Susanne Roser ©Evi Blink
Susanne Roser ©Evi Blink

” Functional, reduced, playful! “

Who are you? Where are you from? 

I am Susanne Roser from Basel, Switzerland.

When did you know that there beats an artistic heart in your body?

I discovered myself to be creative during my childhood. I was able to spend hours in my room, sorting out little things of mine by its colors, shapes and forms. If my mother gave me a piece of chocolate wrapped in a nice paper I would have kept the paper and thought of creative ways how to reuse it. During the pre-course for the School of Art and Design, I saw several options of studying Design that I could have gone into. At the end I like using my hands and touching things, as well as crafting and working with a variety of materials and surfaces. More over I like to combine different fields of design and work interdisciplinary.

What motivates/inspires your work?

The inspiration of mankind almost exclusively comes from existing things. In my daily life I look at a huge diversity of objects. Within all this I think it much rather starts with a “good” pessimism (or realism) that says: “What else can possibly be needed here?” Every now and then I get a glimpse of how an existing product could work out differently or how I could go further with the idea and this is where the inspiration kicks in. From there it’s a short way to motivation.

Your style in 3 words?

Functional, reduced, playful

Functional thing:  with „Pinibo“ you go off for a nice picnic ©Susanne Roser.
Functional thing: with „Pinibo“ you go off for a nice picnic ©Susanne Roser.

Has there been a particular project you found to be the highlight of your work so far?

I did a leather bag called “Clint”. About this product I would say that it is “whole”. It started with the inspiration the persona of Clint Eastwood gave me in his Western movies and went on with a concept and the creation of a final product, that I find really attractive, complete and useful.

How do you develop an understanding of audience and then implement this understanding in your designs? 

I do ask myself, what really is needed in the world of Product Design. I guess I’m on the verge of doing this more often, because whilst studying I enjoyed the given freedom to get somewhere and draw my line as a designer. I’m aware that I’m not moving in the mainstream area and that one mostly can’t create something that everybody pleases. Still, now as a working designer it’s important to me to, inspirationally, stay free but make sure that the things I create are useful.

What do you consider to be some of your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Whenever I start working on something, I have the urge to accomplish the task. That is one. Furthermore I was told that I can really handle criticism of all kind and want to learn and profit from it. I know that I sometimes question the root of an idea to long. It’s not bad to ask questions but one should not let him or herself get dragged away from the idea without giving it a try.

Functional thing:  with „Pinibo“ you go off for a nice picnic ©Susanne Roser.
Functional thing: with „Pinibo“ you go off for a nice picnic ©Susanne Roser.

 Where do you see your design work is taking you?

Since I don’t foresee things, I don’t know. I’m trying my best to come up with new stuff, convince people of it and to gradually place myself in the design scenery, in a way that allows me to stay creative, open-minded and honest.

 Describe yourself in two words.

Blue-Eyed.

Right now you are in Cologne working for the Furniture Designers kaschkasch . What do you do there? And what do you think of Cologne?

Basically I get involved into their crafting as Product Designers. Right now p.e. I helped them organizing their exhibition for the furniture fair in Milan. Therefore I get insights into various parts of what being a designer is. I arrived in Cologne during Carneval, so I got quite a big reception. It took a couple of weeks to place myself in wintery Cologne. Now that summertime is coming and that I’m past the middle of my stay, I can discover the lively sides of Cologne. New people coming out of their holes and new environments bring new ideas, that I will hopefully take back home to Basel by the end of June.

Any new projects coming up, you want to tell us about?

There are many ideas spinning in my head. Still most of my focus is on kaschkasch right now, since I now have the chance to learn and profit from their experiences. In June I might participate in an exhibition in Cologne.

Product Design by Susanne Roser ©Susanne Roser.

Product Design by Susanne Roser © Susanne Roser

Susanne Roser

Author: Mareen Biederbick