Our design heritage

As far back as the 1920s, when Philips was just adopting mass production, we understood that to reach consumers everywhere, we first had to properly understand them. Under the leadership of Louis Kalff, Philips advertising, product design and even architecture were inspired by differences in local preferences and customs worldwide.

By the 1960s, Philips was a strong global brand, but there was still a lack of consistency in our product design. As a result, Rein Veersema created the Industrial Design Bureau, and design was elevated to the forefront of the Philips brand.

In 1969, Knut Yran stipulated that extensive research and in-depth study should take place before the design phase started. He created a visual standards manual to aid in more efficient decision-making and to build the company’s image.

The next design head, Robert Blaich, brought about a revolution with his vision; he decreed that, above all, design must satisfy customers. He used design as an instrument to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace, and he integrated design and ergonomics into everything from development and production to marketing.

Now, since 1991 under the leadership of Stefano Marzano, we’ve implemented a clear approach known as High Design: a human-focused, multi-disciplinary and research-based design approach that allows the seamless integration of design into the business creation process. By broadening our perspective to include disciplines like anthropology, psychology and sociology, Marzano has taken the idea of people-focused design to the next level. This unique philosophy, together with pioneering trend forecasting and visionary projects, helps us deliver value to people and businesses alike.