TEAMS Design

TEAMS is a global design firm headquartered in Esslingen, Germany founded in 1956 by industrial designer Hans Erich Slany. As of July, 2009, TEAMS has five design studios in Germany, China, the United States, and Serbia. They have been ranked second by the International Forum Design (iF), or 14th in an international poll that includes corporations, communications, and other firms. As of September 2016, TEAMS has over 1,000 design awards.
The firm employs over 100 people in several disciplines. TEAMS offers services in user experience design (UXD), interaction design, industrial design, engineering, prototyping, design strategy, and brand communications.
History
In 1956 Hans Erich Slany founded Slany Design in Esslingen, Germany. he approached Robert Bosch GmbH with his ideas for power tools housed in plastics, a revolutionary idea that would make tools lighter, reducing the incidence of repetitive strain injury and electric shocks to users. To train their engineers and commemorate a traveling European exhibition called "Making Work Easier: Ergonomics for Power Tools", Bosch published a book based on Slany's recommendations: "The influence of Ergonomics on the Design of Power Tools". TEAMS still manages the visual brand language of Bosch Power Tools.
During this time, Slany was very active in the design community, forming the Verband Deutscher Industrie Designer e.V. (VDID), with six other designers in 1959.
To secure new leadership for the firm's future after many decades, Slany sold some of his shares to designers Reinhard Renner and Klaus Schoen. The firm began to be known as Slany Design Teams with the intent of phasing out Slany's name upon his retirement. In 1996 when Slany stepped down, the name was changed to TEAMS Design GmbH.
In 1998, the firm foundied their first branch in Chicago with Paul Hatch as president. Recently, Paul Hatch was made CEO of the US office and Andreas Bell became president of the US office. A second German branch in Hamburg was opened under the direction of by Ulrich Warth in 2002; Ulrich Schweig succeeded Warth in 2010. Further international expansion quickly followed with branches in Belgrade and Shanghai in 2004 and 2006, respectively. Zarko Bubalo heads the Belgrade location, and An Luo founded the Shanghai office. The firm currently employs over 100 employees across all five locations.
Current Community Leadership
TEAMS Design is actively involved with industrial design professional organizations worldwide. In Germany, the firm participates in activities with the VDID. TEAMS Chicago CEO, Paul Hatch has served as the Midwest Vice President of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) as well as served as an International Conference Chair and serves as the IDSA Director at Large - Conferences, and their Vice President, Marianne Grisdale, finished a term as the IDSA National Secretary / Treasurer and now is serving as the Midwest District Vice President.
TEAMS Today
TEAMS Design GmbH is currently run by Reinhard Renner, Hans Peter Aglassinger, and Klaus Baumgartner. Aglassinger and Baumgartner took over Schoen’s shares in the firm upon his retirement in 2003. TEAMS Design continues to manage the visual language of brands long term and be honored in the field of product design for brands such as Bosch, Kärcher GmbH, Silit, Mr. Coffee, Black & Decker, STILL and Leifheit.
Published Material
* Slany, Hans Erich; Stefanie Leisentritt, (2013). "Industriedesign - Eine Erfolgsgeschichte", Verlag Sindlinger-Burchartz,
* Chan, Eric, (2010). "1000 Product Designs: Form, Function, and Technology from Around the World", Rockport Publishers,
* Zec, Prof. Peter, (2009). "Red Dot Design Yearbook 2009/2010", Avedition GmbH,
* Godau, Marion; Antonelli, Paola, (2007) Design Directory Germany, Universe,
* Zec, Prof. Peter (2007). "Red Dot Design Yearbook 2007/2008", Avedition GmbH,
* German Design Council, (2007). Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany 2007, Birkhäuser Basel,
* Hatch, Paul (editor); McDonagh,Deana (editor); Balte, Tatyana (illustrator) (2006). REALIZE - Design Means Business, Industrial Designers Society of America; 1ST edition,
* McDonagh, Deana, (2005). IMPACT: The Synergy of Design, Technology, and Business, Industrial Designers Society of America; 1ST edition,
* Fiell, Peter; Fiell, Charlotte; Krumhauer, Julia, (2003). Industrial Design A-Z, Tashen,
* Ogursky, Guenter; Stof, Gabrielle (editors) (Unknown). The Influence of Ergonomics on the Design of Power Tools, Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart
* Zec, Prof. Peter, (1997). German Design Standards, Koln: DuMont,
* Marquart, Christian, (1994). Industrial Culture - Industrial Design: A Piece of German Economic and Design History: The Founder Members of the Association of German Industrial, John Wiley & Sons,

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