Interview with Gerhard Fuchs

Since joining the design team in 1990, there has been scarcely any eyewear collection by Silhouette or adidas eyewear that has not carried the design signature of Gerhard Fuchs. One such product is the innovative “ID2” sports goggle, which he created for adidas eyewear. The jurors of this year’s “red dot award: product design” agreed that the sports eyewear designed by Gerhard Fuchs ranks among the best products of the entire competition, and thus awarded Gerhard Fuchs a “red dot: best of the best” for outstanding design performance.

Mr. Fuchs, the ID2 eyewear is the first pair of goggles to consist of two separable frame parts: the front frame and the main frame. What is the advantage of this two-frame construction?
Such a construction offers several advantages! One crucial advantage is the flexibility of the front frame. This part adapts to any helmet, if necessary, because it can simply extend towards the sides. This two-frame construction also allowed us to create a 3D climate management with a guided airflow. On the one hand, the front frame is sealed off towards the upper rim of the helmet, yet it also guides air from the inlet channels to a nano-coated ventilation system in the back part of the frame. This ensures optimal ventilation of the eyewear at all times. Together with the anti-fog coating of the double glass, it is practically impossible for the glass to fog up. Another advantage is that the back frame can serve as the basis for other, new goggles and therefore helps to reduce future development and tool expenses. Of course, the two parts of the eyewear also allow for specific colour designs. The goggles can be easily customised by simply exchanging one or both parts for individual colour matching.

What design philosophy did you follow in the design of the ID2?
As with all our products, our philosophy is to develop the best possible product performance for a particular sport. To achieve this we always work closely with the athletes that we sponsor. We develop the specific requirements in relation to the target groups. For a sports equipment designer it is also important, of course, to be active in that particular sport in order to get a real understanding of the demands. Our athletes help us not only in meeting the right demands, as authentic individuals within the sports scene they also help us in finding the right style.

The realisation of pioneering design also involves playing with technological possibilities. What role does handicraft play in producing the eyewear?
The ID2 in particular is the outcome of a design process that involved high-tech and handicraft in the development stage. From the first prototype on it was done in 3D on a computer. These 3D data were then used to create stereo lithographs that allow the form to be pretty well judged. These lithographs were partly tuned by hand. The ventilation openings of the ID2 were cut out and honed by hand on the first prototype, and all prototypes that followed later, too, were fine tuned time and again by hand!

How long does it take from the designer’s first draft to the finished eyewear product?
From the first idea to a finished product it takes up to two years. Especially with ski eyewear it is crucial that the small-series mould patterns, which are based on the stereo lithographs, are tested again and again by our professional athletes and other less demanding sportsmen. The ID2 saw five development stages before we decided on the final design. I think it was worth the effort – the “red dot: best of the best” is our second award after the prize in the ISPO Boardsports Award. Of course, everybody involved in the design of the goggles is very happy about this!

How do you define good design?
A design is really good if it manages to hold its ground in the market for years and offers the users a lot of fun in terms of function and form. Naturally, it is also intended to make money, which is used to make more “Made in Austria” products for the international market.