Axor Citterio, Axor Massaud, Axor Starck … what percentage of these collections – apart from the first part of the name – is actually Axor? What does the creative achievement of a designer brand actually amount to, if it’s the designers who do the creative work?

And yet, many successful designers say that they would be unable to work with a company which is not imbued with a creative culture. A culture evolves by determining priorities which develop their own dynamic over time. The foremost priority at Axor is design. A strong internal company culture which is highly innovation-oriented further distinguishes the brand. The joy of meticulous puzzling, advancing and optimising plus a readiness to engage with something new are the pre-requisites of productive co-operation with successful designers.

 

This tireless work needs a motor – corporate characters who give top priority to the design and help on the road to success.  Within the company they represent and demand a philosophy of continuous development. Thanks to its know-how concerning the element of water, the Axor brand is providing its very own creative input. On the one hand, the developer is always excited to see in what form and shape the designer wants to represent water, and on the other, for the designer himself, the experience of the people from the Black Forest in handling this precious resource is just as important. Indeed the Hansgrohe Spray Research and Development works meticulously until the water has got the perfect shape.

 

But this is only one aspect of this culture. Strategic co-operation with designers is just as important as the process of creativity. Axor is working with renowned designers to implement together with them their visions. During this process it is important to find the right personality. It is vital that the designer’s approach and creative fantasy match the Axor brand and the Hansgrohe company. Short-lived hype and trend-focused designs have no place in the long product life-cycle in the sanitation industry.

Foresight, experience and a knack of spotting changes within society are also part of this process. Not without reason Axor invests with the WaterDream into the future similar to the automotive industry with the development of the concept cars. Illustrious names such as the Phoenix Design team, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Patricia Urquiola and Jean-Marie Massaud are behind this visionary project. The prime aim of Axor WaterDream is to develop within a mutual dialogue the vision and to think ahead the bathroom â€“ breaching the present constraints of the market and technology. Contacts with up-and-coming designers also play a part in the formation and further development of the designer brand from the Black Forest. Axor’s involvement in university projects and the sponsorship of young designers  have been key components of our company culture for many years.

 

Skilful strategic planning during the trend-setting period is of the utmost importance given the long development period of the products concerned. Market penetration is also time-consuming, since the sustainability of a product has to be determined up to five years in advance. Far-sightedness is therefore not only essential in the choice of the designer, but also in regard to future trends, in particular how aesthetic taste and individuals’ desire will change.

This culture of an innovation-oriented enterprise and a creative dialogue culminate in the high design quality of the Axor collection. Examples like Axor Massaud are representative of a design culture which does not merely satisfy a short-lived lifestyle trend, but has much deeper roots. Because good design moves people. To achieve this is an art.