Davor Grunwald

Davor Grunwald, the first educated industrial designer in Croatia and former Yugoslavia and ULUPUH’s Life Achievements Award winner, with his retirement in 2008, did not cease with his creative activity. The enthusiasm with industrial design, inspired by the beauty and simplicity of the Italian industrial design, which he saw for the first time 1964 at the exhibition in Zagreb, has never diminished.

With great enthusiasm he approached all demanding industrial design challenges working for the leading industries in Zagreb after completing his graduation and receiving master’s degree 1968 in Vienna at the Academy for Applied Arts, at the Department of Industrial Design.

With the same enthusiasm he continued to design various products in Canada where he settled in 1975, and where he in 1982 received the prestigious Canada Design Award for one geophysical instrument. He has left Zagreb due impossibility to work as a freelancer.

With the same enthusiasm, since his retirement he has designed a Porsche Boxster rack, collapsible 200 liters wine/oil barrel, minimalistic chair Elips and he has adapted his student work Sculptra for the application in architecture.

Today with the same enthusiasm and passion he approaches every new idea. He is open to challenges, always guided with high standards of design principles, ergonomics and aesthetics.

ELIPS Chair – Davor Grunwald

At the moment, Davor Grunwald is preparing materials for Grant Retrospective Exhibition at the Technical Museum Nikola Tesla in Zagreb, announced for May 2019. He told me, with enthusiasm, that he would like at that exhibition to present the whole developing process of Elips Chair, which started in 2015, and was completed 2018.

He has studied historical development of designed chairs and his concept for Elips Chair he considers as an appropriate challenge of time, especially regarding its production simplicity, its supreme ergonomics and aesthetics.

He is comparing his Elips Chair with revolutionary creations of chairs, designed by Michael Thonet in 1859, Marcel Breuer in 1926 and Verner Panton in 1960.

“You started 2015 with your Elips Chair concept. How did you come up with idea to design your chair? Who inspired you and what was crucial by that decision?”

Davor Grunwald: “In one’s life, sometimes spontaneous coincidences occur or set of circumstances suddenly dictates one’s life’s direction.

For the last five years, before my retirement, I helped one architect to produce his technical documentation for his chairs. It has been some kind of his hobby to design the new chairs and he has created about twenty of them. He has obtained few patents, how to make, how to assemble… I did not try to mix to his concept approaches. He gave me the indication that he was the “boss”.

I retired at the age of 68. Suddenly I had plenty of free time. At one moment I asked myself if I could design my own chair? The answer was: Yes I can and I will! That’s how it started.”

“How did you decide in which direction you would go, what type of chair would you like to design?”

Davor Grunwald: “In Canada I was often a consultant to different inventors with good ideas for a new product. They had to hire an industrial designer in order to get a grant from the state, for development. I was paid out of that money. It is known statistically that from ten such ideas only one goes through to the market.The other nine fail because of expensive tooling. In my cases no one products, I was engaged in, came through for the same reason.

I have developed several ideas in my own arrangement, without industry backing: Sculptra, spherical module for the application in architecture, 200 liters collapsible barrel produced with roto-molding technology and a machine for the production of oxygen. All these stopped when it came down to tooling investment.

Learning from that experience, I have developed my Porsche Boxster rack without tooling. I was using classic CNC (Computer Numerical Control) technology. Even today I am ordering the parts and assembling the rack when I get an order.

So I concluded that my chair would not be produced by expensive tooling. It should be produced by classical CNC technology, without any screws, without using welding, without additional hardware and without tooling. My speciality has been always ergonomics and aesthetic elements and this should be “automatically” applied.
That conclusions and decisions did point out toward the types of chairs for use in restaurants and private homes in exterior and interior. I started designing with small models a ratio of 1 to 10.”

ELIPS Chair – Small Models – Davor Grunwald

“How different are your first conceptual ideas of the chair compared to the final design?”

Davor Grunwald: “On the picture of the small models, the white ones on the right side, looks exactly the same as the final design. I determined already in this starting phase that the ellipse shape fulfills the basic requirements for seat and back support. In the first two prototypes I had used stainless steel tube for legs and for the third prototype I replaced this with the full rod. Now the chair has the stability. I spent a lot of time to design the part of the leg which enters into the wood. This detail in the first prototype was not good and the legs of the chair turned and collapsed under my weight and I fell on the floor. I experimented and found the solution which works and this is my secret for which I can get a patent. By the first two prototypes the legs were sticking out from the seat because of the tube bending technology did not allow the bending portion to be close to the seat. By the third prototype I found the method to solve that and now this detail is correct physically and visually. By the small model, it could be observed, that the ellipses are oriented horizontally. In the third prototype they are vertical. With this change, the depth of the seat and the height of the back support has been gained. The proverb “The secret of success is in details”, fits nicely here.

“Could you tell us about the development of modern chairs? Some chairs from the Bauhaus School, from beginning of the twentieth century, are still being produced today. By your opinion which chairs have played a significant role in the development of today’s modern chairs?”

Davor Grunwald: “I have studied this question and I can state the following. On the market today there are a tremendous number of chairs. The assessment criteria, just to respond to your question, it would be the first application of new material or new production technology. I studied the modern era and started with 1859 when Michael Thonet created his chair with bent wood using the steam. This chair is being produced in million of numbers. Architect and professor at Bauhaus school, Marcel Breuer, first applied bended metal tubes in chair design. The chairs are still being produced today. Danish designer Verner Pantone created in 1960 his plastic chair in one piece and its production is still strong nowadays.
These three chairs I would call “revolutionary”. All other chairs on the market are, more or less, the alternatives of these three. The wooden chairs follow the tradition of many centuries back.”

