Mario Taepper

Specialized in Design.

Mario Taepper

About Mario Taepper

Ich bin männlich. Mein Ziel ist es, schönes Design zu schaffen, meine Designsprache sollte von jedem anerkannt werden. Ich bin positiv orientiert. Mein Sternzeichen ist BALANCE und so bin ich leicht zu managen und ich bin immer bemüht, Meinungsverschiedenheiten beizulegen. Unter meinen Freunden habe ich einen guten Ruf. Meine Freunde sind gerne in unserem Kreis. Ich bin sehr kommunikativ und interessiert und offen für Neues.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs

Good Design Deserves Great Recognition

Nominate Your Work for the A' Design Award.

Sign-Up

Interview with Mario Taepper

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
When I was a child I always used to play with boxes. My father was a doctor and he gave me all the empty boxes where ampoules and pills were in. As a grown-up I wanted to be an interior architect. But I started studying languagesand then I studied design.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
We have a small studio,we started first doing all by ourselves but that became more and more difficult when clients don't pay their bills especially when the come from foreign countries. I decided then only to make the design and work together with diffenrent companies.
What is "design" for you?
Designing is for me very important, I like very much to play with forms. Design should be as simple as possible and should be agreable to watch even after years.
What kinds of works do you like designing most?
I don't focus on any special product , I just follow my thoughts. For the time being I focus on light especially OLEDlight , this is a complete new way of interpreting light.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
The most favorite design of me is the salt and pepper shaker TWO IN ONE I did for WMF. This product was sold 1 Million pieces in 10 years and it is still selling very well . This design is oustanding.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
The first thing I designed was lamp collection " Betula" for YCAMI. But the company meanwhile doesn't exist anymore.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
For accessoiries I prefer stainless steel and for lamps I prefer allumium and lighting material LED, OLED.
When do you feel the most creative?
When there is a theme for a new product then it is as being pregnant, and suddenly after some time the prdouct is ready in my head and it has only be realized in 3D or sometimes 3D print.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I can't help but the important for me is the form it must perceived with the senses.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
I am just relaxed and I am curious to know if the product is realizable.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
I am just happy and content that sees the significance of my design.
What makes a design successful?
That is difficult to answer , it would be better to ask the customers.The right idea to the rihgt moment.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
Today a designer is demanded to create things with long durability and even after years you don't get not tired watching them, the materials must recyclable.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
That is a difficult question and if would know the answer I would do so. It will be more and more difficult to find a realy non existing design. I remember a saying of Charles H.Duell in the American office of Patents (1899)."All what can be invented. has been invented already."
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
My last exhibition is long ago and there are plans until now for next one.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
I don't sit at my working -table waiting for the ideas to come. They just come and I make a little sketch and later on I filter and I concentrate on it and work it out.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
I am a follower of the Bauhaus. What was created there is still on the market and the design are still beautiful and on the market.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
In Germany in NRW. look question 18. I don't focus on the pro and the con.
How do you work with companies?
It depends, sometimes the company ask me designing something or I asked if the company might be interested in having this or that design.
What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
I would never suggest something to a company. How companies select I have no idea but I did answer myself how is procedure of selecting.
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
The lamp TUBI, the bench CLIP, the salt and pepper shaker TWO IN ONE , the closet TORI and a candle holder fromthe collection TABULA NOVA and of course the Erdnussschütte.
Can you describe a day in your life?
Every day is different and beautiful. I enjoy every day being healthy and satisfied.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
I would suggest that they should inform themselves very carefully if that what they want to design is really new or if it is just a me too product and being very critically.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
Negative for me is that the press is making some designer great and they then they can do every design and others who are as quite good have to work harder. Positive is that you belong to those who can enrich life of others.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
Not to copy any other design. I have made bad expierences . The lamp TUBI was copied 4 times , TWO IN ONE wascopied once.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
books are a good source of inspiration, sometimes for doing something better. 3 D printer of makerbot,cinema 3D
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
I don't see designing as consuming task , I just like what I do and I have no problem managing my time.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
That differs very much wether it is a little accessory or a lamp or a furniture.
What was your most important job experience?
The most important job experience was that having a good idea you are copied at onceand you can do very few against.
Who are some of your clients?
WMF , Carl Mertens, Tramontina, Pott, Christine Kröncke , Müller Mödelwerkstätten, Schönecker Leuchten, Promemoria, etc
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
The most I enjoy of my design is the salt and pepper shaker. This day I won't forget because it was before going into a concert. Before we walked around and I saw a salt and pepper set from JENSEN . I said to myself that should be possible to make it different and so the idea of TWO IN ONe was born. Coming home at night I verified a model in paper.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
Some designs are in progress but I never talk in advance until realization is secure.

