2_0_DiscoverGermany_July 2015_Issue28:Scan Magazine 1
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Discover Germany | Design | Squareone
“Businesses need to have more trust these days,” Trauernicht continues. “The buzzword in social media today is ‘share’ and that’s exactly what we enjoy doing, just look at the highly effective workshops on patenting that we host, as well as the successful strategies that we develop for such a variety of companies.” According to Trauernicht, small and medium-sized businesses in Germany and Europe are still in a lull, but there are big changes afoot. “As more companies attempt to establish the role of innovation managers, we see that former attitudes need to be left behind. New products and services are adopting a much more innovative development process, but such exploits require external support. This forward-thinking perspective that these companies are seeking can only be fulfilled by those who really live within this realm.” As veritable experts within their field, both Trauernicht and Topel are undeniably in a position to advance companies, products and machines. Doubling as the founders of Squareone and as esteemed professors at the University of Wuppertal, they unite theory, practice and reality on daily basis when it comes to developing new products – and attuning them to the market. Moreover, as specialists in protection rights for intelligent product systems, Squareone can guarantee full copyright protection to their clients, thereby securing their investments.
then they have the opportunity to decide upon how a final product will be received and potentially realign it to suit the market,” they continue. Every machine has a message Consumers, they explain, have a radar for quality; they judge a product based on its design language – the message it gives. “Every object, machine and form speaks to the onlooker and it is up to the designers to use their expertise to translate value, quality, systematic characteristics, functionality and the promise of usability into approachable and understandable communication from the product itself. The impact of this leads the onlooker to consider the product, thus our radar for quality is engaged." Frequently, inconsistent design language means that terms are thrown around and consumers are left confused with little understanding of the technical complexity of the terms. But, the pair stresses, they do recognise – thanks to their radar – which products exude a higher promise of quality. The vocabulary within the design language can range from any element, including clearance, technical construction principles,
right through to colour, texture and smell. “When it comes to assessing quality, language is largely untrained. Often we succeed in sensing that a construction is too weak, too fragile, or too heavy, and such observations stem from our highly sensitive radar that perceives the quality of a product,” they explain. To tackle such complexities, Squareone turn to their ‘Cube of Innovation’, a tool that activates ‘Design Thinking’ as well as the TRIZ method, proven to successfully solve technical issues. And the more designers and engineers cooperate in depth, then they won’t just be rewarded with fulfilling and motivating work, but also with the knowledge that they’re building long-lasting, satisfied clients. www.squareonegmbh.de
Main image: Cube of Innovation Top: “Every machine has a message”, product development for ELHA: Product design perfectly communicates the technical and systematic competence. Bottom: System and shell component development for Dornbracht: “Always looking behind the core function to bring inner and outer values in total harmony.“
When developing products, the pair believes steadfastly in a broad team approach. “If engineers and designers collaborate during the initial stages of the design process,
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