27 August 2025
Generally speaking, management determines a company’s organizational structure. When design is at the heart of the process, the focus is on the human experience, i.e. on the needs and expectations of the person interacting with the organization by using its services. “There’s a lot of work to be done to transform the service offering to citizens,” says Lorenz Herfurth, Professor of Design at ÉTS and a specialist in participatory and strategic design.
Professor Herfurth describes how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, certain groups in the city of Montreal spoke neither French nor English, and had no access to the Internet. As a result, they were excluded from crucial information on government-issued health guidelines. Community members took matters into their own hands. They equipped a van with loudspeakers and crisscrossed the neighbourhood, broadcasting official public health messages in the residents’ native tongues.
And yet, the organization chart of the healthcare system does indeed incorporate this type of participation. In a context where experts decide how to communicate with communities, the notion of interaction with users seems to get lost in the maze of the network.
“If an organization is to innovate, the first step in the right direction is admitting the need to change the way it does things, notably by becoming more receptive to outside influences,” argues Lorenz Herfurth.
From Industrial Design to Strategic Design
ÉTS Professor Lorenz Herfurth
Born in Hamburg, Germany, young Lorenz was fascinated by photography and aesthetics. He studied design at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design in Halle.
After graduating in 2001, Lorenz landed a job at IFS Design, a Berlin-based subcontractor to Bombardier’s rail division. As Senior Industrial Designer, Lorenz honed his skills in 3D modeling and product manufacturing. After five years, he decided to focus on strategic design. He enrolled in the “Design: Management and Policy” master’s program at Lancaster University in the UK. There, he discovered creative management, thanks to a course taught by Professor Sabine Junginger.
Unlike conventional management, which involves choosing between existing options, creative management is inspired by the principles of design. It doesn’t necessarily aim to find a solution, but rather to define an ideal to be achieved. “It requires an attitude that is open to innovation, imagination and experimentation,” emphasizes Herfurth. This is the kind of approach that interests him. He earned a master’s degree in Design from Lancaster University in 2010, followed by a PhD in Design from the same university in 2017.
Multidisciplinary Expertise
Over the past fifteen years, Lorenz Herfurth has taught industrial design, strategic design, social design and service design at various universities, including England, Scotland and Canada. For Professor Herfurth, it’s crucial not only to provide students with technical knowledge, but also to stimulate their curiosity and enhance their communication skills. A designer is often a bridge between different areas of expertise, and must be able to find a point of convergence.
Helping to Build an Institution at ÉTS
In January 2025, Lorenz Herfurth became Professor of Design at ÉTS. “What I like most about engineering students is their approach to problem solving,” he says. This is in line with the objective of ÉTS’s new Design Department. Its aim is to integrate design principles into both course selection and the layout of its facilities. “We’re creating the ideal environment for training future generations of designers. It’s an exceptional privilege!” exclaims Lorenz Herfurth.