“How the Elips chair concept relates to this evaluation?”

Davor Grunwald: “Here is presented a chair concept which has all functions which one chair has to have: comfortable to sit on – ergonomics, aesthetically good looking and it could be easily produced with minimum materials without tooling investment. This approach could be called – minimalistic. The production is based on CNC technology by production of wooden parts and stainless steel parts by turning, milling and bending of the rod. The seat and back support have the same elliptical shape, they are made of 18 mm thick laminated wood and they are painted. Prototype is in red because I like this color. However, the chair can be painted in all strong colors (yellow, green … and the color of the natural wood). The legs are made from 12.5 dia stainless steel rods. There are two versions: with arm support and without. It is being assembled by two components Epoxy glue. Design is protected!

Elips chair is now ready to conquest the world!

ELIPS Chair – Davor Grunwald

ELIPS Chair -Davor Grunwald

The concept of this chair is nicely presenting me as a professional designer. Lots of time I invested in studying the influential elements. From there I just followed my intuitive feelings about constructive and aesthetical solutions. This method served me well during my half century of practice. Elips chair will be remembered by extremely simplicity and characteristic look.”

“What are your intentions now?”

Davor Grunwald: “All Elips Chair development materials, small models, prototypes will be shown at Grant Retrospective Exhibit in Technical Museum Nikola Tesla in Zagreb, in May 2019.
After that I will organize exclusive small series production and chairs will be assembled by order only, like my Porsche Boxster rack. Each chair will have its number and my signature.
If someone would come along and would like produce this chair in larger quantities, robots could produce this chair in ten minutes.
Red Dot is a very successful world organization for design awards. They have been in business since 1954. I intend to send my Elips chair for their evaluation. I hope that they will share my enthusiasm.”

“Your whole life is successful. Your designs are highly regarded in Canada and Croatia and they have obtained prestigious awards and you have received ULUPUH’s Life Achievements Award. Your Elips Chair shows inventiveness and openness for new challenges. Could you tell us more about yourself, in the sense what inspires and drives you, and what gives you that energy to persist to the end, until you achieve your goal?”

Davor Grunwald

Davor Grünwald – Exhibition at Multimedial Cultural Center Split (Photograph: Davor Grünwald)

Davor Grünwald, the winner of ULUPUH’s Lifetime Achievement Award 2017, has presented his work in the field of industrial design for the second time in Croatia.

His exhibition Davor Grünwald: Retrorama of Industrial Design, 1968-2008, organised by Platform 9,81 and Croatian Design Association (HDD) with Multimedial Cultural Center, was hosted by Multimedial Cultural Center in Split, from 3 to 17 May 2018. Split exhibition followed Grünwald’s successful exhibition with the same title, held in Zagreb, in September 2017.

Davor Grunwald known as the first educated industrial designer in Croatia, with degree diploma obtained 1968 from Vienna Academy for Applied Arts (Akademie fur Angewandte Kunst), worked in Zagreb from 1968 until 1975 and since 1975 he lives and works in Canada. He is the winner of several prestige awards, just to mention some: City of Zagreb Award 1974, Golden Medal presented to him in Leipzig for his design of machine tools, Awards for electronic calculator at Ljubljana’s Third Biennale of Industrial Design (BIO3) 1974 and Canada Design Award 1982 for GENIE electromagnetic geophysical system.

I had an interview with Davor Grunwald following his exhibition in Split, in May 2018.

Jasna Lovrinčević: “The exhibition in Split 2018 had the same title as your last autumn exhibition in Zagreb. Were all the items displayed in Zagreb also exhibited in Split?”

Davor Grunwald – Genie Receiver, Sintrex 1978 (Photograph: Davor Grunwald)

Davor Grünwald: “I wanted very much to be presented in second lagest Croatian city. The Zagreb exhibition was tranferred to Split, but there were some difference. In the meantime I brought five my designed products from Toronto, so the exhibition in Split became more richer and more interesting. To find that products, thirty and more years old, I visited my ex clients in Toronto. I discovered these products at the private garages of retired engineers and at the companies warehouses. I have refurbished them and I have given them the original good look. That “good look” used to challenge operators to work with them with pleasure.

At this exhibition in Split there were no time to give an explanation in textual part about direct connection between my designs from Zagreb period and designs from Canadian period. Now I would like to say, what I also explained to the public during my “quided tour” at the exhibition in Split. All what I had learned about technology processes at Factory of Calculators in Zagreb (Tvornica računskih strojeva), from their excellent masters and engineers I applied in Canada. I experimented with Bayer’s polyurethan materials already during my University time in Vienne and for the first time I applied them on Electronic kalculator Chipon in Zagreb. That my experiance I used for my design of Genie electromagnetic system in Canada. For that design I received Canada Design Award 1982. Probably I have been one of the first who realised that this technology can well suited for products of small series because of its cheap wooden moulds. At the Split exhibition it was shown EM38, geophysical instrument on which one I applied CNC, Computer Numarical Control, for the first time. That machine has “understood” my AutoCAD documentation and it has produced every time the same frame of cherry wood.

Davor Grünwald – Radar system, Sensors&Software 1988 (Photograph: Davor Grünwald)

My recognisable design concepts includ esthetic-formal elements such as harmony, appealing, atractivness and ergonomic elements with classic handling. Also, my designs always have some unexpected elements, and for that reason I have been always competitive.”

