Expert meeting: Living and working in the future

Flexibility is ever more important. Raphael Gielgen, trend scout for furniture manufacturer Vitra, explains why this is an opportunity for interior design. Markus Föllmi, Head of Innovation at Hawa Sliding Solutions, takes a look at the interface between vision and feasibility.

The speed of change in recent months has come as a surprise even for trend researcher Raphael Gielgen. In the video interview he talks about what this “epochal moment” means for designing living and working spaces. He finds his inspiration mostly in everyday life— for example, in the folding box that many people keep in their vehicles. He thinks about how the mechanism of this smart box might be applied to the use of spaces. Out-of-the-box thinking in the truest sense of the word.

Head of Innovation Markus Föllmi is always on the lookout for innovative ideas. He and his team are working on new solutions for flexible spaces. Collaboration with designers and architects is a crucial factor in the development process. Yet another valuable source of inspiration is the expertise of craftsmen and women. Looking at solutions from different angles helps Markus and his team develop new ideas and simplify the use of existing products.

In the video, Raphael Gielgen tells us which trends he considers to be the most important and Markus Föllmi describes how unconventional thinking and practical implementation can be reconciled.