Modern form follows modern function
Rolf Hay:
”Jakob Wagner was the first designer we worked with. At the time I didn’t know him. My good friend and former Paustian colleague, Christian Eppers, introduced him to me. Our mutual lack of experience and knowledge was compensated for by a bubbling and contagious enthusiasm.
Jakob had primarily worked with industrial design such as smoke helmets and other fire fighting equipment.
Jakob is an amazing designer of form. When he makes a chair you get the feeling that he has picked it up so many times and handled it to make sure that it was just right. He is quick to materialise his ideas and execute the final shaping. The dining chair JW01 is one of our bestsellers.
It is not loud, but extremely well executed. Jakob maintains a focus on functionality in his designs. He immediately gets stuck into the project and finds his bearings. With the risk of sounding sentimental I must say that we had a fantastic time starting up the HAY project. It may sound strange, but looking back I actually believe that out inexperience was one of the important reasons why our first products were so successful. It reminds me of how little knowledge and competencies mean if you cannot muster joy and excitement. We kicked it off together – and I still see Jakob Wagner as a permanent partner and a key part of our business.” |