Jasna Lovrinčević: “Since April 2016, in Museum of Art and Craft (MUO) in Zagreb, your professional opus has been archived covering your 50 – years career. For the exhibition in Split you recently brought five geophysical instruments from Toronto. Are they going to be archived in MUO?”
Davor Grünwald: “Five geophysical instruments brought from Toronto have been added to my Croatian products already archived in MUO and now the Museum of Art and Craft has valuable collection of my designs.”

Jasna Lovrinčević: “On the first day of your exhibition in Split you sent me the note that the atmosphere at the show was extraordinary and that you would have “guaded tour” for different schools. Did you give any lecture for the students during the exhibition time?”
Davor Grünwald: “I held the lecture for very interested students at Split’s Art Academy, at Department of Visual Communication Design. After the lecture there were many expert questions asked by the students and that (kind of questions) always stimulates me and satisfies me.”

“Sixties in Croatia – Myth and Reality” for the Period from 1958 until 1971

Jasna Lovrinčević: “One of your design has been displayed at grand exhibition: “Sixties in Croatia – Myth and Reality” for the Period from 1958 until 1971, in Museum for Art and Craft in Zagreb. If you could you tell more about that?”

Davor Grünwald – Calcorex, TRS 1969 (Photograph: Davor Grunwald)

Davor Grünwald: “I am very proud that I have been chosen for this tremendous, very valuable exhibition. Two thousand deserving Croats could not be included because of lack of space. My first design following my graduation, redesign of mechanical calculator Calcorex (1969) for Factory of Calculators in Zagreb (TRS), has been included for the exhibition “Sixties in Croatia”. This product or design is famuos since I was able to convince TRS’s engineers, despite of difficult socioeconomic time, to apply big mechanical changes to very sophisticated machine, to achieve maximal ergonomic features. Today that is considered as a “small wonder”!”

Davor Grünwald and Boris Ljubičić

Alongside the exhibition of Davor Grünwald at Multimedial Cultural Center in Split, it was presented the work of the great Croatian graphic designer Boris Ljubičić: Jednina množine – Simbol, znak, logo, brend (Singular of Plural – Simbol, Sign, Logo, Brand). Davor Grünwald and Boris Ljubičić met at the Third Biennale of Industrial Design in Ljubljana in the beginning of seventies, and Boris Ljubičić has suggested that MUO archive professional opus by Davor Grünwald.

When Davor Grünwald had received the news about opening of his exhibition in Split, he immediately sent me a e-mail about his great pleasure that his exhibition would be shown alongside with Boris Ljubičić exhibition.

Croatian daily newspaper Jutarnji List called both designers, Davor Grünwald and Boris Ljubičić
the greatest of Croatian design, and Marko Golub, curator of Boris Ljubičić exhibition and together with Koraljka Vlajo author of Davor Grunwald exhibition, for Croatian Radio and Television (HRT4) said about them :

“Both of them work with a highly developed awareness of how design can improve our society, production and economy, and make our daily life more pleasurable.”

Davor Grünwald

Good evening
my friends and colleagues who came here this evening to visit this very well presented exhibition. My half century career as industrial designer in Croatia and Canada is now in front of you. I remember, it has not been easy – constantly to prove, convince and in the same time to educate my clients and employers about the value of my approaches in their development processes. My Croatian six years, that very fruitful and successful period following my graduation, to me “opened the doors” of Canada. Later on, through my quality work I simply imposed myself to my second country of Canada. Now my complete professional opus is being archived in Museum of Art and Craft in Zagreb. This has happened on the recommendation of Boris Ljubičić. Thank you Boris! Today I am extremely happy to share this exhibition space with my colleague.

I am especially thankful to Platform 9,81, MKC and the organizing team: Mrs. Miranda Veljačić, Mr. Oleg Soran, Mr. Marko Golub and Miss. Monika Đankić.
Thank you all!

Davor Grünwald

The Canadian Ambassador to Croatia mr. Danijel Maksymiuk opened the exhibition and in his opening speech he expressed the gratitude to Davor Grunwald for bringing his talent, and new techniques he had learned in Austria and perfected in Zagreb, and shearing them with Canada, his new country.

On September 21, it was organized guiding tour through exhibition by Davor Grunwald who was talking about his project and experiences from Croatia and Canada.

The exhibition was exceptionally well attended, it draw attention of media, TV News and TV Cultural News. Overall it was evaluated as one of the best exhibition in HDD history.

Also, the documentary film has been made in which Davor Grunwald describes each of his design product in details. Marko Golub is the author of the film and Miran Krcadinac is cameramen.

The authors of the exhibition, Marko Golub and Koraljka Vlajo are also the authors of monograph, published under the titel: Davor Grünwald – Industrial Design and presented at HDD Galery on October 11, 2017.

“I am full of nice impressions, anecdotes, before, during and after opening”, said Davor Grünwald in interview we had on October 12, 2017.

The retrospective exhibition in Zagreb and publishing of his monograph are the great acknowledgments for Davor Grunwald who after his graduation from Academy for Applied Arts in Vienna 1968, was active in Croatia until 1975 designing electronic desk calculators for Calculating Machines Factory, machine tools for Prvomajska and chairs for Metal Furniture Factory – Jadran. For his work he received City of Zagreb Award, 1973 and in the same year Golden Medal in Leipzig. Since 1975 he has lived in Canada where he has designed high speed computer printers, diverse geophysical instruments and tractors. In Canada, he received prestigious Canada Design Award, 1982 for design of one geophysical device. Since his retirement in 2008, Davor Grünwald has worked as hobby designer.

