Describe your collaborative partnership

The contact between OHST MEDIZINTECHNIK AG and KATSCHKE INDUSTRIEDESIGN GMBH arose in 2009 following an enquiry about the product design of a handle for surgical instruments via the design office’s homepage. During the initial exploratory talks it quickly became clear that the level at which OHST MEDIZINTECHNIK AG communicated with its external partners did not adequately represent the company’s development competence.

The company’s brand and visual communication were not suitable in respect of supporting, on a lasting basis, the modernity of a new product design in the case of a market launch. Following extensive consulting, the board and designer thereupon decided to adopt a new approach, and since then have been collaborating on industrial design, corporate design and web programming. The successful outcome of this decision is reflected in the new corporate image, the active internet presence and the excellent design of a new product series.

Provide evidence of your success

During the intensive collaboration between the management of OHST AG and the design office, a corporate design was initially created that sympathetically communicates the company’s innovative power to its external partners. The simplicity, precision and transparency of the new corporate image have been well received by employees and customers, and form the basis for the successful communication of the company’s products and services. The positive effect of this measure clearly emerges in an analysis of the design principle of the internet pages based on the CD.  A series of new-style ergonomic handles for surgical instruments has been created in conjunction with the engineers including appertaining transport and sterilisation system. This has proved successful in practical tests and is making its mark with constantly increasing sales figures in the medical technology market.

The design was awarded the design prize of the German federal state of Brandenburg in 2010 and earned the iF.

Why is your collaboration special and not a typical client-customer relationship?

The excellent know-how at both companies is worthy of note, and is geared towards synergy effects by way of know-how transfer. This releases huge potential for innovative force. There is no classic Contractor-Principal situation with clearly defined hierarchies and processes between the contracting parties. Moreover, the successful collaboration between OHST AG and KATSCHKE INDUSTRIEDESIGN is characterised by a high level of trust in the respective competencies of the partners. We are therefore in a position to work in tandem for both marketing and product development.  Thanks to the permanent harmonisation between product technology and design, the design and functional features of a new product are in that respect subject to ongoing controls.  Undesirable developments and setbacks are therefore largely avoided.

The outcome of this intensive relationship between contractor and customer is an extremely time-optimised product development that gives rise to excellent results.

Websites

• Studio / Agency: www.katschke-design.de
• Client: www.ohst.de