Designer of the Day Interview with Mario Taepper

How did you become a designer?
Before I started my design career I thought studying languages , that really interested me but while studying I discovered my love for design. While studying me my wife and started with our company MM Design Edition. Accessories were our first objects , followed by lamps and a little furniture. We started to expose in the IMM in Cologne and at the Ambiente Fair in Francort. I was influenced by nobody. Being a designer was always my target.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
I am so happy that I am highly gifted with fantasy. I am not searching convulsively for new design. When I have an idea I am working it out in my brain, and then I start with some sketches and mostly I let them lie unfinished.After some time I start over it again. If possible I make a little prototype by myself or I start to make the 3D picture.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
Creating new design makes me always happy. Every step you go through is having different emotions. From the first idea to the final 1: 1 product is really exciting. At the beginning stands the question will the final product correspond to the first idea you had. My emotions do accompany during the whole design process.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
I am dreaming of creating another 1 million pieces design, like the S/P set TWO IN ONE. I want be remebered as designer who stands for a clear line, and outstanding design. My biggest wish is to realize my OLED lamp collection which consists meanwhile out of 20 designs, but for the time being Oled panels are to expensive. Oled will be the future and gives so fantastic new possibilities.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
This is a very difficult question and I cannot give any advice because everyone must do his own experience.Some have to fight others have the luck being suddenly pushed by the press and everybody in the branch is talkingabout the person.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
I have very less contact to other collegues , that was my whole life through , so I cannot suggest anything.
What is your day to day look like?
Everyday when I come in my office I first check my e-mails. Then if necessary I do some telefon conversation.Doing appointments are standing on my days agenda. I never stop thinking positive that helps a lot.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I have quite a good design library which I am going through from time to time. Some monthly appearing journals I do study in the evening My fantasy is my inspiration and while walking through the woods I can work out so many things.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
When I have a new idea and I have realized it in 3D or as a little model I show it to my best friends and we talk about it, I like critics but when I am convinced of what I did I try to defend it.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
It is just a feeling that says me let it be like it is, I am satisfied. You always can improve things but mostly you don't see it yourself.
What is your biggest design work?
I am very proud of my table and floor lamp TUBI ( the name is coming from the italian word " tubo" ) This lamp consists out of 2 tubes ( therefor TUBI. This lamp is on the market for 27 years and is still selling. I wanted to create a lamp with joints which are on the market simply to reduce costs for developping new joints. This lamp was made with halogen technic first but now me changed to LED technic. I am currently working on OLED lamps.
Who is your favourite designer?
Ingo Maurer is for outstanding design and I like Ross Lovegrove. I would have liked to talk to Mies van der Rohe.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
Inspiring cities are for me Paris, Venice, London, Rom. Music is for me very inspiring ,mainly piano music fromChopin, Gottschalk , Beethoven ,Satie and others. Good design is necassary to make life more beautiful andinspiring to everybody.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
I work alone. For me my business partners must have a good charisma , a sense of humour and must be positive and uncomplicated . The same caracteristics should my clients for whom I do interior decoration.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
Humanitarian project are very important, I did not have the chance to give a contribution. Good design should never get old but to verify this gets more and difficult.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
I was very proud having got A'Design Award ( in Gold) last year. But until now it did not bring me along very much.I had contact to the italian blog ( Arscity) there were no demands for designing this or that product. I don't knowwhy but there is still a chance. Anyway design competitions are necessary , they are confirmation and publicity.

Extended Interview with Mario Taepper

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I have studied art in Berlin and so aswell I came into contact with design. I founded my own company MM Design Edition. I started to design accessories.
How did you become a designer?
It was always my aim to create something that survives me. That was my greatest motivation.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
If you never getting tired watching good design and you always get the same emotions.

Stay Updated with Latest Design News

By clicking Sign-Up, you are opting to receive promotional emails from A' Design Awards, World Design Rankings, World Design Consortium and Designers.Org You can update your preferences or unsubscribe any time.

You are now at the right step

Join Designers.org & Start Promoting Your Design Worldwide.

Create an Account