Product design involves many different areas. Ultimately, it is about the design of three-dimensional things. A product should fulfil the expected function, be touching through its aesthetics and integrate into the existing environment as a matter of course.
Furniture is an important part of life, as it is part of the home and thus a mirror of people's personalities. They have been the focus of Thomas Merkel's work for many years. For the furniture manufacturer sdr Systemmöbel GmbH (now S+ Systemmöbel GmbH), Thomas Merkel has so far designed all the programmes, some of which have been successfully produced for years.
Developing luminaires from wood means in particular making good use of the properties of the material. Three levels of light are created by the material-specific design: Direct light that emerges from the top and bottom of the luminaire, light that is reflected by the wood and light that shines through the transparency of the thin material.
Thomas Merkel developed vessels that only retain their function by means of a base. Without this, they lose their functionality of preserving the contents and become pure objects whose functionality is limited to aesthetics.
For the HEWI company, Thomas Merkel developed a series of variable door handles as part of the team, for whose technical design he was responsible. The customer's condition was to meet the requirements of the fire protection class.
