Strichpunkt GmbH

For over 25 years, Strichpunkt Design has been one of the leading creative agencies in Germany. Founded by Kirsten Dietz and Jochen Rädeker, today 140 specialists stand for the agency’s consistently high level of design. Their portfolio comprises sustainable brand transformations for corporations as well as publications that surprise with unique design aesthetics. The Bosch Megatrend Reports are clearly in the best hands here ...

Interview with Strichpunkt GmbH

Red Dot: What is the objective of the Bosch Megatrend Reports?
Strichpunkt GmbH: As a research publication and with experts involved from technology, business, philosophy, sociology, political science, ethics and risk research, the reports explore a broad range of topics. For Bosch, a free and open view from the outside is particularly important. It helps to identify future trends, points out new paths and provides impulses for discourse, as well as for strategic and technological decisions.

How do you approach the conception of the volumes?
What is special about the Bosch Megatrend Reports is that they are truly collaborative and are created together with Dr. Andrej Heinke from Bosch Future Research. Since 2015, our collaboration has been very intensive on both sides and thus enormously enriching. The concept is created in tandem – inspired by our “mentor” Alexander Kluge.

The visualisation is exceptionally versatile. How many creatives are involved?
We work on it in a small team for about three quarters of a year, alongside other projects. Bianca and Stephie create the amazing illustrations and the many infographics, while I bring everything together and design the layout and the photo spreads. It is important to us that each report is completely different from its predecessor – in design, in processing, in format.

The reports are visually independent of the brand image. Should more companies dare to make this kind of self-confident “understatement”?
On the one hand, the Bosch Megatrend Reports are independent of the brand’s visual identity. On the other hand, they still strongly reflect the special DNA of Bosch and the future-oriented, pioneering spirit of the company. This attitude and openness to think new and far also inspires the brand itself and all those who shape and live it on a daily basis. In this sense, every company would benefit from such somewhat “extremist” communication formats.

Would you agree that the report is a very good argument in favour of print?
Absolutely. The Bosch Megatrend Report is deliberately a printed and very sensually prepared medium. It is intentionally not a fast medium. It demands my time – even the texts don’t read quickly. As a reader, I have to get involved, am allowed to meander, make references and connections: it is a real broadening of horizons in difficult times!