Wilkhahn

Wilkhahn profile

Wilkhahn, one of the most popular German manufacturers of office furniture worldwide, began as the Wilkening and Hahne Chair Factory, founded in 1907 in Eimbeckhausen, Germany, by the craftsmen Christian Wilkening and Friedrich Hahne. The company name was changed to Wilkhahn, a fusion of the names of the founding families, Wilkening and Hahne, in 1954. The head office is located in the northern German town of Bad Münder, which has a long history of furniture manufacturing. One hundred years ago, thanks to the nearby beech forests, the area boasted some one hundred chair manufacturers. Today, Wilkhahn is a well-known global enterprise, with subsidiaries, license partners and dealers in 59 countries around the world, and derives half of its sales revenues from overseas.

Wilkhahn furniture is used in a wide variety of environments, including airports, train stations, education and medical facilities and national assemblies. Locations include the Hong Kong International Airport and Dubai International Airport, which have rows of red, blue and black Tubis, and the Spanish national assembly, furnished with brown FS Line chairs.

Wilkhahn product design continues to be world class, made especially evident by the many international awards the company has won for its design. It is not only Wilkhahn’s fine products and communication style, however, that have attracted the attention of the business world and academia, but also its future-oriented corporate culture. On the premise that staff motivation must be high to gain a competitive advantage, Wilkhahn introduced staff participation in management early on.

‘The great thing at Wilkhahn is the clear harmonious relationship between the three stages of achievement which structure the corporate culture. The staff’s attitude and working principles (Stage 1), design and social principles (Stage 2), and the simple layout of the working environment and management environment (Stage 3) are inspired throughout by individual values, which are the foundation of the corporate culture’ (from “Wilkhahn: MORE THAN FURNITURE” by Rudolf Schwarz, 2000).

Identity and Change

In the 1980s, Wilkhahn enjoyed a boom period. This came to an end, however, in the 1990s, during which other furniture manufacturers began offering quality products at low prices, resulting in the rapid increase in the number of competitors and intensification of market competition. The Wilkhahn reputation had been as a long-standing producer of high-quality, high-priced products. The company’s USP during this time needed to be reviewed, as it became unclear why customers should choose Wilkhahn products.

In order to examine brand positioning, a model was used to compare the position of Wilkhahn and six competitors. Wilkhahn’s new positioning was ascertained from the results, the brand core and value were translated into words and images, and a new corporate design was created and introduced in 2002.

Wilkhahn continues to strive for a corporate culture with a solid corporate identity, while embracing change and innovation.

‘There is no recipe for embracing change other than the cultivation of ideas and a communication system aimed at finding a balance between clear identity while remaining flexible enough to address change. Continuity and differentiation are key, along with avoiding the traps of preconceived notions.’ (from “Wilkhahn: MORE THAN FURNITURE” by Rudolf Schwarz, 2000).

Based on a positioning model created using a social environment analysis method, Wilkhahn’s corporate design and product design were
compared to that of its six competitors, from
which Wilkhahn’s new position was identified.
The Wilkhahn brand core and brand value were ascertained from the resulting positioning portfolio.

Mission Statement (Brand Core)

A brand with a clear profile can be expressed in words, which is the mission statement of the identity of the organisation.

Brand value

Brand personality is defined by its unique values and characteristics. These values and characteristics are generated from the core of the brand, as well as by exterior demand. The brand personality gives the brand clear and distinctive characteristics.

The values to which Wilkhahn aspires represent a commitment to all of Wilkhahn’s shareholders, while pursuing its own objectives. They serve as the guidelines for all branding activities.

Brand valueの属性は、次のように定義される。

• Design

  Independence – Comprehension – Purism – Fascination

  Wilkhahn has a long-standing image as a producer of furniture focussing on design. Its products have continued to set trends for pioneering design, the inspiration of which is derived from the ideals of simplicity, craftsmanship and maximum usability.

  

• Innovation

  Evolution – Conviction – Curiosity – Exploration

  Over the course of many years, through continual innovation and repeated corporate restructuring efforts, Wilkhahn has created a unique corporate entity. The company’s forward-thinking, pioneering spirit is a strong motivating force which drives its determination to achieve differentiation and spur innovation.

