What is it that sets us apart?
We are an interdisciplinary design office for exhibition design, graphic design, product design, media design, and project design.
gewerkdesign provides custom-made solutions, resorting to creative ideas from all areas of design. These different creative sources serve as tools for making concepts, content and mental images visible, beforehand contemplating about the topics, the rooms and implications carefully. By taking into account the views of all parties involved, gewerkdesign is able to make creative decisions that have a positive influence on the exhibition space, graphics, products, media applications and projects.
A creative process seldom resembles a straight line, it is a dynamic process rather like an organic, dynamic movement.
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30 September 2024
Special exhibition “NACHRICHTEN–NEWS” at the MfK Berlin
Beginning in October, the special exhibition “NACHRICHTEN–NEWS”, developed by gewerkdesign, is on view at the Museum for Communication in Berlin. It was a unique inspiration for us to engage creatively with this topic and to bring it into an exhibition space.
“NACHRICHTEN–NEWS” is set up in a modular, sustainable and inclusive way, reflecting the controversial relationship between news and its users. It has a dialogic design throughout: Visitors are asked about their opinions and viewpoints station by station – in the exhibition space and, beyond it, in the museum’s social media. Just like news themselves are, we have developed a block-like look that structures and groups the content by means of a clear colour scheme and a set of geometric shapes.
The exhibition is on view from 11 October 2024 to 7 September 2025.
Further informationen on mfk-berlin.de.
28 November 2024
New permanent exhibition at the NS Documentation Centre in Freiburg
gewerkdesign is currently developing the new permanent exhibition for the future National Socialism Documentation Centre in Freiburg. The museum is located in a building that was constructed in 1936 as a transport bureau. The conversion into a museum, carried out by mARTin Architekten, has been underway since 2022. From March 2025, the permanent exhibition developed by gewerkdesign will be on display on three floors.
The following key questions determine the content concept: How did National Socialism gain approval in Freiburg? What impetus for National Socialism came from Freiburg? How did National Socialism change society in Freiburg? Accordingly, the design is structured in clusters. We always bring the content into the space with close reference to the location and its history.
gewerkdesign is responsible for all HOAS2 tasks, i.e. the entire development of the permanent exhibition, including graphic and media design. We are currently supervising the implementation of the exhibition as site manager.
For further information, visit the website of the Documentation Centre.
2 December 2024
gewerkdesign wishes a beastly joyful Christmas time!
As it is tradition at gewerkdesign, we create our Christmas card partially by hand. This year we are focusing it on the animal world, for we have a multitude of animalistic inhabitants and visitors in the garden of our office in Berlin-Friedenau. Thus it was not an easy task to make a choice from the motif options.
The cat – embodied by Cäptain, our house cat – being our undercover boss has a spot guaranteed. The rarely seen hedgehog has naturally made the list as well. And also the fox as well as the heron are welcome guests and should therefore be included in the design. Additionally, the squirrel, the butterfly, the bat, the snail, the earthworm and the spider have an appearance on the Christmassy stage.
The card with linocuts by Takaya Kobayashi is printed as a limited edition on the remaining stock of the metal-like coated paper (Splendorlux Mirror Bronzo 320g) from the exhibition “Blown Away: The Palace of the Republic” designed by us at the Humboldt Forum Berlin. Conscious sustainability is an aspect that is reflected throughout our projects and everyday life – as a year-long gift to ourselves as well as to the nature surrounding us.
We wish everyone a merry Advent and a tranquil Christmas!
The name of our company states our agenda. The Middle High German term »gewerk« was first noted in the 13th century. Our company’s founders found the term very appealing because it aptly described their conceptual, interdisciplinary design approach, when they founded the company in 1993 – perhaps today even more so:
• describing a unit working together with other units
• a facility setting something in motion
• an entirety of handycraftsmen, guild
• the wickerwork of spiders, the honeycomb of bees
• place or institution, in which tasks are performed
(cited from: Grimm, J. and W. – Deutsches Wörterbuch 1854 und Paul, H. – Deutsches Wörterbuch, 1897.)
Phonetically, the German term »gewerk« goes well with the English term »design«. Combining these two terms also indicates how design in our opinion is more than its separate creative disciplines. Only by combining many different kinds of creative skills and entering the designing process together with our clients we are able to create design solutions that are durable and effective, and a design process that is a design creation in itself.
Underlining this special design approach, the terms »gewerk« und »gewerkdesign« have been trademarked in 2008.
gewerk is also a place where our skills are being pooled together, a place for working and communicating. It usually is here that first introductions are made and first meetings take place.
The office provides room for interconnecting the creative skills of our experienced and talented scenographic artists, architects, graphic designers, media designers, product designers, and interior designers.
We value a friendly atmosphere and treat each other with respect and kindness.
Profile: Roughly, our projects can be divided into three different phases: evaluation, design, and implementation. Our team offers all three of these services. In order to see the approved design translated into the imagined form, trusting us with the implementation phase of the project is especially important. Resulting from this particular approach are both a design product and a process custom-made for our clients.
