We all love Davis Lewis' design, but taking a long term perspective on the future of B&O, who will take over when David decides to stop?

Who do you think should be the next chief-designer for B&O? Or is the time ready for more than one designer drawing up the lines of B&O in the future?

Best regards Christian

No idea, but I think this is a terribly relevant thread. After all, it was Anders that designed the BeoSound 5, not David.

Though it may be wishful thinking, I've thought for a while that Bang & Olufsen could pursue a path similar to Louis Vuitton in that visiting designers could design the smaller accessories, like cell phones, earsets, telephones, etc. and leave the institutional products to a single vision.

This makes sense especially for cell phones. We took the stance with the Serene that it is everything the cellphone should be and the problem is solved (dusts hands). However, people buy cellphones as accessories. Since technology does not move fast enough for us, we can naturally change phones on a dime as new designers come and go. I can think of a few who I'd love to try their hand at Bang & Olufsen.  

I would love to see Anders Hermansen design other products like speakers and televisions. But other designers are designing new products for Beo, like Steffen Schmelling. At the moment he´s working on new audios I read in a danish design magazine.

Steffen Schmelling = Beosound 6 , no thanks.

Alex:

Steffen Schmelling = Beosound 6 , no thanks.

there were insane budget and design constraints with that project 

Give me Jacob Jensen back

Dave:

Alex:

Steffen Schmelling = Beosound 6 , no thanks.

there were insane budget and design constraints with that project 

Thats no excuse, the ipod mini & co are also very low budget products. If its cost 150 $ in the apple shop ts manufactuerd and produced for 60 $

What about hiring insome hot deigners from other fields, like for instance Zaha Hadid (she has done some excellent work for B&B Italy and Alessi but most famous, I believe, for her architectural work) ? A real design genius...

Ahmet

...if B&O can afford her, that is...

Ahmet1:

What about hiring insome hot deigners from other fields, like for instance Zaha Hadid (she has done some excellent work for B&B Italy and Alessi but most famous, I believe, for her architectural work) ? A real design genius...

Ahmet

Zaha Hadid is indeed a very famous architect who has won many prizes including the Pritzker prize. Somehow I don't think she suits B&O very well...

Beobird:

Give me Jacob Jensen back

I agree!!!!

Such a clear design . I mean, these are technical devices, and they should look like those.

They need someone again like Lewis was to JJ, someone who has inherited that certain look that B&O gives but takes it to the next level... more of a radical departure to what was yesterday.

 

What about Jacob Jensen's son, Timothy Jacob Jensen... :)

Br Chr.

Agree completely with earlier posts about schmelling/beosound 6:

a complete shame this "DDR"-like product is in todays catalogue.No excuse for that. B&O products always exelled in timeless, if not iconic and artistic design, which gave the marque it's unique position today. As everybody knows; an established name takes 40 years to achieve and it can be lost in a short time. 

Joris van Gelder

Poised by Joris van Gelder

Joris van Gelder website

 

Hi,

Couldn't agree more with the concept of if we could have back Jacob Jensen ... Was commenting only yesterday why doesn't B&O take the opportunity to 'reinterpret' some of its past classic and iconic designs.. most of these pieces from the 70s and 80s still look thoroughly modern 30 years on, so much so that many people don't even realise their vintage. 

Jacobs son might be just the man for the job, if he can continue on his fathers legacy, which I believe he is, and is now running the jacob jensen design studio.

Bear in mind that with audio products etc... the design is based around the function. Unless B&O were planning on releasing products with the same function of 20 years ago, I doubt we'll see any of the older designs 're-worked'. As far as I can tell, they've only ever done this with the BeoLab 10, for the simple reason that it's intended to do exactly what the original AV9000 speaker did...

Beobird:

Give me Jacob Jensen back

No thanks! He belongs to the past, not the future.

I agree with Alex that the design is based around the function. As for Jacob Jensen: his work in the past for B&O is really superb and an example of what design can mean for a company and a product. But apart from a few things I have not been impressed with the work of his studio lately...

Actually I don't care who will be the next designer. I only care about the products. And I don't wan't a designer that loves flashy and trendy colours. B&O should be black, white or alumium and nothing else .

 Zaha Hadid has great designs for buildings, but I don't think she matches B&O. Her designs are too "spacy". In my eyes B&O has to be elegant, timeless and elegant. When timeless and elegancy don't match, products like the Beolab 9 will be born.

 For example, the 9's will match Zaha's kitchen perfect

 It looks timeless, but I don't like it for the reason that it's not elegant.

 

I do like Zahas work, actually have this which is a good reflection of her work but I think she would struggle to translate her designs to B&O...

mobeyone:

I do like Zahas work, actually have this which is a good reflection of her work but I think she would struggle to translate her designs to B&O...

I absolutely agree.  I was able to buy one of the vases about a year ago and think it is very cool.  However I have never put any flowers in it.  I think her architectural designs are amazing. I also like Santiago Calatrava.

Maybe Zaha could do an interesting remote. 

Maybe Patricia Urquiola ?

 

Alex:

Dave:

Alex:

Steffen Schmelling = Beosound 6 , no thanks.

there were insane budget and design constraints with that project 

Thats no excuse, the ipod mini & co are also very low budget products. If its cost 150 $ in the apple shop ts manufactuerd and produced for 60 $

Well then why don't you jump in there and show what B&o are doing wrong seems you know what's best, news flash, B&o and apple are different companies with different values. Yes BS6 = bad product for the company, most certainly is not fair to pigeon hole the designer, unless you know exactly what you are talking about.

On the note of Jensen, his designs of late have all appeared to retain that (very chic but very Dated) 70's/ 80's design... B&o isn't going to be taking a step backwards on the grand scheme of things i don't think. 

Zaha Hadid's work on the Leipzig BMW-plant is stunning - including the principle of having the suits be in the middle of the production and assembly line.

 

http://www.arcspace.com/architects/hadid/bmw_central/bmw_central.html