ic! berlin in conversation with Martin Bremer – designer and thinker at Mercedes-Benz Group

Martin, we’re delighted to be back and to be talking to you about design. A big question to start with: What does design actually mean today?

Interesting question. I think design is becoming increasingly important because it’s easy to perceive. And I believe that the success of many companies lies in developing their own language, their own character that can also be perceived. Of course, technical innovations are what we stand for at Mercedes, but design in particular is one of the most important reasons to buy a product today. In our industry as well as in others, I think.

And how has this changed the role of the designer?

You can see that very clearly in our company. The design department, headed by Chief Design Officer Gorden Wagener, is one of the most important in the Group. We are the first to develop new products that help shape the formal strategy. In the fifties, the design department was still a sub-department. Today, design has its own directorate, which reports directly to the Management Board. This shows how the role of the designer has changed in importance.

What was your career path to becoming a designer at Mercedes-Benz?

I studied transportation design. It was a bit in my blood. My father was an engineer at Mercedes and I went along to the test drives when I was just one year old. And then there’s this second component which is creativity. My grandfather was a pastor and author and did a lot of carving. And my great-aunt had an embroidery shop in Berlin and created fantastic theater curtains – that is perhaps the origin of my enthusiasm for materiality. After my studies, I wanted to see the world. And so I applied for a job at Mazda Motor Corporation, where I ended up in color and trim design. It was exciting to immerse myself in a different culture; the contact with Japanese designers and design groups had a lasting impact on me. Also being able to travel to Japan, one of the most inspiring countries when you’re dealing with materials. This wealth of culture. The celebration of ancient craftsmanship. The sensitivity for materials and color combinations. Fascinating. This is how I learned to give products a design identity.

What else did you learn during your time in Asia?

I also worked in Korea. Specifically to establish a “European taste” in their design at the time. In terms of colors and materials. What struck me was that they themselves have a wonderful history when it comes to materials! Take their fascination with paper. Or the beautiful linen fabrics. Back then, I already had a vision of unfolding their own cultural context. I found this approach to be much stronger in Japan, as seen with designers such as Issey Miyake, Kenzo and Yamamoto. They managed to transfer much of their own sensibility and Japanese design tradition into the modern era. At the time, Korea hadn’t yet recognised its own culture. Creating something unique from one’s own culture has always been my goal. Use your culture to develop your own language!

And how did you end up in Sindelfingen?

I started at Mercedes-Benz in the ’90s. Working for the company you feel the greatest passion for is one of the greatest experiences you can have. It simply motivates you to keep pushing the envelope: What new things can we develop? I progressed rapidly within the company and was then fully responsible  for the Color & Trim Design of Mercedes, Smart and Trucks. In other words, the entire product range including Maybach. This global mindset and the opportunity to work in so many different areas is fascinating …

.. as is working with an eyewear manufacturer! (laughs) I remember when we met eight years ago, you’d obviously been an ic! wearer for a while …

I was delighted when I found out that there would be a collaboration with you. I had my first pair of glasses from ic! berlin in the 90s. I was blown away. Because it’s wasn’t just a formal exercise, there’s a concept behind it. Bringing form and function together, but thinking from the authenticity of the material, is simply a great approach that still influences me today.

Have you been influenced by other design movements?

What has always influenced me is meeting other people and cooperating with them. Being able to listen. I find that very important. Many people think that you just press a button and something comes out. But that’s not the case.
Italy is a country that I am passionate about. I was fortunate enough to meet Ernesto Gismondi from Artemide, his wife Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Michele De Lucchi. Italian design combines emotionality and innovation excellently, and this has also had a strong influence on me. It’s exciting to see how Memphis Design forced us to break out of the mould back then. However, you need both: a clear identity and the occasional departure from convention. This balance is reflected in our design philosophy of ‘Sensual Purity’, which combines emotional and intelligent aspects in harmony.

What challenges do you see in the design of new products?

One challenge is: People long for authenticity. When I was in the US once, a customer told me: ‘I love my Mercedes-Benz because it has real wood.’ He couldn’t even identify the wood himself. It was just the idea of real wood that fascinated him. This motivated me to start using open-pore wood in our vehicles. And I think this trend will continue: Innovations in the world of materials. Just as you developed Flexarbon. Translating and integrating these innovations without losing your own character is a great task for designers of the future.

AI is a double-edged sword. Many contemporary designs feel tiring to me — it’s a sea of sameness. It’s difficult when people think, ‘We have AI — how wonderful!’. My former professor used to say: ‘If you don’t have the idea yourself, no one will help you.’ So the real challenge is: Not pressing the button, but having the idea yourself. This is why designers must cultivate their own language and boldly put it out into the world.

And then rather use AI as a companion …

Precisely! It’s a wonderful tool. But this complexity is insane. I’m increasingly longing for simplification and reduction. I believe this will become a widespread desire, including among young people. Responding to this will be the challenge of the coming years. Because: Complexity is easy. Reduction is hard.

Is this the key to your timeless elegance at Mercedes?

Yes, elegance is the result of reduction and proportion. And harmony is extremely important. This is somehing we often discuss at Mercedes-Benz: The individual lines in relation to each other, the connections, the radii – all these kinds of details where millimeters make all the difference.

We know this all too well. On the face, every millimeter counts.
Anna Quentin, Head of Style & Product Design: 

To conclude – what advice would you give to young designers like us?

The cultural exchange. Get to know the people who make a product. Take a look at the production processes. Listen to those who handle the materials. Develop designs and prototypes by hand, too. These shapes have a different soul. You can’t just do it on a computer, you have to understand the material. That would be my advice to every young designer.