Jasna Lovrincevic: “How did it came to realization of the exhibition? What were the first steps and how did the process of setting up the exhibition develop?”
Davor Grunwald: “I have been in touch with Boris Ljubicic, Croatian famous graphic designer, since the end of sixties last centuries. He has known me well and he has followed the news about my profesional life, so three years ago he proposed to Museum of Art and Craft ( MUO) in Zagreb to archive my professional opus, created in the last fifty years. Soon after that, Ms. Koraljka Vlajo, curator at MUO, informed me about this happy news. I immediately started with collecting the materials and to write my memoirs. That work has required a lot of time and discipline. Last year, in April 2016 I brought these materials from Toronto to Zagreb and I gave it to Mr. Gasparovic, the head of MUO. By this occasion it was mentioned the possibility of organizing an exhibtion for me. Acording to the MUO schedule there were no free times in the following five years, and it was told that the Croatian Design Association Gallery (HDD Gallery) could it eventually realized. Mr. Marko Golub, the head of HDD Gallery, accepted enthusiastically that suggestion.

Since I retired in 2008 I have come to Croatia every year in April and return to Canada in October. As soon I came to Croatia in april 2017, Marko Golub and Koraljka Vlajo asked me for a long interview. It held on several occasions, and it was about everything; from my first idea to work as designer when I told to myself “I have to do this” at Italian design exhibition at MUO 1963, my study period at Academy of Applied Arts in Vienna, seven years period designing for Croatian – Yugoslav factories, leaving for Canada, 42 years of living and working in Canada: Montreal, Winnipeg, Toronto, Boston (USA) and activities as retired designer. I described every project in details, circumstances how it came to the projects, the thinking process, how I defined the design directions in the sense of market expectations, ergonomic characteristics, choice of materials, formal shape-aesthetics and choice of production technologies. This conversation has been very stimulating since I have been “forced” to remember great deel of details which have faded away with the time. Until September 2017, we exchanged many emails and I went many times for consultations to the HDD Gallery. I have known that Marko and Koraljka are exceptional writers about design topics. They have confirmed that with their accompanying text about each product presented at my exhibition. I have been especially impressed with Golub’s statement that this has been his best text ever and Koraljka said that this has been her best experience, the most painless cooperation.”

EVERYTHING WAS READY FOR THE OPENING OF EXHIBITION on September 13,2017

Davor Grünwald Retrorama of Industrial Design, 1968 – 2008 (Photograph: Monika Džakić)

Jasna Lovrincevic: “This exhibition is a great acknowledgment for your work, made in Croatia and Canada. Could this exhibition compensate, some of unpleasant moments you experinced in Yugoslav and Canadian periods?”
Davor Grunwald: “Yes, new contacts, beautiful exhibition and great response from public and media are the medicine that heals all wounds, great compensation for all my troubles which I went through. In the middle of seventies last centuries I had blocked the way of someone “above” in former Communist party (in former Yugoslavia), so they canceled all my contracts with my clients-factories. Canadian bad experience did not have political intonation; they were generated by hierarchy of power.”

Jasna Lovrincevic: “Your exhibition has generated positive responses from the Croatian media, how do you feel now?”
Davor Grunwald: “Fantastic! And for media attention you have to have some experience. I was a little bit afraid of that. It turned out just fine, so I told myself: I can do that! I feel totally fulfilled of my life mission. The fear of the question, what next? –disappeared entirely.”

Jasna Lovrincevic: “What do you like most about the exhibition: the exhibition organizers, organization, media response or public interest?”
Davor Grunwald: “If I would evaluate all you listed with numbers from 1 to 10, all of that would recive the number 10! I have already described organizers and organization. I have been surprised how the journalists came prepared with questions on the topics of industrial design which does not come up in news every day. That will remain in my memory as a very nice experience. There were many visitors at the opening celebration. Many asked me if I could recognize them. Fifty years has past and they have changed! Many admitted they did not know what I was doing all these years including some members of my family.”

Davor Grünwald

Jasna Lovrincevic: “Your biography shows your great courage and at first your self confidence. Besides your excellent education and your positive professional experience, obviously there is something more. Talent? Intuition? If you could please tell us more about that?”
Davor Grunwald: I will focus on: “obviously there is something more”, Talent? Intuition? I have developed technique of how to get familiar with the object I have to design. I try to collect all relevant informations. All of them I “deposit” in my mind and let some time to “mature”. I have strong perception; I “see” the pictures of my future designs concepts. Often I get up in the middle of night and sketch down what I “see”. In my case this could be called talent. Intuition always helps me for making important life decisions. For some of them, it takes a long period of time to prove that they have been right decisions.”

Jasna Lovrincevic: “Have you designed something new since our last conversation in March 2016?”
Davor Grunwald: “For the last ten years since I got retired, I have worked under the motto: If I need something, someone would need that too! I have created rack for Porsche Boxster, wine/oil barrel and safety bicycle stick. At the moment I am working on “garage” for bicycles and scoters. People usually use plastic covers which stronger wind can easily destroy. I have made metal construction and have covered it with strong plastic material, made to withstand strong winds.”

