Phoenix Design

Touchingly meaningful, dynamic and aesthetic. Balance beam, side horse and asymmetrical bars in a new shape, not only sporting the athletic quality of gymnastical achievement, but also – and even especially so – their aesthetic quality.

VESSEL 20 / 5 is a watercraft to be used in the maritime and urban context as a collective and individual mobility supplement. The compact design unites elements from boat building and architecture and thus consistently adapts to a new environment and completely new user needs. The open stern allows a smooth transition from the mainland to the vehicle, while the semi-enclosed body ensures protection, comfort and privacy. The watercraft is freely available for use. Sharing trips and taking other means of transport is an integral part of the design. In this way, VESSEL enables the emergence of new mobility chains, which in their consequence relieve and expand the usable space of the city.

Collector - Intelligent Drum Kit. Stereotypically, drummers are the symbol of loudness and powerfulness. However, the essential emotion that connects drummers and drumming is curiosity – the eagerness to explore. Collector is an intelligent drum kit that empowers drummers to freely explore the world of sounds to fulfill their curiosity. The concept consists of three products: the drum kit, the smart module, and smart drumsticks. The smart module and drumsticks allow drummers to collect sound samples for their drums by exploring the surroundings. The drum kit is designed to be effortless to set up and tear down, flexible to transport, and easy for drummers to customize the configuration. The design is compact and lightweight, with a minimalistic and modern design language, which fits in various contexts. Collector can be played well through headphones at home - no more trouble with the neighbors.

Credits: Tianchen Liu, Master Thesis, Delft University of Technology. Mentoring: Jan Willem Hoftijzer, Dicky Brand; Sven Feustel, Principal Designer, PHOENIX Academy.

Subtle Shadow – Shadow Light. Tension and relaxation in the right proportions ensure well-being and promote creativity. With the concept of the shadow lamp "subtle shadow" for the desk, the user has the opportunity to control his own individual need for light and shadow. The minimalist design can be integrated into the modern office landscape, the personalisation option guarantees its longevity. Acoustically effective paper technology with grooves on the surfaces are used for sound insulation, the fine shadow stripes throw a subtle calm onto the table. Paired with an OLED plate and bending sensor as well as flexible spring steel links, the subtle form of "subtle shadow" adds that extra touch of poetry that enriches the office environment. Impressions on Youtube >>> Credits: Tiantian Xu, Diploma Thesis, University of Offenbach. Mentoring: Prof. Peter Eckart; Sven Feustel, Principal Designer, PHOENIX Academy.

Cycling in urban areas is becoming increasingly popular. As part of his bachelor thesis, Christoph Wackher has developed a sustainable concept which among others optimizes the daily cycle routes according to personal preferences. The cyc service could complement existing general micro mobility solutions – smart devices. The cyc service is controlled via an app that corresponds to a data carrier on the bicycle. The app provides digital access to your own cycling behavior as well as daily updates (big data). At the same time, information gained by all users can be the basis for general infrastructural measures. As an IoT solution, "cyc empowering cyclists" brings together the different requirements of the various parties involved in the system. Credits: Christoph Wackher, Bachelor Thesis, University of Pforzheim. Mentoring: Prof. Thomas Gerlach; Sven Feustel, Principal Designer, PHOENIX Academy.

DUOTEC – Autonomous Building of the Future. Architecture represents the spirit of its age and societal conditions. The dilemma between an immensely growing demand of construction materials and finite resources calls for a new thinking in the construction industry. The necessity for ecologically sensitive building means that traditional practices must change. The analysis of biological constructions and their execution in architecture and technological systems plays an ever more important role. Architecture and construction will, in the future, move even closer together at the interface of computer-aided design, additive manufacturing, material technology, and synthetic biology. The DUOTEC concept represents a mobile robotic system for realising extremely lightweight and stable architectural structures according to prototypes found in nature. One of the robots builds individual modules of the structure which are then combined and closed in a planar manner by the second robot. State-of-the-art coiling and printing processes using fibre compound materials make it possible to use only minimal material quantities while offering individual design opportunities. The aim of the concept design is to illustrate the potentials of new technologies, to inspire, and to present food for thought. Credits: Tony Jankowski, Bachelor Thesis, HTW Berlin. Mentoring: Prof. Birgit Weller; Sven Feustel, Principal Designer, PHOENIX Academy.

