Interview: Lovisa Lund
As a designer at Rotho, I have the opportunity to participate in the complete product development process: from the idea through production to the shop shelves.
What position did you initially take up?
My manager, Marc Binder, contacted me directly while I was studying at the Umea Design Institute in Sweden. I started with a one-year internship, which ended with a job offer. I am now working full-time as a junior product designer.
What makes Rotho an attractive place to work?
Rotho is a great company for designers who would like to follow the whole process of making a product! This is a smaller company where you can be close to the entire process of making a product. As a designer, I rarely have the opportunity to be involved in every part of the process. At Rotho - one day you are sketching a new product at your desk and the next day you are downstairs in the production department making direct samples in the machine.
What personal experiences/traits are important to your work?
I am an industrial engineer by training and currently a designer. I believe that understanding the bigger picture of the manufacturing process, while focusing on design, is an advantage. As well as the end product being desirable and useful to our customers, there is a whole world of manufacturing, assembly and logistics to consider before it goes into many people's homes!
What is your favourite Rotho product and why?
Pagamalu.
I take into account the entire product cycle. As a user, you have the chance to organise your kitchen with lids with different functions, and at the end of their life cycle you are able to take each part apart and fully recycle it (design for disassembly).
Rotho is not necessarily seen as a very attractive company. Do you agree with this statement?
I guess it depends on what you are looking for! Rotho is an attractive company to me for many reasons - one being its size and ability to make a big impact. I like the entrepreneurial spirit and the opportunity to work on many different projects: formproducts, illustration, shop windows and social media. We are also a diverse team coming from many parts of the world, which makes us quite a progressive, modern and multicultural place to work.