Jasna Lovrincevic: “How long have you been the member of Croatian Design Association (HDD), and what is in general your contribution to the Association?”
Davor Grunwald:” I am the member of HDD since its founding 30 years ago. Every year when I come to Zagreb I visit their office, but we have never developed any project together. When my professional opus has been archived by Museum for Art and Craft (MUO), there were the interest from both sides to work together. From that point it started the beautiful exhibition under the title “Davor Grunwald – Retrorama Of Industrial Design 1968 – 2008. I did the guiding tour through the exhibition, explaining all projects and answering the visitors questions. This kind of presentation allowed me to be more relaxed and spontaneous.
The promotion of my monograph in October 11, 2017 was not planned for that time and Marko Golub and Koraljka Vlajo, “Dream Team” of HDD surprised me with it and made me very happy.”

Jasna Lovrincevic: “In documentary movie, your first and famous design, under the name Sculptra, has been presented. The scenes with Sculptra, all in white, look very elegant. Who has been responsible for that visual aspects?”
Davor Grunwald: “I brought two items of Sculptra to be hanged on the wall. The cameraman came to make the movie. Spontaneously I put the Sculptra on pedestals, I turn them in such way that surface showed the most of contrast between the illuminated and in shade portions. I suggested that I should be surrounded by Sculptras because in my written materials I am claiming that Sculptra is my three-dimensional emblem. So it could be said that I am the author of this scene.”

Promotion of Davor Grunwald Monograph – Davor Grunwald Industrial Design (Photo- Leko)

Jasna Lovrincevic: “You are living on two continents! This is also very interesting. Could you tell us something about that?”
Davor Grunwald: “We come almost every summer, for short periods to Croatia. Since we got retired in 2008 we stay for six months every year, from April to October. We are traveling through Croatia visiting the places we have never seen before. Winters we spend with our children and grandchildren in Toronto.
Next year 2018 the “Zagreb” exhibition will be moved to Split, expanded with my designs I created after I got retired 2008.”

DAVOR GRUNWALD’S WELCOME SPEECH

At the opening of the exhibition Davor Grunwald Retrorama of Industrial Design, 1968 – 2008, Davor Grunwald addressed the guests with welcome speech which we are presenting here by his permission.

Good evening!

Ms Masa Milovac, President of Croatian Design Association, Your Excellency the Ambassador
of Canada, Mr. Daniel Maksymiuk and His Assistants, Dear colleagues, friends and members of my family:

It is a great pleasure to welcome all of you to this exhibition.

The highlight of my personal and professional life is happening here right now! Thank you all for coming to share this overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. In my memoirs which will be soon published in my monograph, I have written that it was not a straight success. Failures, disappointments were often part of my professinal way. The bottom line is what counts and this Exhibition has proved that it is worth to be stubborn and follow the guiding light.

Thank you Canada for accepting me and giving me a chance to nurture my talents I was born with!
Thank you Croatian Ministry of Culture and City of Zagreb for your sponsorship.
Thank you HDD’s “Dream Team”: Koraljka Vlajo, Marko Golub, Barbara Blasin, Miran Krcadinac, Ksenija Zakula and Monika Dzakic for your extraordinary efforts to set up this Exhibition.

Thank you!

Davor Grünwald

Davor Grunwald became the first educated industrial designer in Croatiaand as such has been known in Croatian industrial design history. He received his diploma in 1968 in Vienna Academy of Applied Arts, department for Industrial Design. From 1968 to 1975 he worked in Zagreb, Croatia and from 1975 in Canada. He designed products for various firms and covered different industrial fields.

For design of machine tools he received the 1974 Award of City of Zagreb and Golden medal in Leipzig, and in 1980 he received the Canada Design Award for design of geophysical device. He was included in Croatian Bibliographic Encyclopedia and Encyclopedia of Fine Arts. Very soon his Monograph will be published, designed by world renown Croatian graphic designer Boris Ljubicic.

When Davor Grunwald sent me, in February 2016, the photographs of his realised projects, various technical products which exudes with modern and elegant lines and compact forms I was delighted to get the opportunity to get to know him as a person who enhanced and significantly contributed to the development of industrial design in Croatia.

Besides the photographs he sent his Memoirs excellently written, concisely with many interesting details, humor and honesty. On my Memoirs comments Davor Grunwald has said:

Davor Grunwald: “I like to write and explore how to express something with minimum words. I am looking in everything for its YIN and YANG, balance in writing, designing and solving the lives challenges. This principle I presented in my Prodesign Trade Mark, the name of my consulting office in Zagreb.”

This dialectic principle, rather the unity of opposites, is characteristic for Italian patron of the beauty, Leon Battista Alberti (1404 – 1472), architect and author whose most inspiration he found in nature and who also unites the opposites, searching for ideal, respectively the beauty which leads to the “source” and recognition of God. His term of beauty stresses compliance of all parts of the whole so that nothing could be added or removed, so that harmony of the whole could not be disturbed. Harmony, respectively the beauty which decorates Italian arts, architecture and fashion design inspires many , and Davor Grunwald was inspired by Italian industrial design.

Jasna Lovrinčević: “In your biography it is mentioned that you visited the exhibition of Italian Design in 1964 in Museum of Arts and Craft in Zagreb and that motivated your for your future profession of industrial designer. Even then, Italians were famous for beautiful and practical designs. What did fascinate you the most at that exhibition, aesthetics or functionality of the products?”
Davor Grunwald:”As I recall that were the home every-day items, glass, ceramic, kitchen utensils. I knew nothing about functionality, aesthetics or ergonomics therefore I did not observe these objects from these criteria. Something simply happened to me subconsciously. I felt immense desire to get into the position to shape the objects with which I was surrounded. I did not even know the meaning of the word “design” ! In teenage years I had predisposition and the need to express myself through the drawings. I took the drawing course by prof. Ruzic. As a kid I was making my own toys with the carpenter in the neighbourhood. I had there my “workplace” since I was constantly working on something. One would say, my natural gift for creative, practical expression came through genes, my father was very creative.

