Oct 30, 2007

October: Wolfgang Joensson, Designer

Three years ago industrial designer Wolfgang Joensson was faced with an unusual challenge: to design the world’s most luxurious shaving tools. He sat down by the pool at a Caribbean resort and came up with an idea. An idea that later became Hommage, a hand crafted line of shaving gear in high gloss chrome combining traditional sophistication with contemporary style.
These ingenious little pieces not only secured Wolfgang a place in shaving heaven, they also made him Recipe’s man of the month.

Wolfgang Joensson designs are widely acclaimed, as evident by his vast collection of awards (including this one). Throughout his 28 year career in industrial and product design Joensson has designed consumer products for some of the world’s most well known corporations including AEG, Louis Vuitton, LG Electronics, König & Neurath, Junghans watches, Deutsche Bank, ToastMaster and the Eastman Kodak Company.

His academic background includes studies in industrial design from Hamburger Hochschule für Bildenden Künste, Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart and a design diploma from Produktgestaltung. After graduating, Joensson pursued a career in academics by teaching design at some of the most prestigious design schools in the world such as the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California and the Art Center College of Design in Switzerland.

He has worked with a number of design corporations such as Pentagram in London, McCann Erickson and the famous design corporation of Frogdesign. He’s also the founder of Views, a company still in existence today, which specializes in consumer product designs.

In early 2004, Joensson co-founded the shaving brand Hommage together with American Tom Wilscam and joined the company as chief designer. To design shaving gear was a completely new experience and, to say the least, a big challange. Most of the luxury shaving tools that were already on the market relied on the classical wild west aesthetics. Wolfgang Joensson wanted to create something which would reflect his philosophy that design should be used to express functionality.

Which was the big challenge you faced when you started to work with the Hommage designs?

- To create a luxury brand from scratch, evoking dedication to men's grooming.

How does the work with Hommage compare to your previous work?

- I have done all kinds of projects before, from pneumatic breaker, through cameras, household machines, cups, chocolate, office chairs and more, but this time I had the unique opportunity to design brand name, logo, stationery, packaging, products, just everything that makes the brand what it is today.

Which of your previous work are you most proud of?

- I like telephones I did for LG Electronics and of course the JURA coffee machine that ended up in the largest German design museum in Munich.

From where do you get your inspiration?

- I get inspiration really from everywhere. I do like reminding Hommage's CEO that I got the inspiration for the name Hommage at a poolside in the Caribbean - he must know it's a good idea to send me there frequently.

-Can you give some examples of good and bad design?

- I assume you do not mean my own - I am a fan of Jonathan Ive's style he created for Apple computers, and Philippe Starck's poetic and yet functional chairs. There is so much bad design around that I do not know where to start - except some grinning plastic comic guys looking at you from virtually every household or kitchen tool these days.

Who’s the world’s best designer?

- I have a big admiration for many of my former students - I taught for sixteen years in several design schools. Henrik Fisker, the designer of absolutely georgeous Aston Martin cars, and now running Fisker Coachbuild, is an outstanding designer, and I am proud to have crossed his path.

What do you think about Swedish design?

- I love Swedish design! Snowcrash - a young swedish design firm - is an example for intelligent, fresh Swedish top-notch design.

Hommage offers luxury shaving tools under the philosophy that functionality can include style. In Sweden the products are available NK, Grooming Store, Mancare, Victoria Arena in Gothenburg, Am a man in Malmoe, Parelle in Jonkoping and Kalmar and on the Internet. www.grooming.se www.gents.se

Recipe for men’s man of the month in October

Name: Wolfgang Joensson.

Age: 51.

Place of birth: Vereeniging, South Africa.

Current hometown: Paris, France

Family: My daughter Maja and my girlfriend Susan are the most important people in my life.

Occupation: Designer.

Enjoys on his spare time: Long distance running, reading, cooking, dining and playing the saxophone.

Most beautiful place on earth: Seven pools, Maui, at the end of Hana drive.

The world’s most beautiful man: You have to ask my girlfriend, but I hope she has forgotten about this Clooney guy now.