Impressions from the FOCUS OPEN jury 2024.
Photography: Thomas Simianer
 
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FOCUS OPEN 2025 the JURY
OUR JURORS LOVE INNOVATIONS, COURAGE AND FRESH IDEAS

As is typical for the FOCUS OPEN, all submissions are assessed almost exclusively on the original copy. And from experts in a class of their own!!

As always, our jury consists of renowned designers who will come together for a two-day jury in May and carefully and competently examine all registered products, services and future-oriented ideas.. 

The experts of the FOCUS OPEN jury 2025 are:

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Laureen Seider


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Laureen Seider
Managing Director
VISUELL GmbH
Stuttgart

Laureen Seider has been Managing Director of VISUELL Studio für Kommunikation GmbH, Stuttgart, since 2022 and continues to lead the family business into the future together with her husband Luis Seider, a registered architect. Specializing in visual communication in space, they conceive, design and implement emotional exhibitions for brands and museums. Laureen Seider has been working as an art director and media designer at VISUELL since 2015.

As a lecturer in editorial design at the Stuttgart Media University and holder of the IHK Stuttgart trainer aptitude certificate, she always focuses on emptiness and training. After training as a qualified paramedic and working in emergency rescue for several years, she completed a dual degree in media design (B.A.) at the DHBW Ravensburg. 

She gained international experience during a semester abroad at the University of Lapland in the Arctic Circle in Finland. Her interdisciplinary career combines design expertise with leadership skills and a broad range of experience that extends into medicine.

visuell.de
 

Andre hein


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Andre Hein
Freelance engineer
ambiosphere design engineering
Esslingen

1986 - 1989 Studied production engineering at Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Mönchengladbach
1989 - 1992 Technical product manager at Louis Leitz, Stuttgart
1992 - 2004 Head of development and authorized signatory at Funk Dreidimensional, Simmersfeld
Since 2004 Working as a freelance engineer - ambiosphere design engineering

Andre Hein carries out development assignments in the fields of medical technology, household and sports equipment, IT and consumer products, LED lights and office products, among others.

The focus of his work is the holistic development of design-oriented products. This includes technical conception, pre-development, prototype construction, series detail design and support for tooling and series production.

He is involved in the “Makers League” in Esslingen to support young companies and advises inventors.

ambiosphere.de
 

Markus orthey


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Markus Orthey
Braun Design Director
DE'LONGHI DEUTSCHLAND GmbH
Neu-Isenburg

Markus Orthey, Braun Design Director, studied product design at the University of Applied Sciences in Mainz. A formative exchange year in 2000 at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, and an internship at Matsushita Electric Works in Osaka, Japan, broadened his international understanding of design.

In 2001, he began his professional career at the legendary Braun Design Department, where he worked closely with designers from the Dieter Rams era. This period shaped his clear and functional design approach. From 2009, he was significantly responsible for the design of Braun shavers, clocks, and watches.

In 2013, Markus Orthey joined De’Longhi Braun Household, the company responsible for developing and producing Braun kitchen appliances. Since 2019, he has led a five-member design team there, which has won more than 110 prestigious design awards under his leadership since 2012. He also collaborates and conducts projects with universities such as Politecnico di Milano in Italy and TU Delft in the Netherlands.
 
delonghi.com  
 

PROF. NORA BILZ


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Prof. Nora Bilz
Communication designer, partner
rotbraun Gestaltung
Hamburg

Nora Bilz is a communication designer, partner and head of the design department at rotbraun Gestaltung Hamburg. She works for and with clients from business, science and culture. Her designs have won international awards and are regularly published.

After studying visual communication at Berlin University of the Arts and spending time in Rotterdam, she worked as a lecturer at Berlin University of the Arts and Macromedia University in Stuttgart, among others. From 2018 to 2024, she was Professor of Communication Design at IU International University, where she also worked as Academic Manager in a leading role in the Design, Architecture and Construction department. 

Today, Nora Bilz consistently uses her many years of experience as a designer and entrepreneur, teacher and manager with disabilities to shape society not only visually, but holistically. In addition to her work as a designer, she has taken over the management of the German site at myAbility Vienna - to create public awareness of the issues of diversity and inclusion and to enable equal opportunities in companies.

rotbraun.de

katharina roos


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Katharina Roos
Director Deisgn & Business Excellence
Experience One AG

Katharina Roos is Director Design & Business Excellence at Experience One AG. EO creates digital solutions at the interface of technology, design and strategy in international projects for clients such as Mercedes-Benz, AOK, Deutsche Bahn, Bosch and Zeiss. Previously, Katharina spent almost 14 years as UX Director and Head of QM and Organizational Development at Ergosign GmbH, where she was largely responsible for the company's success and scaling.
 
With over 18 years of experience, Katharina's passion is simple, elegant and human-centered digital solutions, taking into account artificial intelligence as a key success factor and innovation driver. As a systemic organizational developer and organizational resilience coach, she supports organizations in prioritizing people as a central success factor in digital business models.
 
Her heart also beats for research in the SME sector. Most recently, as consortium leader of an interdisciplinary team, she researched how the human-centered design approach can lead to greater resilience in organizations.
 
Katharina has been a juror for the international iF Design Award since 2023. 

experienceone.com
 

André Poulheim


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Andre Poulheim
product designer & Co-Founder
NOTO GmbH
Hürth

André Poulheim (* 1974) is an internationally established product designer and Co-Founder of the German design studio Noto.
He was trained as modelmaker before studying design at the Koeln international School of Design, where the way of thinking in experiences instead of products was founded. The combination of design as craftmanship and a forward thinking mindset is noticeable in many of the products he is responsible for.

Since setting up his own studio Noto with partner Thorsten Frackenpohl in 2001 he has developed several products for industry leading companies as well as for promising startups. The studio is located in Cologne - in the mid west of Germany - and working for companies from all over Europe, the Far East and the US.

Furthermore he is working as associate professor for Conceptual Design at the faculty of design at the University of Applied Sciences in Aachen since 2016.

Many pf Noto's products have received international design awards such as the red dot product design award, the IF product design award, the German Design Award, American Good Design award and the prestigious Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Gold in 2012 for the inflatable tent "The Cave" for Heimplanet.

Since 2012 Noto is working with Bang & Olufsen and André is in charge when it comes to the creation of new concepts for this extraordinary partnership. Working together is always about challenging each other to go beyond what's possible. We call it the friendly fight. Until now three products were realized - delivering enduring magical experiences.

noto.design