Simon Husslein
Simon Husslein was born in Werneck, Germany, in 1976 and studied industrial design from 1995 to 2000 at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. From 2000 to 2005, he worked closely with his mentor and friend Hannes Wettstein at Wettstein’s studio in Zurich. From 2005 to 2007, he completed a master’s degree in Design Products at the London Royal College of Art. Subsequently, he led a number of projects in London and Shanghai and lectured at Shanghai’s Tongji University. Between 2008 and 2014, he put his mark on a large number of projects at the Studio Hannes Wettstein in Zurich where he was creative director and member of the executive committee. In 2015, he founded the Atelier Simon Husslein. Simon Husslein develops products, furniture, installations and spatial design. Since 2017, he is a professor of Interior Architecture at Geneva School of Art and Design (HEAD – Genève).
Red Dot in an interview with Simon Husslein
Red Dot: What makes the products designed by you special?
Simon Husslein: My goal is to link archetypical design techniques with a contemporary design signature. If that works the result is indeed extraordinary.
Which of your products are you particularly fond of?
Products that are special to me are those that are not yet on the market and that can be further improved by looking at them in a self-critical way.
What makes for good design?
Good design is a decisive factor in ensuring that a product can maintain its hold on the market for an above-average length of time.
How can participants in the competition surprise you?
With self-deprecation. This seldom happens as it requires confidence in dealing with the field of design. All the more, it contributes to the positive perception of a brand.
