Neuland Werkwand® - an interview with Axel Baumhöfner

To promote knowledge transfer, more and more companies are setting up dedicated creative spaces. These are usually designed individually. Systematic solutions are rare. Neuland aims to fill this gap. Close it off with a furniture system: NEULAND WERKWAND® is internationally patented and has received the German Design Award. Designer Axel Baumhöfner explains the background of the project.

What is innovative about the WORKWALL?

The WORKWALL primarily changes meeting behavior. It dynamizes processes and fosters decision-making. Participants pick up pens and chalk, write on a wall surface, and then erase the content. This means they discard fewer good ideas and develop more promising approaches. The WORKWALL can accelerate this process. The group experience is thus entirely different. And participants also structure the room with the mobile WORKWALLs. They are therefore more attentive and more active.

How and when did you come up with the idea to develop the WORKWALL?

We were commissioned by a publicly traded insurance group to develop a new concept to support employees through communication during a multi-year change process. One goal was to create something innovative, another was to achieve high efficiency. The design of the WERKWAND (Work Wall) thus arose from a direct, very practical customer requirement. We then used the WERKWÄNDEN to facilitate more than 300 workshops over three years. Because the idea proved successful, the concept of series production and patenting followed.

What claims did you pursue?

Working with the WERKWAND (Work Wall) should above all be varied. Spending a whole day in a workshop or sitting in a long meeting inevitably leads to fatigue. And it should require a high level of concentration. Many participants are familiar with pinboard systems and flip charts. We wanted to offer the advantages of many common media, but at the same time elevate them to a completely new level and thus create a different working atmosphere.

What changes when you work with the WORKWALL?

There's an active and direct atmosphere in the collaboration. The WORKWALL can be implemented in various ways, for example, one side can be written on with chalk, the other with whiteboard markers. Initially, we weren't sure how chalk would be received. But when board members immediately picked up the chalk and enjoyed it, we knew we were on the right track with this tactile writing method. The WORKWALLS structure the space, and the physical layout fades into the background. This promotes concentration.

The WORKWALL is slightly curved. Why?

The WORKWALL is available in straight and curved versions. Each curved WORKWALL is a movable circular segment, and 12 elements form a full circle with a diameter of 5 meters. This creates virtually borderless surfaces that can be written on both inside and out. Size, therefore, does play a role. Furthermore, the straight and curved elements, similar to a model railway, allow for the creation of all kinds of spatial configurations. There are hardly any limitations.

Why does the WORKWALL fit into the future of the working world?

Many companies are trending towards innovatively designed workspaces and learning environments. These spaces are intended to support employees in working creatively and with focus, while also encouraging them to think outside the box. The WERKWÄNDE (Work Wall) system can enhance these processes, which are largely about knowledge transfer. This effect can also be applied to other work areas within a company, such as open-plan offices. There, WERKWÄNDE can simultaneously function as creative room dividers. We are therefore talking about a system that fundamentally transforms communication, knowledge transfer, meetings, and group gatherings.

Who is your target audience?

We want to be present wherever knowledge transfer is involved. In the broadest sense, we target our services at innovative companies, conference organizers such as hotels, and educational institutions such as universities.

Through which distribution channels is the WERKWAND available?

With NEULAND, we have found a partner that is a perfect fit for WERKWAND. Owner and Managing Director Guido Neuland immediately recognized the idea and potential of WERKWAND. This is primarily due to NEULAND's deep and long-standing methodological expertise and the customers who value that. I personally also like the similarity between the words "NEULAND" and "WERKWAND".

You already won the German Design Award in 2016 with the WERKWAND. What does that mean to you?

For me personally, winning a design award is always a recognition of my work and the innovation by other important figures in the design field. For WERKWAND, following the international patent, the award is another important milestone towards a successful product.

Vita

Axel Baumhöfner studied industrial and communication design at the Darmstadt University of Art and Design. After graduating, he worked in various agencies specializing in design, product development, communication, and marketing. He then worked as a communication and marketing specialist for several large corporations. Since 2009, Axel Baumhöfner has been the managing partner of Lion and Fishes GmbH in Frankfurt am Main.