bikes, envisioned by students from Product Design Master’s programme, express a vision of the future in which sustainable development and the pleasure of outdoor activities go hand in hand.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Yichen Wu – Haitang

by Yichen Wu

Haitang Stool is the result of a culture-based form study, a blend of tradition and democratic ubiquity. The popularity of the New Chinese Style demonstrates a growing recognition of traditional culture in the Chinese market. Building on extensive research into Ming-style furniture, this project aims to extract and bring its beauty to everyday objects, challenging the common perception that it only serves a select few. By redesigning the iconic red plastic stool, the local Monobloc alternative, Haitang Stool explores the communicative power of cultural forms while keeping its low cost and universal functionality.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Jiahao Huang – Foamless upholstery

by Jiahao Huang

Polyurethane foam has been taken granted as the go-to material in creating comfort and softness for upholstery and caused immense pressure to environment. This motivates me to use spacer fabric, which features a sandwich structure with 3 layers, knitted altogether one time by 3d knitting machine, as the alternative to PU foam. I developed a sofa with this particular material in the core. It is cushioned, padded and covered all by spacer fabric. Without glue nor staples, all components are designed to be easily assembled and separated. The concept spins around the inherent tension and flexiblity of the material that enables it to naturally form voluminous yet smooth shapes. The idea is to build the cushioning core and contacting layer in one piece of fabric wilhout stiching and triming.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Antonio Severi – VAC (Vacuum Assembled Composites)

by Antonio Severi

VAC focuses on assembling objects without conventional fasteners, using vacuum as a binder. This technique, known as «jamming,» originates from soft robotics but also occurs when vacuum-sealing goods like coffee. It increases friction between parts like glue but allows the process to be reversible. Various bags were filled with different materials, creating unique seating options that address technical challenges and explore material combinations. The project produced five chair prototypes using different methods, showcasing binding techniques that allow for easy separation and recycling, highlighting a commitment to sustainability and innovation.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Lilian Onstenk – uien

by Lilian Onstenk

Many discarded jackets have malfunctioning zippers. Before repurposing, textiles and hardware need to be separated within the recycling facilities—a labor-intensive procedure. The uien collection proposes a system in which the fabric and the zipper are easily exchangeable and separable. The cotton inner lining is connected to the water-resistant cotton outer fabric. Similar to a pillowcase, the felted wool insulation is encapsulated between the cotton layers without using additional fastening systems. The slightly modified zipper ties into the fabric and can easily be removed and replaced. uien aims for easier recycling but above all encourages consumers to replace broken items without special equipment or prior knowledge.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Loïs Weber – ilo

by Loïs Weber

A report from the Swiss Office for the Environmental forecasts annual summer heatwaves, increasing the number of «tropical» days (>30°C) throughout the year. In response to this phenomenon, some Swiss cities are seeking solutions to combat these urban heat islands. The Ilo project proposes a solution to address heatwaves in Lausanne. In collaboration with a local brick manufacturer, the cooling potential of bricks, which absorb and slowly evaporate water, has been harnessed in a modular seating installation, providing shade and refreshment. Adaptable to various locations, this installation can be deployed during the four months of summer heatwaves, thus improving urban comfort and fostering social interactions.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Fanny Marrot – Encore Bon

by Fanny Marrot

Encore Bon is a system designed to change the way we think about food waste by reusing existing unsold but consumable resources produced by supermarkets. These spoiled, less attractive products are often neglected, even though they have tasty and nutritious qualities. The Encore Bon system communicates and educates people about food waste whilst creating new products. Raw ingredients are collected and then combined according to their aromatic match using a dedicated application, creating new and unusual flavours. They are then dried to extend their shelf life. The result is attractive, tasty dry products that encourage consumers to take a different look at unsold food.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Aurelia Pleyer – With kind regards

by Aurelia Pleyer

The way we work is changing. Today, we no longer stay at a fixed desk in a single place but need flexibility and movement. As we perform a variety of tasks during the day, we wish for an equally diverse range of spaces to create, concentrate, communicate, and think within. With Kind Regards proposes an open way of working on two surfaces. Sitting or standing, the furniture explores different possibilities of work situations. The simple and direct, yet versatile structure uses wood to create a warm, welcoming surrounding. Encouraging to work in new ways, With kind regards is a flexible place for both short and longer E-Mails.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Justus Hilfenhaus – ECAL x ECAL

by Justus Hilfenhaus

ECAL x ECAL is a collaboration between myself and the institution. This project showcases a collection of objects designed and crafted at ECAL to address small yet significant problems I encountered during my time here. Each object, from classroom essentials to communal space enhancements, is created for optimal usability. With a galvanized steel finish, these items ensure durability and recognition, reflecting our contemporary architectural aesthetic. Crafted by ECAL artisans and myself, they represent our dedication to design, enhancing everyday life as they seamlessly integrate into our school environment.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Gabriella Duck Garnham – B+

by Gabriella Duck Garnham

Switzerland’s mobility infrastructure comprises of dynamic transport modes, from ‘hard’ steel tracks of train lines to ‘soft’ elements of buses and bikes. Soft elements are often the most accessible, making them essential in the mobility network to encourage people to use public transport. Traditionally, soft mobility infrastructure has been monumental, featuring concrete foundations and structures resistant to adaptation. Hence, they are difficult to adapt to the evolving needs of cities as they shift and grow, resulting in additional resources and even demolition. B+ is an ephemeral bus shelter for Transport Lausanne, designed to be secured on-site using local stone and timber, allowing for agile infrastructure that can shift and integrate with neighbourhoods as they develop.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Youssef Bassil – OoO_Out of Office