Mobilität ist eines der höchsten Güter des Menschen. Das Ziel der Selbstbestimmung und Unabhängigkeit bis ins hohe Alter wird zunehmend eine größere Herausforderung für unsere Gesellschaft. Bundesweit sind u.a. aktuell mindestens 2 Mio Menschen im höheren Alter auf Rollatoren angewiesen. Die Zahl der über 65-Jährigen von heute 17 Mio wird bis zum Jahr 2050 auf etwa 23 Mio steigen, so das statisches Bundesamt. Das Erkennen solch einer Thematik, es zu bewerten und reflektierte Lösungsansätze zu erarbeiten, sind essenzielle Methoden in der Phoenix Design Academy. Hierbei ist zum Beispiel eine Neuinterpretation eines klassischen Rollators entstanden. Die Interaktion und die Nutzung im jeweiligen Kontext standen im Focus. Mit dem E-Rollator LOOP wurde in der PHOENIX Academy ein sehr charaktervoller Archetyp geschaffen, der durch seine selbsterklärende Bedienung besticht und technischen Support in den Hintergrund stellt. Durch den elektrischen Antrieb wird dem Benutzer ein größerer Aktionsradius angeboten, somit mehr Sicherheit und Unterstützung auf den unterschiedlichsten topografischen Gegebenheiten im Alltag. Komplettiert wird der E-Rollator durch eine intelligente Beleuchtungsanlage – bessere Orientierung und bessere Sichtbarkeit: sehen und gesehen werden. Be connected and safe: eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung. Auch über das Smartphone wird eine Standortübermittlung möglich sein. LOOP eine weitere Lösung für eine neue dynamische Mobilität.

AR Airport Navigation App. Augmented Reality (AR) is finding its way into our daily life. This technology which has been explored in experiments for quite a while in the large research laboratories and universities is now ready to enter the mass market, being already accessible as smartphone applications or special hardware. The areas of application extend from games via learning environments all the way to practical deployment in warehouses or production facilities. The basic principle – overlaying reality with additional digital information – offers promising possibilities for displaying information in a large number of contexts, wherever it is needed. In the course of the project "AR Port", Yijian Lan and Alexander Kübler have dealt with the topic of Augmented Reality. In a first step, they analysed which technological possibilities exist today, and how design principles might be deduced from these via an experimental approach. In parallel, they developed an exemplary interaction scenario in which they transfer the principles defined by them to the context of an airport. From navigation via searching for information all the way to practical travel tips, a concept and prototype has evolved which shows the benefits of Augmented Reality. Credits: Yijian Lan / Alexander Kübler, Bachelor Thesis, Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd. Mentoring: Florian Geiselhart; Prof. Jörg Beck; Moritz Kemper, Senior Designer / Phoenix Design.

Today, a journey takes place via many different stations from a starting location to a destination location. However, the stations are often independent of one another, offering no coherent connection. The airplane offers the opportunity to get from point A to point B fast and conveniently. However, the service user experience is not at all central; rather, the focus is on DIN standards and efficiency. Amid the fierce airline competition, however, passenger service can present a competitive edge. An holistic, innovative “Food Service Experience” in particular can play an important role here. The concept includes a new approach to on-board services, both in terms of thinking and packaging: new and innovative packaging (heated at the push of a button), a bottle as a travel companion, and two intelligent refillable service units. All these components together constitute a new “Food Service” system, making it possible to simplify service processes, to make life easier for the flight attendants, and to offer passengers a personal, individual, holistic user experience. Credits: Philipp Emmert, Bachelor Thesis, Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts & Design. Betreuer: Prof. Detlef Rhein; Sven Feustel, Design Team Manager.

