Where do you get your ideas?

I collect inspiration from trade fairs. I also like to browse magazines, read trend blogs and spend a lot of time out in nature. I observe my competitors and get ideas right from our customers.

EGLO puts hundreds of novelties on the market every year. Aren't you running the risk of repeating yourself?

No. There is any number of ways to play with forms. The retro trend shows us that it is possible to interpret even known things in new and exciting ways.

How do you proceed when you design a new product?

Our product managers are already working on the 2020 range now. They know which lamps will be in the living rooms then. Based on this, we sketch the first ideas. Then we will pick the best one, refine it, create 3D models on the computer, refine it some more... only when we are happy will our colleagues in prototype production build the first prototype. That will then be perfected in all details, like the sketch.

What trends are there among lamps at the moment?

The retro trend is not over yet. Colour and material combinations that are reminiscent of the 1050s and 1060s are dominant. People like to have more cosy living spaces again– with wood, rough fabrics and leather. We react to this in our design and design the matching lamps.

Mr Gabl, is there a product that you are particularly proud of?

I think that one is proud of every product that makes it from the sketch pad to the markets. I am particularly happy about our TOWNSHEND, which contains a lot of my lifeblood.