Issue #03: Design for the Common Good

October 8, 2024

Hi guys 👋

Long time no see and hear! I hope you are well. It has been a quarter since my last dispatch. I must apologise for this long overdue situation.

The recession is still in the loom and it can be confusing (in certain measures, seem paradoxical) for many of us seeking into balancing sustainable solutions and economic pressures. In the design business, we have become more precarious about how we approach our work with the growing cynicism on the political turmoil, climate change ordeals and the constant speed of technological change. How might we formulate these matters in a positive and forward-looking way, despite the recession?

I recently collaborated with adlerschmidt on a project for common good for the Advisory Board of DB InfraGO: SEKTORBEIRAT

Logo routes exploration: What is a modern infrastructure?

A betterment of a public infrastructure requires capital. To achieve this, the federal and state governments, the rail companies, and related stakeholders’ interest need to be steered toward common good. However, the infrastructure is currently still facing various challenges: the ownership between the federal government and DB requires fundamental reforms, and the access to the rail policy objectives is yet to be clearly defined. More transparency and professional exchange with the industry through comprehensive involvement for both improving and expanding the railway infrastructure is required — and that is where an advisory board becomes relevant. 

In recent years, the punctuality and state of railway infrastructure has suffered, largely due to underinvestment caused partially by the privatization of DB. Consequently, not long ago last year, the German Rail (Deutsche Bahn) founded a subsidiary company called DB InfraGO to tackle the company restructuring.

InfraGO then established an advisory board to play the role as a critical sparring partner, as part of the infrastructure restructuring process, with the goal of gearing-up towards the improving mobility for common good.

Together with adlerschmidt team, I am proud to be part of this advisory board corporate design commission.

Visual benchmarks analysis

One of the design routes communicating modern infrastructures.

Based on a workshop with the stakeholders, we developed the naming, branding, and website for SEKTORBEIRAT. For the initial visual identity development, we looked into how progressive public infrastructures and advisories as benchmarks to help us understand how good branding and communication can bring impact — bringing us closer to the grand vision of the “common good” (in German: gemeinwohlorientiert), step by step.

Final design and design system

The aim was to communicate the founding of the advisory and thus binding decision-making to the infrastructure with board members from German City Council to logistic experts. SEKTORBEIRAT should be recognised as the first point of contact for guidance and insight offering, impact management and measurement for the rail company. 

For us, the first step to achieve these goals requires the design to be bold and visionary, to see change as a requirement and a powerful driver for long-term success. It involves rethinking traditional business models, investing in sustainable and service-oriented infrastructure, and, perhaps most importantly, fostering a working culture that values the motivation for betterment.

In conclusion, the end of the recession is not just a return to the status quo. It begins a new era where “change mindset” is essential to business success. Companies that embrace this shift will contribute to a better world and position themselves as leaders in a rapidly changing market. Now is the time for businesses to step up and make sustainability a central part of their strategy — not because they have to, but because they believe in its power to drive positive change.

Here’s to creating a better future for Germany’s mobility! 🚄 🛤️ 🚉

Hi guys 👋

Long time no see and hear! I hope you are well. It has been a quarter since my last dispatch. I must apologise for this long overdue situation.

The recession is still in the loom and it can be confusing (in certain measures, seem paradoxical) for many of us seeking into balancing sustainable solutions and economic pressures. In the design business, we have become more precarious about how we approach our work with the growing cynicism on the political turmoil, climate change ordeals and the constant speed of technological change. How might we formulate these matters in a positive and forward-looking way, despite the recession?

I recently collaborated with adlerschmidt on a project for common good for the Advisory Board of DB InfraGO: SEKTORBEIRAT

A betterment of a public infrastructure requires capital. To achieve this, the federal and state governments, the rail companies, and related stakeholders’ interest need to be steered toward common good. However, the infrastructure is currently still facing various challenges: the ownership between the federal government and DB requires fundamental reforms, and the access to the rail policy objectives is yet to be clearly defined. More transparency and professional exchange with the industry through comprehensive involvement for both improving and expanding the railway infrastructure is required — and that is where an advisory board becomes relevant. 

In recent years, the punctuality and state of railway infrastructure has suffered, largely due to underinvestment caused partially by the privatization of DB. Consequently, not long ago last year, the German Rail (Deutsche Bahn) founded a subsidiary company called DB InfraGO to tackle the company restructuring.

InfraGO then established an advisory board to play the role as a critical sparring partner, as part of the infrastructure restructuring process, with the goal of gearing-up towards the improving mobility for common good.

Together with adlerschmidt team, I am proud to be part of this advisory board corporate design commission.

Visual benchmarks analysis

One of the design routes communicating modern infrastructures.

Based on a workshop with the stakeholders, we developed the naming, branding, and website for SEKTORBEIRAT. For the initial visual identity development, we looked into how progressive public infrastructures and advisories as benchmarks to help us understand how good branding and communication can bring impact — bringing us closer to the grand vision of the “common good” (in German: gemeinwohlorientiert), step by step.

Final design and design system

The aim was to communicate the founding of the advisory and thus binding decision-making to the infrastructure with board members from German City Council to logistic experts. SEKTORBEIRAT should be recognised as the first point of contact for guidance and insight offering, impact management and measurement for the rail company. 

For us, the first step to achieve these goals requires the design to be bold and visionary, to see change as a requirement and a powerful driver for long-term success. It involves rethinking traditional business models, investing in sustainable and service-oriented infrastructure, and, perhaps most importantly, fostering a working culture that values the motivation for betterment.

In conclusion, the end of the recession is not just a return to the status quo. It begins a new era where “change mindset” is essential to business success. Companies that embrace this shift will contribute to a better world and position themselves as leaders in a rapidly changing market. Now is the time for businesses to step up and make sustainability a central part of their strategy — not because they have to, but because they believe in its power to drive positive change.

Here’s to creating a better future for Germany’s mobility! 🚄 🛤️ 🚉