schmiddem – Functionality Meets Emotion
The designs from Jochen Schmiddem prove that style and usefulness are not mutually exclusive – they complement each other.
“Design is the realization of emotions in products.”
Jochen Schmiddem
Intelligent design, combined with consumer friendliness and high emotional added value – the philosophy of designer Jochen Schmiddem is clear: New products should always be more useful than their predecessors, never requiring an explanation, while simultaneously producing an emotional experience. This philosophy is the foundation of Jochen Schmiddem’s work, and it is paramount in the schmiddem design studio in Berlin. Always looking ahead, the design of the new generation knows no stereotypical paradigms and is internationally considered to be groundbreaking.
schmiddem gives products a personality.
Jochen Schmiddem’s progressive ideas have enriched the world of product design since 1990.
He first trained to become a furniture maker, then studied painting, sculpting, and product design before working in international design offices for seven years. The “Jack of all trades” was in many individual and group exhibitions all over the world, including Paris, Tokyo, Vienna, New Delhi and Singapore. In 1997 he founded his own studio in Berlin.
schmiddem designs are marketed worldwide, for example in cooperation with the best-known manufacturers of bathroom products and sanitary facilities. A familiar partner in this discipline is Duravit AG. The pool-bath Blue Moon, which was designed together with Duravit, the design market leader for baths, was voted #1 in the category of emotionality and functionality in a Finnish trade fair survey; the Finns are well-known for their expertise in the field of wellness. Furthermore, Blue Moon was awarded the Good Deisgn/Chicago award and the IF Hanover award. The shower Cocoon, designed for Hansgrohe, made it all the way into Hollywood in Spielberg’s film “Minority Report”.
But the bathroom isn’t the only place where Jochen Schmiddem lets his creativity run wild. The design studio has gained a great reputation with small, multi-functional concepts which simplify everyday tasks and make life more comfortable and harmonious. From a paint roller holder to a stylish web-pad for women to the refreshing milk dispenser, the imagination of this designer from Düsseldorf knows no bounds.
With the “Loom Living” series, he provides more lifestyle in house and garden. Two examples of evidence of the perfect combination of functionality and emotion, to which schmiddem is dedicated, are the Swing hammock and the Moskitoo daybed.
Additional partners from schmiddem design include Bette, Metabo and Tchibo.
Numerous renowned awards and nominations – both German and international – have been bestowed upon schmiddem. The selection as “Product of the Year”, the Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum, the US “Product Innovator Award” and a distinction from the Centre Georges Pompidou are just a few examples of this company’s international reputation.
Facts
Jochen Schmiddem
1961 born in Düsseldorf
Completion of classical education
1979-1980 Training to become a furniture maker
1982-1984 Technical college for Design, received Vocational Baccalaureate Diploma
1984-1986 Studied object design in Aachen, focus on painting and sculpting
1986-1992 Studied product design in Wuppertal
1992 Received degree from Professor Ulrich Reif
1992-1997 Experience at international design studios
1997 Founded Schmiddem in Berlin