6 minute read
Discovering Design: FIFTYEIGHT Products
Next Article
Discovering DESIGN
by Rachel Crippin Clark
Founder and Head of Design of Germany-based FIFTYEIGHT PRODUCTS, Max Zimmermann shares how his company uses its design prowess to connect with consumers and build its brand.
TELL US ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF FIFTYEIGHT PRODUCTS. When we founded our 3D animation studio in
1998, we knew we also wanted to create products. Honestly, not at first to make a living with it, but because we ourselves were and are sincere fans of our 3D characters. The product part started in 2004 when we scored a fun viral hit with a seasonal greeting to our customers. In that video clip, two porcelain bowls (one with a sulking face and one with a grinning face) were ripping on each other even though everything was actually homey and decorated for Christmas. This viral went through the roof in Germany, so we started searching for someone to make these character bowls. It took a while, but we finally found a manufacturer in Germany who could deliver the quality of our 3D printed models in porcelain.
WHAT WAS YOUR GOAL WITH THOSE FIRST TWO PRODUCTS?
We wanted to take an extremely quality-driven
approach to inspiring people. It sounds highfalutin and a bit naïve, but we didn’t want to make products just for the sake of it.
EVERYONE SEEMS TO LOVE THE LIFELIKE AND RELATABLE QUALITY OF YOUR PRODUCTS. IS MAKING PEOPLE SMILE THE OVERARCHING GOAL?
YES. That is and always has been for us the core energy of our reason for bringing out a new product.
DID YOU EVER DREAM THERE WOULD BE SO MANY PORCELAIN TASSEN PRODUCTS BASED ON THE ORIGINAL TWO? (There are now over 125.)
When we saw the eyes of our first customers light up when they saw our porcelain and then the teapot came along, we knew we had to expand our dinnerware family. Even today, 15 years later, the porcelain family makes us extremely proud.
YOU STILL HAVE YOUR IN-HOUSE ANIMATION STUDIO. HOW DOES THE ANIMATION PROCESS INFLUENCE PRODUCT DESIGN AND VICE VERSA?
The development of our mugs is an interesting
example of this. When we showed the first character design ideas for our grumpy mug to our manufacturer, we found out the design had to be changed due to the impossibility of production. Luckily, we didn’t already animate our shorts because usually, the design and animations are the driver. In that case it was the production that dictated the design. There is a fruitful interplay, so to speak, between our animation and production branches of our company.
AND NOW YOU’VE ADDED EMOTICUP CHARACTERS— SIMILAR TO TRADITIONAL EMOJIS BUT USE MANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM YOUR TASSEN LINE.
If we are to believe the gigantic views from Giphy, then the Giphy animations will soon outstrip our films on YouTube in terms of views. But the YouTube films channel our brand much better. On the other hand, it’s great that our fans can comment on messages with our characters or start a conversation with them through our EmotiCups.
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FOR NEW PRODUCTS? We grew up with Japanese anime, European and
American comics and movies. The creators of Akira, Tintin and Spiderman, but also many underground comic characters, are true heroes for us. We have always breathed comic culture.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BRINGING A NEW PRODUCT FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY?
First, there is a requirement… let‘s take a
candleholder. During the scribble phase, we first draw different shapes with character design. When we feel the design is convincing, the drawing becomes more precise and different facial expressions are drawn. Suddenly we realized that our first candlesticks must be two cuddly characters, while at the same time the first ideas for a possible film are born. Then comes the 3D part: we model in virtual 3D space until every detail is perfect and export the data to our manufacturer. In the meantime, we already know what works and what doesn’t, but we still like to challenge the manufacturer to go even further to the limits of their production.
YOU ALSO NOW HAVE THE CEELING LINE AND HAVE EXPANDED TO OTHER NON-PORCELAIN PRODUCTS SUCH AS MAGNETS, DISHTOWELS AND BAGS. TELL US ABOUT THOSE.
With their completely different design and
manufacturing process, the CEELING light fixture covers turned out to be much more elaborate than our TASSEN line. We had many designs but decided to go with cute little “Happy Hermann” to appeal to our playful target group and the surreal-looking “Hand of Light” to appeal to our design-oriented target group. The dishtowels help in the kitchen, while the Super Bags help make the jump from the “beautiful home” out into the world.
WHAT’S THE SECRET TO BLENDING A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR WITH PREMIUM QUALITY PRODUCTS?
Our publicly accessible secret is that we don’t just
moments, you have a different relationship to the product. So, we want to get into the heart of our target group, because we also put our heart into the liveliness of our films. After that, we connect it with the outstanding quality with absolute love for details, elegant sweeps and overall design language.
YOUR PRODUCTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN 64 COUNTRIES. WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS THAT SEEM TO TRANSCEND CULTURE AND LANGUAGE?
The good thing is, we have two streams to approach our customers. One works through the product itself. You want to touch these shapes and run your finger over them to explore the details and feel how a little face made of porcelain feels in your hand. The other way is through the films. The films don’t speak all languages, but our Asian clientele is also thrilled by the vividness of the figures. What is fascinating is that we are also selling well in Arab countries, where products with applied patterns are more prevalent.
WE LOVED THE HOPEFUL BOWL AND THE CHARITABLE DONATIONS YOU MADE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. TELL US ABOUT WHY THAT WAS IMPORTANT AND HOW IT SUPPORTED YOUR BRAND STORY.
When the pandemic broke out, we immediately
knew what possible closures would mean for the retail business. Maybe we are too romantically naive, but since then we have been supporting the stationary trade in Europe exclusively with our new products for half a year. We also encourage our partners to register on our platform to tell the customers in which retail store our novelties can be bought. And because it doesn’t end there for us, we thought it would be a nice idea to launch a bowl named “Hopeful“ with a mask. We used some of the proceeds to support people and organizations who continued to do charitable work with limited means throughout the pandemic. We are incredibly proud that we managed to donate 58.000€!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR FIFTYEIGHT? We will continue to spread
optimism. We also want to devote more attention to portable items. We’ve taken the first step with the Travel Mug and the Super Bag. |•
