Ralph Thamm (left) and Detlef Wildermuth (right) are headmasters and managing directors of the European School of Design in Frankfurt, a small but excellent “creative talent forge”. The European School of Design, founded in 2008, offers courses of study in visual communication/communication design to around 50 students. The focus is on developing ideas, conceptual thinking and a strong hands-on approach. Students are taught skills across the entire spectrum of various media – from print to Internet, from film to graphic design, from animation to typography, photography, illustration to advertising. The European School of Design is one of the top 10 in Germany and 100 best design schools in Europe according to DOMUS – Europe’s Top 100 Schools of Architecture and Design.

European School of Design Homepage

For me Frankfurt is …

Ralph

...an incredible city that I would never want to miss as long as I live.

Detlef

… the most cosmopolitan city in the country.

What do you love most about your job?

Every day a new task needs to be solved. And I get to be part of it. It keeps me young in mind, challenges me and educates me.

The opportunity to constantly come up with crazy ideas – and often put them into practice.

Where do you get your ideas from?

I won't tell you! But if ideas would come from somewhere, I would stop by there.

From the creative process – in other words, from a lot of work.

My lunch break …

... at the Japanese, the Italian, the Turkish restaurant and the Orfeo.

… is not taking place, instead, I prefer to sleep longer.

What trends do you think we will see this year?

That we humans have less and less appreciation and empathy.

A timid but perceptible return of the idea, after it had long been hidden behind technical innovations.

What else can we still learn?

More appreciation and more empathy.

Better to deal with the new and with foreigners!

You should definitely do that in Frankfurt …

Live!

Extend cycling lanes and clean up the main station immediately!

Merken