Profile

 

About us

 

SHAPES iN PLAY is a creative studio that is committed to quality product design.
We develop concepts and products that preserve their emotional value as well as
their material quality over time. Depending on the project we explore the borders of product design where design meets technology, crafts or art.

Beyond working on self-initiated projects we support companies and organisations in finding design solutions. We offer support with generating innovation, extending product lines or refining existing product ideas until final implementation. At every step of product design and development we offer our service as `entire design packages´ as well as working out solutions for single project steps.

Since 2008 we, Johanna Spath and Johannes Tsopanides, established our collabo-
ration in numerous projects and now continue to grow under the name SHAPES iN PLAY. To bundle our competencies we founded the company in August 2011 in Berlin.

Together we complement each other to become a comprehensive design team:

Johanna Spath

Product designer
Johanna´s design career started when approaching design `hands-on´ doing an apprenticeship at the School for Porcelain in Selb/Germany. From there she moved on to studying Integrated Product Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Coburg/Germany from where she graduated 2010. Until now she has gained professional experience working as a freelance product and graphic designer as well as doing several internships, amongst others at Front Design in Stockholm. 2011 she founded SHAPES iN PLAY.

Johannes Tsopanides

Product designer
Johannes´ strong involvement in new technologies has been a part of his profess-
ional career ever since. Over the last years he has steadily developed his skills in programming as well as gaining professional experience working as a free-
lance product designer, product photographer and 3D visualiser. In 2010 Johannes graduated as product designer from the University of Applied Sciences in Coburg/Germany with a project showing the possibilities of three-dimensionally materialising information. 2011 he went on to found SHAPES iN PLAY.

 

Philosophy

We believe to embrace personal impressions, natural changes or emotions in products makes them relevant for people. We translate this philosophy in playful ways into physical shapes – SHAPES iN PLAY.

We like to make sure the users can influence and personalise our products, e.g. by participating in the design process. This concept adds additional value and creates an individual, emotional and sustainable connection between human and product.

 

Exhibitions and Publications

Besides showing our projects at numerous fairs and design events: the Salone Internationale del Mobile in Milan, DMY in Berlin, Design Biennial in Ljubljana or the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven; our products have been part of the permanent collection at the Museu de les Arts Decoratives de Barcelona since 2012.

Furthermore our projects have been published, nationally and internationally, amongst others in DAMn, PAGE Magazine, Creative Applications Blog, Elle Decoration, design report, Frame and Interni.