In 2009, Minneapolis Museum of Modern Art presented the exhibition “European Design Since 1985 – Shaping the New Century”. Next to world stars such as Jasper Morrison and Zaha Hadid, the Norwegian designers Cathrine Maske, Johan Verde and the company Harede Designmill (led by former Saab designer Einar Hareide) exhibited their products. In this article we focus on the Norwegian Award-Winning Design Company Hareide Designmill.
Hareide Designmill is working across a wide range of industries including product, interior, maritime, automotive and technology. Hareide Design has received more than 20 awards from the Norwegian Design Council, Red Dot design awards, Red Dot Best of the Best design awards and If-Gold design awards. The company’s work has been internationally recognized by museums such as Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) and Museum of Arts And Crafts Oslo, and has participated in several exhibitions, and been featured in hundreds of magazines worldwide.
Related: Award-Winning Norwegian Designer
Hareide’s “Startloop”, which was launched in 2002, made it possible for small and medium-sized cars to charge flat batteries by inserting the cable directly into the socket for the cigarette lighter. In 2006, “Startloop” was incorporated into the permanent collection for design and architecture at MoMa in New York.
In 2010, Hareide Designmill was awarded the prestigious Award for Design Excellence from the Norwegian Design Council for Kongsberg Maritime’s integrated aft bridge workstation. The Award is a leading award for design in Norway and is given to both manufacturers and designers that have cooperated on the development of products.
“We are honoured to have won this prestigious award,” said Kongsberg Maritime project manager for K-Master, Thor Hukkelås. “With K-Master, we have developed a product that offers functional operation and high design values, so it has received attention beyond our traditional markets. The award reflects our commitment to modern design, aesthetics and innovation, while at the same time placing the end-user and operator in the driving seat.”
Related: A Norwegian’s Passion for Design
In 2015, Hareide Designmill was awarded the Red Dot Award for the wood stove Jøtul F 305. The stylish wood stove with a large glass door that covers 70 percent of the front face, is giving an impressive view of the fire. Its horizontal combustion chamber makes filling it with logs easy and guarantees quick heat emission into the room. Its integrated heat convection allows the stove to be safely installed even near combustible materials. A flat top panel is currently under development with the objective of making the stove a multifunctional device.
“The Jøtul F 305 wood stove owes its high functionality to an easy-access combustion chamber and its efficient thermal properties,” said the jury.
In 2018, Hareide Designmill once again won the prestigious Red Dot Award. This time for the product maneuver lever and panel designed for the Swedish company Berg Propulsion. The company became the first Norwegian agency to be awarded “red dot: best of the best” for the second time.
The “Red dot design award” is the largest and most recognized design award in the world.
Related: From a Norwegian Local to an American Icon
About Einar Hareide
Einar Hareide has studied industrial design at the University in Gothenburg, and further studies in automotive design from Center for Creative Studies in Detroit.
In 1985 Einar Hareide was employed as a designer at Saab Automobile to develop the exterior design of the new Saab 900. In 1989 Einar Hareide was hired by Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart. During that period he developed the theme model for the 1994 Mercedes E-Class (W-210). In 1991 Einar returned to Saab Automobile to be in charge of the exterior design of the Saab 9-5, and in 1994 he was promoted to design director in charge of the design operations including the design of the 9-3 and 9-5 series. In 1999 Einar Hareide together with Harald Sjølshagen established Hareide Design in Moss, Norway, and later-on in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Norwegian Award-Winning Design Company, written by Tor Kjolberg
Feature image (on top): Hareide’s “Startloop”, which was launched in 2002, made it possible for small and medium-sized cars to charge flat batteries by inserting the cable directly into the socket for the cigarette lighter.