Evaluation: In the beginning of a designing process it is of key importance to thoroughly register the task in its entirety and to take all its complex implications into account. Best practice for this is listening attentively and observing the rooms and situations to be designed carefully. Working together, communicating openly and at eye level, the project with gather momentum and live up to its potential.
Design: As soon as the evaluation is complete, the next task is to agree upon a design solution and to identify the creative tools and resources that will lead to this solution, rendering the design process constructive, time-saving, and cost-efficient for all involved.
Implementation: For the implementation phase it takes experience, reliability and perseverance. Many of our clients have been working with us for years, rely on several of our services and entrust us with their projects through many stages of its development.
We assemble our team according to the respective phase of the project and rely on a network of partners and experts for very specific tasks.
In the roughly 30 years of our company’s existence, we have accompanied more than 175 exhibitions and complex museum projects. We offer the experiences gathered from these projects to our clients for other projects as well, for instance creating durable brand designs (Berlin Congress Center since 2002 bcc), globally trend-setting products (velotaxis City Cruiser I, II and Delivery Crusier), or internationally awarded graphic designs (Logo of the Berlin Wall). We also provide consultancy services for project management and design processes, and organize strategy workshops for developing a sustainable future vision for a project (Masterplan study Bremer Landesmuseum).
A
• Amt für Kultur der Stadt Dessau-FRoßlau
• ARD Hauptstadtstudio
• Arolsen Archives – International FCenter on Nazi Persecution
• Augustinermuseum Freiburg
B
• Bauhaus-Archiv, Museum für FGestaltung Berlin
• BBWA Berlin-Brandenburgische FAkademie der Wissenschaften
• bcc Berlin Congress Center GmbH
• Berliner Forsten – Landesforstamt
• Berliner Forum für Geschichte und FGegenwart e.V.
• Bertelsmann AG Berlin
• Bundesbeauftragter für die Unterlagen Fdes Staatssicherheitsdienstes der Fehemaligen Deutschen FDemokratischen Republik (BStU) FBerlin
• Bundeskanzler-Willy-Brandt-Stiftung FBerlin
• Bürger Museum Wolfenbüttel
C
• Cronos Verlag, Zürich (Switzerland)
D
• Danfoss Universe Nordborg F(Denmark)
• Das Verborgene Museum, Berlin
• Der Beauftragte für Kunst und Medien Fder Bundesrepublik Deutschland FBerlin
• Design Zentrum Bremen
• Deutsche Bahn AG Berlin
• Deutsche Gesellschaft für FGefäßchirurgie Berlin und Dresden
• Deutsches Architektur-Museum FFrankfurt
• Deutsches Historisches Museum FBerlin
• Deutsches Museum München
• Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin
• Deutschlandradio Kultur Berlin
E
• Europäische Kommission Berlin
F
• Focke Museum – Bremer FLandesmuseum für Kunst und FKulturgeschichte
G
• Gasometer Oberhausen GmbH
• Gärtnermuseum Wolfenbüttel e.V.
• Gedenkstätte Berlin-FHohenschönhausen
• Georg-Kolbe-Museum Berlin
• Grün Berlin GmbH
H
• Hansestadt Wismar
• Haus der Brandenburgisch-FPreußischen Geschichte Potsdam
• Haus der Geschichte Nordrhein-FWestfalen
• Hertha BSC GmbH + Co. KG
• Hochschule für Künste im Sozialen FOttersberg
• Hochschule Luzern (Schweiz)
• Hochschulübergreifendes Zentrum FTanz Berlin SODA.WORKS
I
• Industriemuseum Chemnitz
• Interstuhl Büromöbel GmbH + Co. KG FMeßstetten-Tieringen
J
• Jüdisches Museum Berlin
• Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt
K
• Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken AG F(Switzerland)
• Knesebeck Verlag, München
• Kulturstiftung des Bundes
• Kulturstiftung Dessau-Wörlitz
L
• Landesmuseen Schleswig-Holstein, FMuseum für Kunst und FKulturgeschichte Schloss Gottorf
M
• Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur FFörderung der Wissenschaften e.V. FMünchen
• Miraikan – National Museum of FEmerging Science and Innovation, FTokio (Japan)
• Modulor GmbH Berlin
• MODUS Möbel GmbH Berlin
• Museum für Kommunikation Berlin
• Museum für Kommunikation Bern F(Switzerland)
• Museum für Kommunikation FFrankfurt
• Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe FHamburg
• Museum für Kunst und FKulturgeschichte Dortmund
• Museum für Natur und Mensch FOldenburg
• Museum für Naturkunde Berlin
• Museum für Sepulkralkultur Kassel
• Museum Neukölln Berlin
• Museum Strauhof Zürich F(Switzerland)
• Museum Wolfenbüttel
N
• Naturhistorisches Museum Bern F(Switzerland)
• Nicolai Verlag, Berlin
• Nobel Museum Stockholm (Sweden)
• Norstedts Verlag, Stockholm F(Sweden)
O
• Ostfriesisches Landesmuseum FEmden
• Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg
• Ökodorf Brodowin
P
• Porzellanfabriken Christian Seltmann FGmbH
• Posteo e.V., Berlin
• Projektbüro Gartenregion Hannover
R
• Ricordi & C.S.r.l. Mailand (Italy)
S
• SCC Events GmbH
• Schiffahrtsmuseum der Foldenburgischen Unterweser e.V.
