Not all offices are the same
This is proven by the inspiring and above all efficient working environments of our new customer: Design Offices. The unique interior design not only has a lasting effect on work processes, but also appeals to the aesthetic eye. Michael O. Schmutzer, founder and managing director of Design Offices, tells us in an interview what lies behind his vision.
Full Moon: Mr. Schmutzer, could you tell us your favourite furnishing item in your office?
Schmutzer: Wherever I work, I need above all the possibility to make thoughts visible. The easiest way to do this is with a blackboard. If the blackboard is also functionally well thought out, then that is a reason to feel good - and that is what a favourite item should do.
FM: Looking at your working worlds, you can see a mix of modern functionality and plenty of room for individuality. What are you inspired by?
Schmutzer: Inspiration is an ongoing process. The world is exciting and stimulating in all its facets and useful for what we do. For me, my work in itself means ideas and visions. The "DESIGN OFFICES" brand gives me a clear path for goal-oriented creation.
FM: "Working today as everyone wants to work tomorrow" - promises Design Offices. How is that to be understood?
Schmutzer: We live in an age of communication, analysis and market research. It would be too naïve to justify social developments with market research alone.
„Instinct through experience, ideas through knowledge.“
Our secret is: instinct through experience, ideas through knowledge. Recognising the future means keeping your eyes and ears open and trusting your own idea of the future. Above all, however, to listen carefully to customer needs. We work very close to our customers and know that flexible working is particularly important. As there is a varying need for flexibility, we meet this need with different room worlds.
FM: Offices generally seem rather cool, with a lonely flower pot in the corner being the highest of feelings. The design principle: form follows function has what significance for you?
Schmutzer: Design is defined by form and flexibility. The aesthetics of our rooms automatically mean that the functional is also always in focus. And the flower pot in the corners is usually a desperate attempt to achieve a little individuality. This is also a major concern for us. We want to give the people who work for us as much individual space as possible, and design is a tried and tested means of achieving this.
FM: How does the design of office space relate to people's work efficiency?
Schmutzer: This is where we get to the core of our activities. Our strategy aims to convey appreciation to people through first-class working environments.
„Efficiency is the declared goal.“
To also have a motivating effect with careful design of the working spaces. And to generate sufficient free space with perfect service.
Design is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. Efficiency is the declared goal.
FM: Hand on heart: When you look back on your professional career today - what advice could you have done without in retrospect?
Schmutzer: Honestly, none. Everything I am, everything I can do, I owe to the people who have shaped me. They say a butterfly in America can cause a typhoon in China. That's why I consider every hint as constructive.
FM: After successfully completing your work, what do you look forward to most of all?
Schmutzer: ... I almost said: to the next challenge (laughs). Of course, there are many things that are close to my heart outside of the job, too. First and foremost there is my son Moritz. But the decelerated life in my house in the country is also something that can crown a retirement. From the simple, the new emerges - this is the philosophy I live and design my free time according to.