One door away from the entrance to the Museum of Arts and Crafts there was a plate with the name: Center for Industrial Design (CIO). That is where I learned all about where I could study industrial design. Disa Radic, the founder and director of CIO, professor at Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, started CIO two years earlier. He explained to me that there is only one school in Europe for studying industrial design, the Hochschule fur Gestaltung (HNG) in Ulm, Germany. He mentioned that there is something in Vienna, Austria as well. HFG was built on the foundation of Bauhaus. The professors were former students of Bauhaus. Subjects of study were divided, half technical and the other half creative/artistic. Students of all years (four) had shared common area for conducting practical projects. Students had individual attention by mentors. HFG was founded in 1953 with capital of brothers Schol from USA. The school unfortunately did not last long, it has been closed in 1968 because the professors could not agree on how the school should proceed. The city of Ulm refused to support the school financially.”

Jasna Lovrinčević:” Why did you decide to study in Vienna and not in Italy since you were motivated by Italian industrial design?”

The Village in Burgenland – Davor Grünwald

Davor Grunwald: “In Italy, at that time, there were no such schools. The products were designed by natural talented craftsman, architects, people with applied arts occupations. That was the case throughout the world. During the Bauhaus period the name Industriele Formgebung or Gestaltung was “born”; in USA, Industrial Design and in Croatia, Industrijsko Oblikovanje. Italians always had a keen eye for “beauty”. Well, the literature is suggesting that the first industrial designer was Leonardo da Vinci with his machines and predictions of future technological development. I dare to say that the modern industrial designer has to be a “little Leonardo”.”

Jasna Lovrinčević:”How did you prepare for the entrance exam and what was the criteria to start with the industrial design studies in Vienna? Which was the study program?”
Davor Grunwald: “I could not reach Ulm because I did not have a visa to enter Germany. I arrived instead in Vienna where prof. Hoffman received me well. He explained to me how I had to prepare myself for the entrance examination. Prof. Hoffmann had established a Department of Industrial Design at the Academy of Applied Arts four years earlier. It was based on the Ulm’s HNG school model. Many Art Schools across Europe and USA did the same around the 1970’s.
I followed Prof. Hoffmann’s instructions, that was to tour on my Vespa (scooter) throughout the Burgenland and sketched the villages. I built some practical small products, the way I felt it. The entrance exam lasted three days. The tests were very demanding. Prof. Hoffman and his team chose five candidates out of thirty. I was one of them! For example the test to see how the candidate is technically observant, was to draw a small sports airplane. The girl sitting next to me was drawing the propeller in the shape of the letter “S”. She did not pass the exam! Another example is that we had to create an element which when multiplied could be joined together without empty spaces. On this topic many candidates failed! All in all prof. Hoffman was looking for multi-talented candidates, technically and artistically. During the four years study we had intensive lectures of production technologies and material studies. We visited many manufacturing facilities. We conducted many colour and shape projects using two and three dimensional exercises. Students from all four years shared the common space to conduct projects/assignments. We were all together from the four year studies 20 students, 5 per year.”

Seminars for Students of Industrial Design in Zagreb

The modern industrial design programs, as Davor Grunwald explained, came from the school of art “Bauhaus”, founded by architect Walter Gropius in 1919. Famous personalities were involved, among others, Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee. The unity of ART and TECHNOLOGY was implemented. Supported by regular consultations with the industry, emphasis has been put on experimental work in theory and practice. In extension this concept is present, in its rudiments, in the School of Design in Zagreb.

Jasna Lovrinčević:”In your biography it is mentioned that you held seminars in 1993-1994 with students of the School of Design in Zagreb. What were the topics you emphasized? Can you compare the programs of the School in Zagreb with those from Vienna?”
Davor Grunwald: ” The Zagreb School of Design at the Faculty of Architecture was established in 1989. At that time I was already 14 years in exile in Canada. Therefore I do not know how it was done. I just know that I wrote the program based on my experience in Vienna, before I left for Canada in 1975. I was asked to do this by my colleagues from ULUPUH (the Association of Applied Artists). During the seminars I found out that the Zagreb school operates in very similar ways compared to the school in Vienna, like I wrote in my proposal. Besides, two younger colleagues graduated in the Vienna school and became professors at the Zagreb School of Design. The difference I could detect is that the Zagreb school places strong emphasis on wood technology since Croatia has a long tradition in producing wood furniture. Of course, the computer technology has now caused big changes (everywhere!). These young students do not know “how to hold the pencil” but they know all about the sophisticated computer programs and are able to produce fancy presentations. But in order that the computer becomes “smart” it has to be filled with massive amount of information. Here is where young people are a little bit “short”. In other words with the conceptual stage of designing, the computer is useless.”

The Zagreb Period

After Davor Grünwald graduated and obtained his master’s degree in Vienna he worked for seven years in Zagreb at different factories: Prvomajska (machine tools factory), calculating machines factory (TRS), scales and waiving factory, pencil factory (TOZ). When Davor Grünwald received the Award of City of Zagreb, the architect Bernardo Bernardi stressed that Davor Grünwald after only 6 years has achieved the highest professional standards and that he has proven to be capable with great sensibility to analyse all aspects of design from perspective of engineering technology, functionality and ergonomics.

