ECAL x Punkt. A collaboration between Punkt. and ÉCAL
Lugano-based consumer electronics manufacturer Punkt. has been working in collaboration with the Product Design MA students and staff of ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne, to develop prototypes of potential future Punkt. products. Eight prototypes have been selected for display at the prestigious Fuori Salone fringe event that surrounds the Salone del Mobile in Milan this April.
The collaboration resulted from an approach made by the Product Design department at ECAL, and took the form of the students designing products to fit within Punkt.’s design brief. Petter Neby, Punkt.’s founder and president, was pleased to get involved. He has always been keen on working with the educational sector, saying “It’s always good to maintain links with each new generation of designers. It keeps our business fresh, which is good for us, but I do also believe that companies have a duty to contribute to the education of people they will eventually be wanting to employ.”
Petter visited ECAL at the beginning of the project, and explained to the students about the ethos that underpins everything Punkt. does: technology shouldn’t impede the subtle nuances of human communication and interaction – it should be servant, not master. He also gave the students valuable insights into the realities of creating consumer electronics products, including costing, components, supply chains, certification and safety issues. The students then got to work, designing products that would be in keeping with this real-world design briefing.
Also involved was the Jasper Morrison Office for Design. Jasper Morrison is a British product designer of immense international standing within the global design scene. He was selected by Punkt. at the very beginning of the company, as Petter felt that his emphasis on combining minimalism with practicality exactly fitted with what Punkt. was planning to achieve. Jasper Morrison’s chief designer, John Tree, worked with the students mid-way through the course, assisting them in the secondary phase of the design process.
Thilo Alex Brunner, head of ECAL’s Product Design MA course, was responsible for approaching Punkt. He said: “To co-operate with both Petter and the Jasper Morrison Office for Design means a great deal for us, since we share many ‘Swiss’ design values such as efficiency and simplicity – but always with an element of surprise.”
The culmination of the project will be a display of eight prototypes within Punkt.’s display area at the stunning Palazzo Litta during the Fuori Salone design festival in Milan.
The final-year students product ideas are diverse and range from weather stations to wall printers, and torches to televisions.
James was born in Belize, and is based in the UK and Switzerland. His design work gravitates towards the materiality of objects, combining aspects of material science, sustainability and design application – often developing new hybrid materials and processes.
TL 01 Torch LampThe torch is no longer confined to the drawer: a true essential, rechargeable and always ready. Select an ambient arc of light that liberates both hands, or a precise projection using high-quality optics. Perfect for early risers and late arrivers
After graduating from the Limoges Art and Design School in 2013, Jérémy worked as an intern with Ismael and Nathan Studer in Neuchâtel before beginning his master’s degree at ECAL. His work is based on how function can be designed in human terms, in a way that combines starkness of form with both intelligence and humour. Each of his products reveals both in-depth research into the history of architecture and design, and his passion for technology and materials.
DC 01 Digital CameraHolidays and special events can sometimes feel like film sets, as we become more and more distracted by the process of transferring, sorting and uploading pictures. The DC 01 takes great photos, but what helps you keep the focus on the here and now is its high-capacity battery and extra-large memory – which mean that you don’t need to keep running back to your computer every day – and it is always ready to ‘point and shoot’
Lucas studied Ceramic Design in Limoges, graduating in 2013. He likes to question the role of an object in everyday scenarios, searching for innovation and simplicity in the design language involved, and finding new and intriguing solutions to old problems.
ES 02 Extension SocketThe ES 02 gives you only as much cable as you need. That includes no cable at all, if you’re on the road and want to travel clutter-free. It’s neat and tidy stored in a cupboard as well.
Kevin graduated from a two-year design degree course in Villefontaine, France, in 2009 and spent the next two years working as a welder and boilermaker. He then went on to study at the European Academy of Art in Brittany (EESAB), graduating in 2013; parallel to this he established his own engineering workshop in Brittany.
WS 01 Weather StationUse the built-in magnets to instantly attach the WS 01 to a window. Let the sun provide the power. See today’s temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure at a glance. Easy.
Jaehoon was born in 1983, and grew up in Ulsan, Korea. He studied industrial design at the Seoul National University of Technology, and after receiving his BA in 2009 he worked for furniture manufacturing company Hanssem for three years. He left the company in 2013 to open his own studio, with clients including Karatspb, a Russian artificial marble company, and Lamarzocco, an Italian coffee machine manufacturer; he also continued to work for Hanssem on a freelance basis. As part of his collaboration with these clients, his work has been shown at several design fairs – including, both in 2013, the Moscow International Furniture fair and the Moscow Architecture Fair.
TP 01 Tilting ProjectorIf a projector is not mounted on a stand at exactly the right height, and aimed at a perfectly vertical surface, it is normally necessary to spend time adjusting the beam to suit. The TP 01 has a simpler solution: it tilts, job done.
After completing his BA at Korea’s Hongik University, Dongkyun worked for Motorola CXD at their Seoul studio. After three years, he resigned and took up woodwork in order to focus more on design products for the home and office . He was also selected for a design residency in Seoul Design Media City, working on furniture design. His diverse background has given him a wide range of skills and broad horizons within the field industrial design.
CC 01 Corner ClockThe CC 01 is a simple product revisited, a clock with a twist. It allows you to make use of an often underused part of a room, and to do so with flair.
Nadine is a Swiss-Japanese designer. After receiving her undergraduate degree from the Basel Academy of Art and Design in 2013, she went on to take up the opportunity of doing conceptual work in Paris with Gabriele Pezzini, before a period working at the Drill Design studio in Tokyo. For Nadine, design means always having ears and eyes open for new things. She sees herself as a communicator – it is important to her to be able to tell stories through designs and to move people with new ideas.
WP 01 Wall PrinterReceive your print like a letter arriving through a letterbox. Based on a complete reworking of traditional cartridge design, the WP 01 prints black-and-white documents and liberates crowded desks.
Born in Denmark in 1986, Terkel studied for his BA in Industrial Design at the Centre for Architecture & Design in Aalborg. Between 2011 and 2014 he gained experience at a series of Danish companies, including MENU and &Tradition; in 2012 he began working in HAY’s furniture department, doing product development and in-house design. Also in 2012, he opened his own studio, Madebywho (www.madebywho.dk), together with his friend Hans Toft Hornemann.
IR 01 Internet RadioThe sheer range of internet radio stations can be overwhelming: finding out what’s playing normally means dealing with drop-down menus and browser shortcuts. The IR 01 is a dedicated unit that allows you to flick through different stations with ease.