Erwin – how did your cooperation with Hager come about in the first place?

It began to grow like a small, delicate plant – slowly and from the bottom up.

What did that mean in practical terms?

At Hager we didn’t start with design itself, but with the design process –working on the method. You have a behind-the scene view of where we work, how we work and how we think. Before a plant can grow, it is essential for a root system to be laid down.

And after that?

Then we had to prove theory inpractice – and of all things, with a modular appliance! Right from the outset, the creative leeway was extremely limited. The smallest detail became the biggest challenge. But in close cooperation with Hager’s design engineers, we were plausibly able to show which direction things would go.

Tell us about this direction.

With our very first project we reached our initial goal – market acceptance. This resulted in increased confidence at Hager, leading to many more projects. And word finally got around to Hager’s management board. So that delicate plant gradually began to turn into a sturdy tree, with roots based on understanding and trust.

What has been the most exciting product you have designed for Hager?

It’s not always the product itself that is exciting. The initial sighting makes it exciting. A sports car may appear interesting at first glance, a light switch after a second look and a modular appliance after the third. One has to keep looking until the product reveals its most hidden features. Seen from this perspective, Hager has only exciting products!

Sounds fascinating! Could you please go into more detail?

The elation created by Hager products is not only surface related – it goes much deeper. Hager offers us a rare opportunity to open up the entire spectrum of our creative ability, enabling us to consider the most minute detail which is often invisible. The designer becomes an explorer, even if he or she just sits at a drawing board. The deeper I can delve into things, the more fascinated I get – and the more satisfied I am in the end.

Which Hager products do you use at home?

Interestingly enough although I live in France, I use the German kallysto¨ switchline. Mind you I don’t view ‘my’ switches as trophies on the wall but as vital research objects, which over the course of time will provide me with useful feedback. This is rather different from laboratory tests or group discussions. Who knows what opportunities such long-term experience will disclose – openings which can then be integrated into the development of existing products or the creation of new ones.

How will Hager’s design change in the coming years?

In the past electricity used to be associated with danger. In the meantime it has become our friend. Hager has made a considerable contribution to this development. It has actually given energy a face and, even in the current discussion about energy, it must not lose this face. In addition to safety and reliability, an emphasis is increasingly being placed on ecology and sustainability. The individual needs to experience these aspects first-hand via products – without neglecting technological and aesthetic aspiration.

How many products have you already designed for Hager?

No idea … quite a lot!