NONO – Change the way you hear the world. In a world that’s always getting faster and more bustling, where more and more people move to the cities, and where our surroundings get louder and louder, we often feel overwhelmed by the background noise. What if each of us could design their own soundscape? What if we were free to hear and listen to what we want to, whenever we want to? NONO now offers each user the option to design their very own personal sound backdrop. The basic idea is a further development of the principle that ANC headphones are already using today: the counter-sound produced by the headphones cancels out bothersome sound. But with NONO each user can decide for themselves which sound is to be filtered out. Timbre, echo, volume and clarity of a sound can be altered as well – thus, each user can individually create their perfect sound environment. Credits: Malvina Krzywinska, Master Thesis, FH JOANNEUM in Graz/Austria. Academic adviser: Prof. Michael Lanz; Sven Feustel, Design Team Manager.

Bat - Mobility in Darkness. The night, a short time frame rife with opposites. Filled with darkness and mysticism, but also with beauty and fascination when we fill it with light. It seems as if we human beings feel the urge more and more frequently to be active in this precise time frame and to enjoy the silence of the night. We want to be out and about as individuals and discover our surroundings while feeling safe and self-confident at all times. The Bat concept is a flying light with accompanies you wherever you are and which shows you the way. It's next to you when you go jogging, it tracks you on the ski slope or sees you safely home. Bat is small and compact when it is transported. Unfolded, it is agile and creates a lighting atmosphere where otherwise none would exist. Bat is intelligent, tracks its environment and is able to react to you and your gestures. Now there is a new kind of interaction: the interaction between human being and mobile light. Credits: Tobias Tsamisis, Diploma Thesis, University of Darmstadt. Academic Advisor: Prof. Tom Philipps; Sven Feustel, Design Team Manager, PHOENIX Academy.

Juicy Bites – der personalisierte Smart-Snack. Konzept für einen 3D Food Printer und über "Werte" im Umgang mit Lebensmitteln. Juicy Bites ist der Ausdruck von Selbstbestimmung, das Wohlbefinden und einem bestimmten Lebensstil. Du entscheidest selbst was Dein Körper an Nährstoffen braucht um die perfekte Tagesperformance zu erhalten. Juicy Bites informiert nicht nur in Textform über den Nährwertzustand, sondern ermöglicht es auch seinen Zustand physisch zu fassen und sogar zu schmecken. Je nach Tagesaufgaben erhältst Du durch den selbstgemachten Smart-Snack die wichtigsten Vitamine, die in einer normalen Ernährung ausbleiben. Als Zutaten werden Obst und Gemüse verwendet, die nicht den allgemeinen ästhetischen Vorstellungen entsprechen und vom Markt aussortiert wurden (2. Wahl, Ugly Foods). Juicy Bites der personalisierte Smart-Snack.

Credits: Lun Yeh, Diplomarbeit; Hochschule Darmstadt, Betreuer: Prof. Thino Melzer; Sven Feustel, Design Team Manager, PHOENIX Academy.

neigborSWAP – local networking against food waste. In Germany alone, 11 million tonnes of food are thrown into the garbage each year although they were still fit for consumption, 61% coming from private households alone. At the same time, increasing urbanisation makes people wish for more social networking. What can we do against this development? How do you get people to treat food with more consideration, and which role can social networks play here? The result has been developed in dialog with users, via different personae and scenarios: neighborSWAP, an app as a local shopping network. It enables people to do collaborative shopping as well as share left-over meals, unused food or home-grown produce via a sharing functionality. At the same time, it inspires users to adopt a diversified, conscious diet. Credits: Jan Schröter, Master Thesis, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. Academic adviser: Prof. Steffi Hußlein, Prof. Constanze Langer; Sven Feustel, Design Team Manager, PHOENIX Academy.

Tomorrow’s textbook: “Mate”: though digital media are practically omnipresent all day long, they are somewhat underrepresented in schools and learning environments for children – despite the fact that they offer a wealth of possibilities for interaction, allowing to customize the learning process individually for each child. “Mate” is a digital textbook that chooses exactly this approach: Pupils themselves can influence what exactly they will learn, and how they want to go about it. They are active participants in using and creating the book and can introduce and integrate their own content, e.g. photos or videos. Multi-media offers cater to different types of learners. Class topics are developed individually and actively. And all the while, the book adapts to the personal needs of the learner, compiling content correspondingly. “Mate” accompanies pupils throughout their school career, analysing their skills and needs, providing focussed support. Credits: Rahel Flechtner, Bachelor’s thesis; Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, advisors: Prof. Bernhard Schmid-Wohlleber, Dipl.-Psych. Dipl.-Inform. Johannes Schäfer, PHOENIX Academy. First Place aed neuland Award.