Jasna Lovrinčević: ” What was the theme of your master’s thesis? Zagreb period from 1968- 1975 was extremely important in your professional growth. During that time you received significant awards. Could you please elaborate a bit more about that?”

Prodesign Davor Grünwald

Davor Grünwald: “I graduated in 1968 and one year later I completed my master’s degree from the same institution in Vienna. In Zagreb I already had contacts with Prvomajska (machine tools factory). I decided to work on the thesis for my master’s: Machine Tools Ergonomics. This proved to be an excellent choice because in this way I was ready for complex industrial design of machine tools. I founded my own industrial design consulting company and named it PRODESIGN. I helped establish the department for industrial design in ULUPUH ( Applied Arts Professional Association) with which I received a freelance status and social insurance. I received awards for my electronic calculators from BIO (Biennale of Industrial Design), Ljubljana, Slovenia. For machine tools I received the prestigious City of Zagreb Award and a gold medal in Leipzig.

Unfortunately, in 1974 the communists’ confiscated all my Pro-design Office materials and prohibited my company business, how they said “illegal” work. All my contracts were cancelled. Therefore in 1975 I was forced to emigrate to Canada. On that occasion, Dr. Prof. Goroslav Keller wrote an article in the newspaper with the title: Why Davor Grunwald left? In that article G. Keller described what I had offered to Yugoslavia (Croatia) and what incredible indolence existed within the ruling communist leadership. At the end he wished me a successful carrier in Canada. I fulfilled his wishes! Here is one more detail from this seven years of the Zagreb period. While I was working on machine tools I noticed that the operators where sitting on wooden boxes next to the machines. Professionally sensitive I developed, on my own initiative, a family of chairs for this specific application. The Director of the tubular furniture factory Jadran noticed that and offered me, on the spot, a position as Director of Design Development. I accepted the offer! But three months later the same director insisted that I should join the communist party. I declined and left this well paid job the same day.”

Sharpener 1972 ( Photo – Davor Grünwald)

Jasna Lovrinčević: “For the design of machine tools you got the Award of the City of Zagreb. Then the architect Bernardo Bernardi said that you took one of the most complex and responsible tasks in the field of design, despite the fact that there was not the tradition in Croatia (former Yugoslavia)of using industrial design of machine tools?
Davor Grunwald: In the very beginning of my professional work, immediately after my graduation, I was lucky to have a contract with Prvomajska, the redesign of automatic sharpener and automatic lathe. The ergonomic study of machine tools that I had conducted during my master’s, came now very handy. In analysing the sharpener I discovered that the base was visually and physically unstable. It went down in a cone shape. I asked what was the reason for such “design”. The answer was, the engineers wanted to have “a human body shape“! Immediately I changed the base to a square one made of welded steel plates. Traditionally their bases were made of cast iron and they were masters in this technology. I was able to prove that the welded bases were cheaper to produce and more convenient to store electronic components. The logic of square welded bases was implemented on automatic lathe as well. Traditionally machine tools in Europe were painted in green “Hamerschlag”. My suggestion was to paint the base in dark brown and the top in light grey – with these changes the machines appeared lighter and smaller. A control panel was organized, instrumentation at eye level and switches at the height of light bended arm. Access to service was determined by ergonomics optimum. These machine tools received the City of Zagreb Award and a gold medal in Leipzig. Unfortunately these machines were used relay technology and during the war in Croatia 1990-1995 there were no new developments. In the meantime the competition implemented the computer technology (CNC) so Prvomajska was not any more competitive and at the middle of 1995 it ceased to exist.”

Electronic Desk Calculators

The Davor’s Zagreb period was characterized by the design of electronic desk calculators. It was around the early seventies. Dr. Goroslav Keller said in his article in 1975 that Davor Grunwald mastered very early the complexity of electronic desk calculators, integrating available technology and ergonomics, using his knowledge and talents. It was interesting to hear what Davor Grunwald has to say about that.

Davor Grunwald: “Immediately after completing my study of industrial design in Vienna I returned to Zagreb. I got a contract work with the calculating machines factory TRS. At that time transistor technology became available behind the “iron curtain” (communist countries bordering western Europe) and TRS decided to develop an electronic desk calculator for which the market behind the “iron curtain” was secured. At that time the large corporations at the West like: Sharp, Toshiba, Canon, Adler, Casio, Olympia, Texas Instruments, just to mentioned a few, all have developed their electronic desk calculators. In my view they looked no so nice, obviously not being treated by the industrial design. I got confirmation recently of that fact by visiting vintage websites on Internet. From my study of electronic components and ergonomics I created a concept with recessed display. None of these Western companies had this distinct feature. Several years later some companies copied this, my original concept. TRS closed its doors at the mid – nineties when Croatia became a democratic country because it could not compete with the West.

Texas instrument in 1977 sought an industrial designer, educated in Europe, with experience designing electronic calculators. Based on my presentation I was invited for an interview to Dallas, Texas. The last question on the third day was, where I am really from? From Yugoslavia, was my response. Further discussion stopped immediately and I was asked to return to Canada.”

Canadian Period

In Canada Davor Grunwald designed important instruments in the field of geophysics, agronomy and computer technology. Particularly he described the dramatic development of high speed computer printers in the period 1981 -1984.

