Ralf Bähren

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I am a full-range interaction designer. I was born in Germany and lived in Ulm and Cologne for most of my life. After my graduation from Köln International School of Design in 2005, i worked 3 years for simple gmbh in Cologne, a design company specialised in exhibition design and interactive media. I recently spent a year in Tokyo, which i recommend to anybody with a sense of design. I am currently working as freelance designer.

professional background

I have a very broad interest in design by nature. Over the past 10 years i have gathered professional work experience in various fields, such as industrial product design, graphic design, layout & illustration, corporate identity, information design, web & interface design, exhibition design, 3d computer graphics, animation and programming. Of course, i have not become a true expert in all these fields, but the experience helps me greatly when searching for new solutions. I have recently been writing a book about Tokyo design culture.

design is for the senses

As a designer, i have always been fascinated by the borderland between objects, space, information and media. I have intensely studied and explored the potential of cross-media for communication and learning purposes and reached the conclusion that the most powerful messages are conveyed through a multiplicity of senses. Add touch to a visual message and it will much more likely stick in your brain. Pop in light, sound and smell and the experience will likely become unforgettable. Design is not just about getting the looks right or making things perfectly usable. It’s a vital process of finding adjusted solutions for a variety of complex desires.

apart from design,

i am very interested in foreign cultures and languages. I have spent 6 months in Paris (France),5 months in Seville (Spain) and 1 year in Toyko (Japan) leaving me with quite some fluency in spanish and french which adds greatly to my english skills when i am travelling. I am still struggeling with japanese, which neverthless intrigues me with its graphical alphabets, complex vocabulary and surprisingly easy grammar.

Furthermore, i like to sketch, travel and take pictures just like everybody else.