Hansgrohe SE
Interview with Matthias Oesterle, Andreas Diefenbach

Red Dot: What was the idea behind the design of Raindance Alive?

Our aim was to bridge the gap between architecture and people through design. Water is conducted through a building, appears in the form of sanitary fittings in the shower and creates a sensation on the skin. We wanted to give this journey a new form, to allow people to experience the sensuousness of water in a new way.

Which of the four design qualities – function, use, seduction or responsibility – is the most prominent in your product?

High-quality design is never focused on merely one of these qualities. The point is to combine them in a meaningful way and to transform them into a well-rounded product. We make deliberate use of aesthetics to encourage people to conserve water – while simultaneously appealing to them through functionality, usability and durability. Our mission is to design products that will be used over many years, ideally over decades.

How can water conservation be reconciled with the desire for a sensory shower experience?

Contradictions are a good starting point for the design process. Our approach focused on delivering a shower experience that would inspire users and promote responsible water consumption. The exploration of the medium of water and the development of new spray modes has always been of central importance to us. This knowledge culminated in an innovative nozzle technology in which the nozzle adapts its diameter to the local pressure conditions, so the waterjet meets the skin efficiently and with a good amount of pressure. This ensures every drop is an experience – even if water consumption has almost been halved by comparison to the first generation of Raindance showers.