Siedle design: shaping the future

When it comes to matters of design, Siedle has long known that it's all about employing a good designer! Eberhard Meurer was Head of Design at Siedle for around 40 years, and answered any and all questions relating to good design. Shaped by Bauhaus and Ulmer Schule as well as product designers such as Dieter Rams, Meurer gave a face to the Siedle brand. In doing so, not only did he shape products, he created a brand identity - the corporate design follows the same principles as product design: It is systematic, durable and intuitive.

"Siedle's design is pared back to the essential functions, is timeless, durable and does not pander to fads." – Eberhard Meurer

This statement remains as valid as ever. Particularly in regard to the system design, which is the basis for maximum freedom when it comes to use. The rules for the system design ensure that each requested function can be implemented in a completely individual yet aesthetically clean way within a uniform framework.

Today, Siedle continues to develop their design without their long-standing Head of Design – yet his impact remains. Eberhard Meurer has left Siedle with a vast life's work of lived design culture. And we have used this to develop a manifesto for good design: our 10 Siedle design guidelines. The aim was to capture and convey the spirit that inspired Eberhard Meurer – and in turn the Siedle brand. This is a spirit that is open, innovative and embraces the future. After all, good design is imperative – it's about shaping the future.

How do you create a good design? Our answer remains the same: Employ a good designer! But since the good designer is no longer at Siedle, we were faced with a new task: Define what good design means to us. And find a designer that's right for us. Siedle has done both. We have set out what design means to us in our manifesto. And we have found a designer who can help us make our visions of the designs of tomorrow come to life: Eric Degenhardt.

Born in Cologne, Eric studied architecture before setting up his own industrial design studio in 2000 . Since then, he has created furniture, packaging, and architectural spaces for international clients – and products for Siedle. Working closely together, he developed the Siedle Basic product line and the Siedle Axiom communication centre and provides Siedle with ongoing advice on matters of design.

Both Basic and Axiom have won renowned design awards. And while the opinion of design experts is important, what is most important is what the people who use Siedle products day in, day out think. For users, it's all about user-friendliness and easy day-to-day operation – including digitally. When it comes to touchscreens, displays and app interfaces, what matters is usability for an optimum user experience with a suitable UX design. Working together with Eric Degenhardt, Siedle strives to shape the future: with new products and digital offerings which meet our high design and usability standards and are more than simply a design statement. Together we are shaping the future – and have big plans ahead of us.