Sticking to your principles, from zero to hero
KEY TAKEAWAY:
Building a studio to pursue an unorthodox design approach may be difficult to start with but it pays off: German industrial designer Sebastian Herkner explains why, and how he coped when no-one noticed him

Industrial designer Sebastian Herkner is a perfect fit for contemporary, climate-change conscious times: he is passionate about revamping crafts but doesn’t disdain technologies, he is an expert on materials, devoted to sustainability, local production and durability. And, cherry on the top, he runs a studio-workshop in the German town of Offenbach rather than a big design destination. Needless saying, when he started, in 2006, all these choices made him sound almost like a weirdo. Back then, the design community was totally focused on digital technologies, new plastics, and global manufacturing processes. While cities where thriving on gentrification and industrial looks,…