The Papenfuss studio develops products, communicative systems and interior designs. Our design work consists of optimising human processes and making them clear and comprehensible, transparent and simple. So the complete context, within which the product or system is integrated, is taken into consideration during the design process. For us this means describing, planning and designing projects in a very specific and flexible way using new media tools.

We always focus on the practical value for users. The designs should be scrutinized at each stage of the project development with regard to their technological, communicative, aesthetic, operational, ecological and economic potential. We have to continually describe the usefulness for the final customer and each design is checked in this regard.

Our working method is dominated by a systematic approach. That is to say, we incorporate the object of our work in various systems. Based on our knowledge of realising projects within companies and institutions, which wish to develop the best possible access to the various advantages of the products for their customers, we develop a systematic framework in the form of communicative systems (CI programmes, communications concepts) and product systems (e.g. manufacturers' modules). The subsequent benefits are not only based on the efficient development work carried out at our company (see expertise), but particularly on our efficient customer applications (for those using our services at companies).

We work in a very conceptual way. This means that we are able to introduce individual products within a context effectively and very purposefully in the same way as being able to handle highly complex issues with their individual activities and products.

In order to work effectively and meet the complex demands of our projects, we rely on a flexible team with versatile expertise.

Each member of staff has core expertise, which is complemented by joint know-how in our team-based work procedures. This joint expertise guarantees that each co-worker can be used in a flexible manner and our team has access to a common pool of knowledge and abilities.

By bringing together teams for specific projects, we ensure that the potential provided by our office can be called on in a flexible and purposeful way. We can then respond to details and the specific demands of projects and guarantee the best possible processing structure. 

The Papenfuss design studio was set up by Ulrike and Andreas Papenfuss in 1990. 19 members of staff now work at the studio - Seven of them are communication designers and there are also four product designers, two interior design specialists, one cabinet maker, one model maker, two web developers and one business economist. We also utilise the services of free-lance specialists and trainees in the fields of communications design, product development, web development, interior design and exhibition design.