by Youssef Bassil

The average adult spends 24 hours a week on their smartphone, leading to health issues like eye strain, disrupted sleep, depression, anxiety, and reduced concentration. Many, especially Gen-Z, recognise smartphones are designed to capture attention and are switching to "dumbphones" – traditional mobile phones predating the iPhone. However, using a dumbphone daily ends up being impractical and frustrating. Modern society and services are tailored to smartphones for payments, transport, and more, alienating non-users. OoO_Out of Office offers a solution: an alternate device for basic communication, navigation, contactless payment, and tickets without distractions. Allowing users to stay connected and reach their destination without the overwhelming presence of a smartphone.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Altamirano Castro Eduardo – Sonido Material

by Altamirano Castro Eduardo

Today’s audio industry has turned loudspeakers into small, wireless, battery-powered plastic objects. To challenge this, I created the Sonido Material project, which explores the relationship between music and human experience, emphasizing our interaction with sound. The outcome is a minimal satellite flat speaker with three components. It uses magnetic energy to activate a paper membrane with a layered copper coil, amplifying the sound. Each prototype showcases the material’s rawness, creating a poetic dialogue with its sonic environment. The design is fully modular and dismountable, facilitating repair, recycling, or a variety of configurations/installations.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Sofia Biondi – Campana

by Sofia Biondi

Campana is the culmination of a collaboration with the Swiss company Ateliers Firmann, known for crafting cowbells and railings, leveraging their well-honed skills and tools. The outcome is a pair of lamps, each a different size, sculpted from curved and welded steel profiles. At the heart of each lamp, the bell itself shines as the light source. The aim was to transform the iconic bell from its traditional setting, giving it a new purpose. Just as the bell's sound guides and signals the presence of the animal, its light now graces domestic spaces with a gentle presence. The lamps are distilled to their essence: the radiant bell, the supporting structure, and a cable that connects these two distinct elements, all made under the same roof.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Louis Ferraz – Volume

by Louis Ferraz

Table and bench system for common spaces. The tension of the project resides in the contrast of visual heaviness with the actual lightness of this family of objects. Big-scale products to occupy large spaces in an efficient way. The lightness and flat pack of the big table and bench allow an agile installation, yet they are durable and sturdy objects. This was made possible by using very thin plywood filled with a cardboard honeycomb structure.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Clémentine Merhebi – 75

by Clémentine Merhebi

In 2023, a person residing in Switzerland consumes 140 liters of drinking water per day. Half of which is used for showering. 75 is a showerhead that saves up to ¾ of our consumption. Developed by SICT, its mechanism visually imitates but reduces the flow of a classic showerhead from 20 to 4 liters of water per minute. Deprived of its handle, it also represents a material saving by fitting in the palm of your hand. Assembled with a single screw, all its components can be separated, including its magnets, which offer different inclinations when in contact with its support. Like a canvas, this adhesive sheet deconstructs the architecture of the shower through a simplification of its systems and accessories, allowing us to better understand our consumption.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Meri Hozumi – Meno Mosso

by Meri Hozumi

Meno Mosso transforms consumers into creators through the traditional technique of «papier-mâché» – akin to “hariko» used for Japanese toys. In contrast to mass production and fast consumption through online shopping, crafting a Meno Mosso product is a meticulous and intimate process of layering and drying paper repeatedly. Formed with sustainable materials – scrap paper and starch glue – Meno Mosso’s slow crafting also fosters deep connections between creators and their products. Experiences are shared alongside loved ones and each Meno Mosso product bears your signature: symbolising the personal connection embedded in the unique piece made from your choice of used paper. Who would discard such products, nurtured with care, time and memories?

PRODUCT DESIGN

I as an Island

with Chris Kabel

Like Robinson Crusoe scavenged the wrecked ship for materials to build his home, First Year Master Product Design students, guided by Chris Kabel, were invited to delve into the flotsam of their creative minds for this open workshop. The workshop began with collecting, organizing, and analyzing creative flotsam and jetsam to create a self-portrait as a designer. Unrealized projects, obsessions and fascinations, irritations, vague dreams, (bad) jokes, and ideas too weird to talk about—all these resided within a designer's mind. Beginnings already existed: inspiring photos on phones, inviting materials, first ideas hastily scribbled down, quick sketches on paper, half-baked assemblages, or flimsy maquettes. These fragments and particles were analyzed to discover the kind of designer each participant was, extracting a direction for development during the week. This process of analysis, ideation, and translation, including the ‘end result,’ became visible as an island, shaped and populated by each individual's design process. It featured fragile beginnings, iterations, and the choices made along the way, culminating in a final conclusion shaped by material samples, shape research, 3D sketches, the development of a mechanism, a campaign, a film scenario, or whatever else was distilled from the initial flotsam.

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL X HORGENGLARUS The Future is... Older

by Youssef Bassil, Meri Hozumi, Altamirano Castro Eduardo, Sofia Biondi, Gabriella Duck Garnham, Louis Ferraz, Justus Hilfenhaus, Clémentine Merhebi, Fanny Marrot, Lilian Onstenk, Aurelia Pleyer, Antonio Severi, Loïs Weber, Yichen Wu, Tom Jacquérioz

Who will we be? What will we need? How will we live? What will design offer? “Between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double from 12% to 22%.” — World Health Organization Led by Tutor Sam Hecht and completed by first-year students of ECAL Master Product Design with input from the senior-lab, this project presents a range of objects designed for Horgenglarus that cater to the growing population of elderly users. The aim of these objects is to challenge the stereotypes associated with this frequently medicalised category, while leveraging Horgenglarus’s extensive expertise in wood-based craftsmanship.