11 / 430
9
Erwin Van Handenhoven
Design Director of Hager Group
Strategic design management
Over the last six decades Hager’s product range has grown
rapidly. Moving on from specialising in meter panel systems,
we have advanced to become a provider of entire electro-
technical solutions for intelligent residential and commercial
buildings. Whereas in the past it sufficed to design a small
number of key products emphasizing functionality, today it
is necessary to create an extensive realm of heterogeneous
products. To reach this objective Hager relies on strategic
design management – a design vocabulary containing many
‘facial expressions’, but also characterised by a distinct
fundamental attitude.
Holistic design
This stance is not only reflected in the product itself but also
shapes all related processes. When making the first drafts
we already consider how a product will be manufactured,
operated and eventually disposed of. Eco-design and
eco-production assist us in employing all resources as
intelligently as possible and in avoiding waste right from the
start. This also holds true for our eco-friendly packaging
design where we exclusively use recycled fibres which
neither contain chemical bleaching agents nor composite
materials that are difficult to separate.
The face behind the design
Hager’s product design unmistakably bears the hallmarks of
Erwin Van Handenhoven who has been Hager Group’s Design
Director since July 2013. The prolific cooperation between
the renowned industry designer and Hager started in 2000.
Beside the actual product design, part of Erwin’s mission is
shaping the future and in doing so, decisively and influentially
advancing the evolution of the electro-technical industry.
This has led to numerous product highlights that live up to
tomorrow’s design requirements in a very characteristic way.
Many of them are to be found in the new Hager catalogue.
Have fun making some new discoveries!