The German manufacturer Helit specialises in the production of office accessories and has a tradition of working with designers of the highest calibre. In the 1950s and 1960s the company developed a relationship with the legendary Hochschule fr Gestaltung in Ulm.
The practice has designed a family of desktop accessories aimed at the executive market. Each piece has the form of a box of high-quality extruded aluminium sealed with a black plastic lid. This gives the range a coherent identity, but also adds an element of mystery - it is initially unclear what each of these objects might be. When the lids are removed and attached to the base of the boxes, they reveal one box to be a clock, another to be a pen holder.
Other objects include a paper clip holder, boxes for storing computer diskettes and business cards. The element of surprise is heightened in the note paper container by a simple mechanism that raises the note paper above the top level of the box when the lid is attached to its base. The contrasting materials - the smooth matt aluminium and 'soft-touch' plastic add a tactile quality to these functional objects. The practice has also designed a waste paper basket, a filing tray, a writing mat and a mouse pad for the company.
Client:
Helit GmbH