kollektiv vier - Mysterious patterns which change your daily life – the story of “kollektiv vier”

The team of “kollektiv vier” consists of three motivated textile designers (Mirjam Huwiler, Johanna Widmer, und Eva Zuberbühler) who graduated from the “Hochschule Design und Kunst Luzern (HSLU)” in summer 2014. They all gained a great deal of professional experience in different areas of the textile industry. Meanwhile they all had the inner urge to found their own business. Due to having completed several co-projects successfully during their studies, they already had a solid basis to work together. In September 2014 they founded “kollektiv vier”. Originally the team consisted of four designers, hence the name.  Only a while later they obtained the „Design Angel“, an award sponsored by ProHelvetia. They also attended the workshop “Creative Committed” and subsequently the coaching program “Creative Link”. In 2015 they won a project prize of the IKEA foundation. Since 2016 and after some changes within the team, “kollektiv vier” exists as a “GmbH” composed of three designers and is located in Basel. They have managed to build a good reputation in the Swiss design scene. 

As the three women explicate, they were able to greatly benefit from the programs of Creative Hub, especially in the fields of marketing and accounting and it also helped to extend their network. 

It is a great challenge to work as a collective and as a team as the three designers want to stand on the same hierarchy level. On the one hand they are business partners and on the other hand they are friends. A lot needs to be learnt, they need to trust each other, compromises are to be accepted and responsibility has to be delegated in order to achieve the ultimate goal which is the definition of a common denominator. Of course it takes time to find its own way. 

This day the team is well rehearsed und functions well. This is a plus and leads to a great variety of designs which could not be matched by a single designer. The “kollektiv-vier” designs offer an additional benefit and show new solutions. It is important for all the three creative minds that their designs are coherent. This results in a totally well-thought-out business and a valuable product.

All three designers want to participate from the beginning. Each designer already takes part in the designing process and each of them is able to identify with the designs.A well-established collaboration with the particular manufacturer means a great challenge for any small business because there is a disturbing dependence - yet sometimes a certain helplessness - when products aren’t delivered as agreed. This means today the production process of the shower curtains is still constantly being optimized. The „kollektiv vier“ thinks communication with producers is crucial and also time-consuming. The path from the idea to design via prototype, production, packing for sales (in exhibitions, online or in selected stores) is long and sometimes hard. In the last two years the „kollektiv vier“ was able to organize these steps very efficiently and is still working on optimizing them. 

 A new collection of shower curtains in summer 2017 and a bath-towel collection in spring 2017 are planned. Also planned is an increase of marketing activities abroad. Team Creative Hub wishes the young and motivated team a lot of success in the future! 

 Visit their website for more informations: kollektivvier.ch