The best designers of the red dot design award 2007 in interview: the Julius Blum design team

The panel of experts awarded the Julius Blum Corporation red dot: best of the best title in the household and kitchen category for their innovative „Servo-Drive” extraction system. We spoke to the Julius Blum design team about the plan behind it.

What was your inspiration for this particular product, and what was the plan behind it?

As with all our developments, the attempt to achieve perfect ease of movement is of major importance. SERVO-DRIVE creates a new dimension of smooth and quiet movement in drawers and extraction systems. A much greater emphasis is placed on the kitchen as it moves further and further towards being the centre piece of a living area. Any work done on the „largest work space“ in the world turns into an emotional experience.

What does a red dot: best of the best award mean to you?

Awards show recognition of intensive research and development work- just like the way things are run at Blum. These awards also lead to valuable support in the international communication with kitchen designers, manufacturers and users.

What, in your opinion, are the particular challenges faced by today’s designers?

The customers of today are looking for a design that combines functionality and emotional attachment. So the biggest challenge lies in successfully bringing these two together. But there cannot be anything in the design that would take away any of the functionality. And that is the real challenge.

As a designer, what would you still like to achieve for the future?

Our main focus was on usage and function for a long time. But the numerous international awards of the last few years confirm our claim to high quality designs in interior furnishings too- and this is apparent in our mounting system. Design plays an important role- and will continue play an important role in the future. Apart from that, the desire for something more different or individual is being expressed more and more- and this will also pose a new challenge for us.

How great is the economic implication for design, in your opinion?

Design is important when faced with competition. Design offers both a good technical construction of products and additional leeway to make customers aware of its products and become interested in them. We will also take all necessary legal actions to safeguard our company against plagiarism.

Trend-setting: the extraction system „Servo-Drive“

The new „Servo-Drive“ development opens up new dimensions in modern kitchen design. The revolutionary extraction system makes it possible for smooth and quiet movement in drawers and front extraction systems, which practically open and close by themselves through the slightest touch to the front panel.  The Julius Blum Corporation convinced this year’s red dot panel with this innovative design, and are also making it possible for kitchen manufacturers to combine design and function, and enrich current design trends like kitchens with no handles, by providing more freedom of movement.

The high quality standard of contemporary designs is apparent in the kitchen area. Top-quality materials, well-defined styles and technical refinement also contribute to a perfectly thought-out functionality intended to facilitate everyday life. The „Servo-Drive“ extraction system from Julius Blum represents a new innovation in furniture design where customer usage is the main point of interest. The trend-setting formation combines aesthetics with functional perfection, and thus serves the challenging target group of tomorrow.   

The innovations from the Julius Blum Corporation are regularly commended with the red dot design award. This year, only three out of all products presented in the household and kitchen category actually passed the difficult tests set by the panel and were awarded a red dot: best of the best for outstanding design achievements.