• Schloss Eutin
• Schwedische Botschaft Berlin
• Schwedisches Architekturmuseum FStockholm (Sweden)
• Senatsverwaltung für Umwelt, Verkehr Fund Klima Berlin
• Senatsverwaltung für Wissenschaft, FForschung und Kultur Berlin
• Sprengel Museum Hannover
• Staatliche Kunstsammlungen FDresden
• Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und FGärten Sachsen gGmbH
• Stadt Doberlug-Kirchhain
• Stadt Frankfurt am Main
• Stadt Wolfenbüttel
• Stadtmuseum Oldenburg
• StadtPalais – Museum für Stuttgart
• Städtische Museen Freiburg
• Suhrkamp Verlag, Berlin
Stiftungen
• Stiftung Berliner Mauer
• Stiftung Flucht, Vertreibung, FVersöhnung Berlin
• Stiftung Gedenkstätten Buchenwald Fund Mittelbau-Dora
• Stiftung Historische Museen FHamburg: Altonaer Museum, Museum Fder Arbeit
• Stiftung Luthergedenkstätten in FSachsen-Anhalt
• Stiftung niedersächsische FGedenkstätten Celle
• Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und FGärten Berlin-Brandenburg
• Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten: FGedenkstätte Bautzen, Gedenkstätte FMünchner Platz Dresden, FGedenkstätte Pirna-Sonnenstein
• Stiftung Topographie des Terrors FBerlin
T
• Technische Universität Eindhoven
• Technoseum, Landesmuseum für FTechnik und Arbeit Mannheim
U
• Übersee-Museum Bremen
• Universität der Künste Berlin
• Universität Hamburg
• Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-FHolstein Campus Lübeck
• Universitätsstadt Marburg
• Universum Managementges. mbH FBremen
V
• Velotaxi GmbH Berlin
• Vertretung der Europäischen FKommission in der Bundesrepublik FDeutschland
• VolkswagenStiftung Hannover
W
• Wartburg-Stiftung Eisenach
• Whisky & Cigars Berlin
• Wilhelm Wagenfeld Stiftung Bremen
• WonderWolf Productions Düsseldorf
• Worpsweder Touristik- und FKulturmarketing GmbH
Z
• ZBW – Leibniz-Informationszentrum FWirtschaft, Kiel
• ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd FBucerius
• Züricher Hochschule der Künste F(Switzerland)
We admit that it might sound a bit idealistic, but we believe that a good design will have positive effects on our work and life in general. Therefore we sometimes dedicate some of our time and financial resources to implementing one of our own concepts.
This might be an event (e.g. a workshop about luck and felicity at Bazon Brock’s »Denkerei«), a publication (e.g. a richly illustrated monograph about Nelly Sachs together with the writer Aris Fioretos) and sometimes an item surmounting lingual barriers (the sign language card game »Nomo« together with Andy Costrau).
Pursuing our own projects sharpens our design focus, liberates us from restraints for a while and allows us to explore new design areas.
There are many projects waiting to be implemented … stay in touch to see what happens next!
The increasing complexity of our design projects can only be mastered with a competency network and new inspiration. We aim at constantly widening our horizon and to improve the skills of our team. Thus, we always value respective contactings and qualified applications.
Speculative Applications
Feel free to send us an email with your descriptive application in which you outline how your skills would match our profile and why you would be a good addition to our team. Should you be invited to an interview, it facilitates the decision if you show us how you have arrived at your results. You should then be able to present to us your sketch books, architecture models and/or completed projects.
Please send your speculative application to
Jens H. Lohmann, eingang (at) gewerk.com
Internship Positions
Our internship positions – one for the three-dimensional/spatial area, one for the two-dimensional/media area – are intended for students of all design disciplines who require a mandatory specialized internship as part of their education. The duration should be between 3 and 6 months.
Currently, no internship positions are vacant.
You may inquire by e-mail whether an internship position becomes available in the near future:
Jens H. Lohmann, eingang (at) gewerk.com
gewerkdesign is a member of the following institutions:
IDZ Berlin / VerA / ICOM
Many of our competitions have evolved into projects and some of our projects have won international awards. But of course we don’t win every competition. Nontheless we are proud of the designs submitted to these competitions and consider them quite presentable.
If you plan to invite us for a competition or a negotiation for a project, we would appreciate giving us a short personal notice beforehand. It would make it easier for us to determine, whether the competition’s conditions suit our profile and our capacities.
A comprehensible tender answering all of the basic questions (who, what, where, when, why and how much?), too, will make it easier for us to commit to the competition. As a matter of course, the decision-making procedure should be transparent, the selection should be fair, and the jury should be competent and mentioned by name.
If you are unsure, whether your competition meets the requirements and codes of ethics for design competitions, please refer to the German Architectural Association (Architektenkammer) or the Association of Exhibition Designers VerA for further information.