Printer Davor Grunwald (Photo Davor Grunwald)

Davor Grunwald: “I applied in Canada the experience from Zagreb. But I had to master first the English language, which took one year. At that time Canadian corporations had little knowledge about industrial design. So I developed a strategy, I entered corporations through the “back door”, I got hired as draftsman. Once inside the corporation I could quickly prove that I was “something else”. Through the efforts of the Canadian Association of Industrial Designers, corporations had slowly realized the benefits of hiring an industrial designer. I was one of the directors of the Association. My first job as industrial designer was with the Delfax Corporation which was developing fast computer printers based on new patented Ion Deposition technology. This was a superior method using Xerox’s laser. The Delfax marketing department had instructed their engineers to work on a printer concept with vertical paper flow. They justified this approach saying that such printer would take a smaller space. I knew that this approach was wrong from ergonomic reasons. In contrary, the Horizontal flow of paper, which I was proposing, would mean the same height at inserting and removing the paper. The marketing and engineering people would not listen. I had to do something drastically to convince them that my approach was the correct one. I made secretly, in my garage, in the span of two months a dysfunctional model in actual size. I also developed a new corporate identity, a new trademark, logo and applications (the old logo was hard to read). All these I presented on a Sunday in the President’s office. On Monday I came early, sat in my chair and waited. Suddenly a loud outcry filled the corridors, who did this, who did this? I presented myself in front of the President and gave him a lecture on industrial design. From that day on I got all what I needed, the marketing and engineering staff did listen to me and finally Delfax offered to the clients a “horizontal” printer.”

However, this extremely successful project was interrupted when the administrative team of Delfax was moved from Toronto to Boston. Davor Grunwald accepted an offer to join them. After three months he returned to Toronto because of a disagreement with his superiors. Shortly thereafter Delfax was sold to Xerox. Davor Grunwald continued to work in the Toronto area.

Geophysical Instrument (Davor Grünwald)

Davor Grunwald: “I founded my own consulting company with the name: Inventive Product Design (IPD) and worked on contract basis with several companies. Financially that was not enough. I accepted a position as industrial designer with one geophysical company. I was with them until my retirement. Still, I was using my consulting company IPD and worked on the side for several corporations. My portfolio has a large number of geophysical instruments and equipment. For one geophysical “backpack”, Genie, I received the prestigious Canada Design Award, 1982. The purpose of this instrument was to search for hidden barrels with toxic waste up to 10 meters deep. According to my information this was the first geophysical instrument in the world were industrial design was used. It had an exceptional ergonomics, integrated battery pack and a rational production technology suited for small runs.

Another significant design of geophysical instruments, using the electromagnetic principle, was the EM38, designed in 1985 but redesigned three times. It is still in production until now. This is a standard equipment to test the soil in agronomy and in archaeology for searching hollow spaces. The annual production of these instrument is 100 pieces at the most. But the purchase price is comparable to a small Hyundai car.”

An Anecdote With a Tractor in 1977 in Canada

Tractor (Davor Grünwald)

Davor Grunwald: “In Winnipeg I helped a well-established American designer. He got the contract with a tractor company to help develop a new tractor based on an existing one . We agreed that each of us would develop a concept for presentation. The third young designer was hired as well. On the day of the presentation we had three concepts. The CEO of the tractor company carefully observed each solution. At the end he pointed at my concept and said, we will build this concept further since it has an European look. My boss was not happy but he had to obey the President’s decision.”

If I Need Something, Someone Else Could Need That Too!

Since 2008 Davor Grunwald has retired but remains active as industrial designer. He has developed his own style of design activities since he retired. His motto is now, if I need something that means someone else could need that too! He designs simple objects (which he needs), orders parts in specialized shops, assembles products in his garage and sells them through word of mouth. Here is a list of items he designed this way: a Porsche Boxster rack, 2012, 200 litres collapsible wine/oil barrel, 2013, and a minimalistic chair ELIPS, 2015 .

A Porsche Boxster Rack: A Porsche Boxster has a front and a rear trunk and the engine in the middle. For larger objects there is no provision. With a rack attached to the rear trunk cover larger objects could be transported. If the rack is not needed it can be stored in front of the trunk. I offered this concept to Porsche but they decline the offer explaining that they do not accept designs coming from outside.

A Wine/Oil Barrel: A wine/oil barrel consists of four identical roto- moulded side panels, and top and bottom panels (the same). A plastic bag goes into the barrel filled up with wine or oil. This principle is known as BiB (Bag in Barrel). Wine or oil could be taken from such barrel countless times, no air enters the barrel therefore the wine or oil does not get spoiled. The barrel has 5 casters and handles for easy manoeuvring. The project was commissioned by the Swiss group of wineries but they never signed the contract and never sent the retainer. I kept the project for myself.

Chair ELIPS (Davor Grünwald)

Totally Minimalistic Chair ELIPS : I gave myself assignments to design a chair without needing a tooling, just to use CNC machines for production. The chair came out with superb aesthetics and functionality and is relatively cheap to produce. The design has been protected. I checked 6000 chairs on Internet and could not find any similar to ELIPS.

Sculptra Form 1964 – Now

One design has a special place in Davor Grunwald’s career. This is his very first design from student days called SCULPTRA.

Jasna Lovrinčević: “Your first design back to your student days is still actual nowadays. Why did you call this Sculptra? What was your impression of possible applications and who applied it first and for what?

Sculptra (Davor Grünwald)

Jasna Lovrinčević: “So far you worked in various fields and in each one you were successful. One gets the impression that you did not become specialized in a particular field. What is your general approach or how would you sum up your role in the development process of an object?”

Davor Grünwald