Baptiste Hannebicque is Design Manager at Estech, a company specialized in developing industrial design projects, and split into four key core competencies, i.e. design, Class A surfacing, digital and physical prototyping. Before that he was a teacher at the International Design School of Valenciennes.

In an interview with Design at Work he highlights the importance of technology for innovation;

Which company has been able to surprise you this past year on the subject of innovation?

When we talk about innovation, we talk about technology. In these terms, Dyson is one of the brands that surprised me a lot. It’s simply amazing the way they use a technology in the most evident way. You just have to take a look at the Dyson Air Multiplier to see how they have the capacity to surprise people. I really believe that surprise or making people dream is a good way to know if you’ve achieved a successful design. James Dyson has well understood that he can diversify his product range thanks to technology. And this diversification is the solution to ensure the future of the company.

In your opinion, what product should win all the design awards this year?

Dyson with its Air Multiplier has true potential. Not for the product but for their capacity to make us imagine a future different from what we know at the moment. A world of clear evidence, where global thinking comes above all. I really believe that the world needs more global thinking nowadays.

Which sector still has a lot of potential when it comes to innovation?

We could talk about a lot of sectors. Automotive industry, biology, healthcare, IT, etc. all have great potential. But in this particular period of ecologic consciensness, I would focus on sustainable energy and especially solar power. On this subject, our company Estech has started a collaboration with Solusun.

How is the aspect of sustainability changing industrial design?

Sustainability is not a new challenge for industrial design. It is something rather evident for a designer to make the best product in terms of price, look, ergonomy, etc. but also sustainability. But the industry’s objectives are not always compatible with this direction. The difference is that sustainability is now recognized as mandatory. From cradle to grave, in every sector of the industry, each brand has to think about this aspect for their products. When sustainability will be mature for designers, this will be really interesting. And communication about those products will talk about another aspect, as sustainability will not be the main one anymore. But a good analysis and technology knowledge is often more profitable as a purely sustainable way of thinking.