17.10.2012 - Ausgabe: 5/2012

Design opens up countless possibilities

An interview with designer Gert Eussen resident in the Netherlands, who is famous well beyond the country’ borders.

In contrast to the use of the word in German, which tends rather towards the artistic and creative aspects and to a large extent defines the term 'design' so that it becomes a real thing rather than an abstract idea, the Anglo-Saxon term design also includes the technical aspects of "creation". What is your fundamental perception of design?

Gert Eussen: First of all, thank you for taking the time to raise such a good question. Not only interesting for your readers but I think it should be a question that every designer should ask him or herself time and time again.
There are many different fields of design: product design, concept design, industrial design, graphic design, interaction design etc. Each field of design has its own qualities and demands certain abilities of the designer. My company Gert Eussen Visual Projects mainly focuses on designing for the leisure, hospitality and entertainment industry, including fields as concept design, product/ industrial design and concept architecture. In these fields designing is a constant process in motion in which problems, or rather challenges have to be solved. Among these challenges are not only issues concerning visual appearances but also scale and dimensions, function, material, colour, and also budget, place and people. In all fields of design the process should be all about asking the right questions, then, carefully considering the answers in order to create the best possible solution for a specific location, situation or environment. I firmly believe that each design defines its owns perimeters and, (this is very important), that the individual designs should co-exist within these perimeters.

2.
Playground@Landscape: Design has functions for the human body. And design has functions for the intellect and the psyche. So, is design fundamental to children's playgrounds?
Gert Eussen: In what way do you mean fundamental? As in that designing a children’s playground is a pinnacle of design? In this case, no. As there are many designs which are intended to be for humans, there is more than just the function for body and mind. Stimulating and inspiring all senses is, and it some cases should be, equally important. To me, each design poses new challenges.

3.
Playground@Landscape: Where does the inspiration for the design of MOBOES come from?
Gert Eussen: This fluent or organic form has been an inspiration on several occasions. When I decided to transform it into a playful sculpture I kept the objective that the design should be able to grow, or even better, allow people to participate in the forming. This idea of growing and participating allows this ‘design’ to function within every perimeter set. For instance, allowing children to design the colour or painting on the surface. Or that a community can decide on adding play structures to the object.


4.
Playground@Landscape: Rounded and smoothed off throughout and made from natural material, the Moboes© line offers everything that makes children’s hearts beat faster and stimulates creative and imaginative play.
What is Moboes? How does Moboes work? Please give us more information on Moboes!
Gert Eussen: The Moboes is literally: Mobility (using the body to climb, crawl and crouch) Organic (as in form and ability to grow) Aesthetic (intended to be experienced as pleasing to the eye, so that even when not used as a play object it can function within the set perimeters of the environment) Structure (as in building / structure).
The intention of the Moboes is at first to give climbing, crawling and crouching challenges to the users. Next to this the Moboes appeals to the imagination by interpreting the shape in different ways. Much like looking at clouds.
The Moboes starts out with 3 shapes. Moboes prime, Moboes avanti, Moboes Supreme. One form for each age group up to 10/12 years. The individual shapes can be combined to form a larger Moboes, or the form can be altered by adding additional play structures, such as ropes, sliding poles or even sound instruments. The Moboes can be painted in every thinkable way. In any case we invite the clients to participate when they are interested in the Moboes, or we transform the Moboes to suit the specific needs of our clients.
Therefore the Moboes can be implemented in every environment without losing its main objective, that is being an aesthetic play object.


5.
Playground@Landscape: What goals do you pursue in your planning of play spaces?
Gert Eussen: As I mentioned earlier each design has its own perimeters. These perimeters define what I can or should design. This applies also to play spaces. By designing play spaces one of the most important perimeters is the use for play, this should always be the main objective or goal. Other perimeters such as location, people, material and even climate play a role in the design. You could say that considering these perimeters in the most effective and applying solutions in the most creative way is my main goal.

6.
Playground@Landscape: As regards children's playgrounds, do you work exclusively for Kinderland? What are your priorities?
Gert Eussen: No, I do not work exclusively with Kinderland. I have my own company and I design for clients all around the world. However, I do have strong bonds with my partner companies, of which Kinderland is one. As regards playgrounds, I prefer to work with Kinderland for two reasons. First: they are able to deliver on time, in budget and with the highest standard in materials. Second I found in Kinderland a company which, due to its tradition of building unique pieces, suits my philosophy on design. No situation is similar and therefore no playground will be alike. The co-operation with Kinderland works very well, on a professional level as well as on a personal level.

7.
Playground@Landscape: Is design directed at the human being? Or at the children's playground?
Gert Eussen: In my opinion a child is part of the human being. So, designing is directed at both.

8.
Playground@Landscape: Jörn Walter, Hamburg's Chief Planning Director, has criticised what he calls design playgrounds. He thinks they offer "little inspiration to make children want to stay there and play". Is he right?
Gert Eussen: Unfortunately in numerous cases he is. Sometimes the so called design playground is a personal achievement of the designer. It can excel in its form, colour and material, but does not serve its main purpose, and that is to challenge and provide play opportunities. It is like designing a coffee mug, but there is no bottom to the mug. It may look very nice, but can’t be used for its purpose. When this happens we enter the field of art, where we are supposed to question all these things that design may bring as an solution.

9.
Playground@Landscape: What other design projects do you pursue?
Gert Eussen: I mainly design for the leisure and hospitality industry. From one single small attraction or playground to entire (theme/ amusements) parks, hotels or lodging accommodations. This year I have worked on a concept for amusement parks in Ghana and India, hotel accommodations on the Comoros and Ghana and on some smaller attractions in Europe and China. Another project which I am currently working on is a holiday resort in Markgrafenheide, near the Baltic Sea. This project, to be opened in the spring of 2014, is a good example of how my design ideas could be implemeted. I was invited by Kinderland to design the playground for this newly to be built holiday park, and when discussing the project on site with the project developer mr. Stintzing of Stintzing bau gbmh, I was also invited to supply ideas on the visual appearance of the public buildings, in order to create a visual singularity in the guest experience. These kinds of projects challenge me the most. It is great to work on projects where the perimeters are set to ensure that the guests feel a sense of pleasure, and we evoke a sense of happiness and get-away from daily life.

10.
Playground@Landscape: Let's talk about plagiarism! How can designers protect their intellectual property?
Gert Eussen: There are some tools which can protect your design for others to copy. Copyright, design patent, trademark etc. All these are tools which can ensure the uniqueness of the design to a certain degree. The Moboes for instance is protected by a design patent. As a designer of unique structures you are immediately protected by copyright. Many companies are honourable as not to copy others’ work, but sometimes it is an issue. When you have the design officially protected by one of the possibilities provided by law there is little chance that you will lose your design to a plagiarist. The design patent/ copyright law etc. will change in the future. The emergence of the Internet allows people to use images on a larger scale than before and by definition infringe copyright. I think the most important protection is that as a professional designer, you can be inspired by other good designs, but your professionalism will not allow you to copy. I hope that will stay an unwritten law in the industry for a long time.


The interview was conducted by Thomas R. Müller (Playground@Landscape)