“Das Zeug zum Fliegen” (the stuff for flying) deals with Wearable Technology for Parkour athletes. In this sport, it’s all about finding and pursuing the most direct and efficient route across urban space. This means surpassing obstacles, climbing facades, mastering precarious balancing acts. In the focus: this shoe, specifically developed for this sport. It features a dampening sole which adapts to the foot shape of its owner both during phases of pressure and relief. The cushioning action prevents negative impact over the long term, e.g. joint wear. Thanks to sensors integrated into the sole, analytical results can be accessed and analysed via an app. This comprises data about distances run and altitudes surmounted as well as load and stress values and information about community members. The community is a special function where you can arrange to meet for training sessions or compare analytical results. Credits: Vanessa Woznik, Diploma thesis; Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG), Offenbach [Hessen State University of Art and Design], advisors: Prof. Frank G. Zebner; Sven Feustel, Design Team Manager, PHOENIX Academy. Finalist aed neuland Award.

Ordersystems - Design with all senses. Concept: When we are storing food, we fall back on using systems, that don‘t serve our demands regarding emotional aesthetics and functionality at all. „animo“ is a system, that stages visually appealing aliments appropriately and gives the user the possibility to build his own unique order by moving the individual elements. The permanent presence of the food that is stored, leads to an better overview: Amount and best-before-dates won‘t get out of sight anymore. The established grid, existing of drawers and cupboards, gives way to a flexible ordersystem, which combines storing fresh & durable food at the same time with aesthetics and communication. „animo“ develops food into a design-feature of the kitchenarea - and that‘s just the focus it deserves.Credits: Rosi Weiße, Diploma, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Tutor: Prof. Oliver Grabes, Prof. Matthias Schönherr, Phoenix Design Academy, Stuttgart.

The subject of Philipp Oster's end-of-term paper is a new concept for a washing machine. Is this household product positioned in the best place? He suggests designing the washing machine that it can also be put up in the living or dressing room, just like a piece of high-quality furniture. In this concept for the future it could be possible to wash clothes with carbon dioxide in a gentle way which is not harmful to the environment and to use smart capsules with individual scents instead of commonly used detergents.

„Hilfe für Helfer"– Rettungsboje nimue. Jährlich kommen viele Menschen durch Ertrinken ums Leben. Das Konzept soll deshalb sowohl präventiv vor Gefahren in Gewässern schützen als auch aktiv bei Unglücken eingreifen können. Hierfür befindet sich die Boje "nimue" auf der Wasserfläche. Sie sammelt Daten zur allgemeinen Wasserqualität, stellt diese über eine Internetplattform zur Verfügung und warnt vor potenziellen Bedrohungen, etwa durch chemische Verschmutzungen oder eine nicht tragende Eisschicht. Badegäste oder Wintersportler werden über ein Kamerasystem durch biometrische Bewegungserkennungen auf Gefahrensituationen analysiert. Wird eine Gefährdung erkannt, kann eine Unterwasserdrohne in Bewegung gesetzt werden, die unter die verunglückte Person taucht und diese durch einen aufblasbaren Airbag über Wasser hält. Credits:  Stefan Hasselwander, Diplomarbeit; Hochschule Darmstadt, Fachbereich Gestaltung, Betreuer: Prof. Justus Theinert; Jens Wingerath, Design Team Manager,PHOENIX Academy; Anerkennung bei Mia Seeger Award.

Architecture on the Water: The „Yena“ catamaran concept does not interpret sailing as a challenging sporting activity but focuses instead on the relaxation aspect – enjoying the sun and the sea on a sailing yacht in peace and quiet without needing the help of serveral crew members. The type of sail and the mast positon are important aspects of the concept. Credits: Ralf Kittmann, Diploma, Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee, Tutor: Prof. Helmut Staubach, PHOENIX Academy, Stuttgart.