  

• Quality

  Continuity – Benchmark – Perfection – Sensitivity

  Wilkhahn quality is probably best described as ‘making good things better’. This does not simply mean complying with international standards and benchmarks, but also using first-class materials to create the highest quality finished product.

  

• Responsibility

  Awareness – Humanity – Reflection – Matter of Course

  Whether as individuals or as an enterprise, Wilkhahn sees itself as part of society and the global environment, and wishes to make positive contributions both big
  and small.

  

• Service

  Service

  Commitment – Professionalism – International Cooperation – Involvement

  Wilkhahn aims at optimal performance through its own efforts, and the same responsible efforts of its partners.
  

  

• Tradition

  Tradition

  Experience – Identity – Authenticity – Development

  In order to pass down its corporate tradition, Wilkhahn will continue to cultivate a corporate culture which facilitates opportunities for further advancement, while maintaining a clear brand image.

  

• Physical Well-being

  Physical wellbeing

  Balance – Lightness – Flexibility – Self-determination

  Wilkhahn offers products used in everyday life that positively influence the physical well-being of all kinds of people.

  

Brand logo

The logotype is an element which clearly communicates the name Wilkhahn. It is visually striking, globally recognisable and may be easily integrated into advertising media. When the background is white, the corporate colour green is used, and when the background is green, white is used. When coloured printed matter is produced, the corporate colour green and secondary colour grey are used.

Colour

For colour productions, the corporate colour green and the secondary colour grey are defined. The moderate use of the grey for background areas serves to highlight and complement the green, or to structure textual content.

• Corporate colour
  
• Secondary colour
  

Corporate typeface

Frutiger is the designated corporate typeface.It emanates high quality and timelessness and is very legible.

Frutiger

Photographic style

Wilkhahn uses images that support its brand values and communication requirements. The image themes “Living Spaces” and “Product Spaces” depict interior and exterior life situations and scenarios. In “Living Spaces”, the quality and ideas behind the products represent those of the product's users: people thinking, working, dreaming and communicating. “Product Spaces” depict Wilkhahn’s products of a more practical nature. The products are always depicted in relation to the people, objects, atmosphere and context in which they are used: working, waiting, relaxing and meeting.

The image themes “Product Atmosphere”, “Product Aesthetics” and “Product Technology” focus on the emotional appearance and technical attributes of Wilkhahn’s products.

Living space

Product space

Product atmosphere

Product aesthetics

Product technology

There are a number of basic rules for the design of brochure covers and the website. For example, cover pages are divided by straight lines and are composed of areas in the corporate colour, with photographs, and the logotype. A grid system is provided for the design of inside pages.

Basic design of communication media

Grid system

The Wilkhahn brand is distinguished by product design. Wilkhahn products will continue to reflect the Wilkhahn design principle. The products complement the uniform brand image, but remain an independent entity and market influence. Accordingly, it is essential that all design processes for the development of Wilkhahn products are bundled, and that a clear definition of what constitutes ""Wilkhahn design” is created. The company’s design guide outlines Wilkhahn’s general design principle by way of a design corridor. Consistent application of the style guidelines is essential to differentiate and highlight the design of the Wilkhahn brand.

Design Corridor

In order to lend formal depth to the clear interpretation of the brand value “design”, the following design corridor was developed. Only products which fit into this corridor possess the characteristics which make them a unique Wilkhahn product.

Wilkhahn product design lies in a corridor between the style categories Dynamic Innovation and Modern Classic. The main design attribute of Wilkhahn products is Technical Minimalism – the design corridor’s main style.

Depending on the range to which they belong, products may have a formal focus in one of three style categories, but they always contain elements of the main design principle. Variations of a product may extend across the entire corridor, e.g. the Modus chair range, shown on the following pages.

The design corridor is also used for the design of trade fair stands, to which the product design style principles are simply transferred. Depending on the exhibition focus and interior concept, the three style categories may define various stand zones, as long as the main design principle (Technical Minimalism) dominates.

The way the design corridor works in practice is best demonstrated by the Modus chair range. Modus Basic has a clear, timeless design and expresses the main design principle of Wilkhahn – Technical Minimalism. Modus Small, fitted with a light, meshweave backrest, is a simple interpretation of the basic model in the Dynamic Innovation category. Modus Medium – a leather chair with a higher backrest and broader seat platform fits into the Modern Classic category and has the look of a typical executive chair.