deutsche telekom's design gallery imagines the future of connected homes

everything will be connected in the future, at least according to deutsche telekom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies. for over 25 years, deutsche telekom has focused on offering beneficial solutions, not just services, and the new but needed in the technological field. technology is their driving force but user perspectives, especially those of their customer base of more than 180 million, shape their innovation. now, more than ever, digitalization is a basic need and deutsche telekom is showcasing how it can benefit 360º of our lives. this is by integrating technology into interior design – our homes at large – and seamlessly merging the landscapes of digital and analogue.

designboom’s visit to the design gallery, bonn, germany
photograph by carlo magnoli / MMG
(main image: photograph courtesy of deutsche telekom)

from the very beginning of projects, design should sit at the leadership table at deutsche telekom. that is the new perspective introduced by monica dalla riva, vice president customer experience & design, deutsche telekom, as her team designs fully connected experiences and solutions. in her mind, designers translate what customers truly desire. there are over 350 of these creative personnel in the innovation hub, from designers to programmers and researchers, spread across their offices in bonn, frankfurt and berlin in germany. these ‘communities’ of creatives are encouraged to cross-pollinate skills and ideas, and create with total freedom. this all connects back to their nucleus, the design center, in bonn, which was set up 15 years ago.

the design gallery envisions how technological solutions can benefit specific interiors within the home
photograph courtesy of deutsche telekom

the design center epitomizes deutsche telekom’s work. it is a visionary, exploratory, circular space, called ‘telekom design gallery’, that aims to inspire employees – and visitors – of their infinite ideas on the fully connected future. with recreated scenarios and real products, the design gallery envisions an ecosystem of our daily lives, from our smart home to our city and even specific work and retail environments. multiple layers combine to form these smart systems but, for deutsche telekom, it all starts with the internet – devices simply would not connect without it. the design gallery culminates in a lab area where designers can test competition, evaluate benefits, and question how experiences can be improved, like whether the services are intuitive enough.

smart home solutions should seamless connect with the city landscape
photograph courtesy of deutsche telekom

monica’s team at the design center is always thinking about what the user wants and needs. the lab-like gallery space enables their designers to simulate tests but often their solutions can only be truly experienced through their customers. this research takes them to 65 homes in four countries where deutsche telekom operate, from germany to greece and many more. every time, these visits highlight cultural specific insights and how simple household objects can dramatically change our lives on a daily basis. it helps the team connect the dots on how to improve customer experience. this is all in the aim of providing the perfect network and the most seamless smart experience. it is not about the technology per se, it is about how easy, comfortable and safe solutions make our lives.

their designers explore how data-driven design can improve city-wide services
photograph courtesy of deutsche telekom

technology comes hand-in-hand with data and the inevitable concerns for customer privacy, safety and security. deutsche telekom has always championed for customer trust and this aim is constantly part of monica and her team’s design process. everything they do is to strengthen trust through user experiences. all data collected is for the business of the customer, not for the company’s business gains. technology is advancing so fast that governing regulations are constantly catching up. that is why it is more important than ever that leading companies, like deutsche telekom, adhere to their own ethical guidelines. internally, they create guidelines for new innovations, for example with the development of all case scenarios in artificial intelligence.

deutsche telekom understand that systems need to be able to intuitively support all forms of technology
photograph courtesy of deutsche telekom

users should be fully confident in products and services before inviting them into their home. as demonstrated in their design gallery, deutsche telekom believe the home environment is key to creating a more beneficial connected experience. it is not about connecting you to others; it is about seamlessly connecting more solutions to you. our transition from home to city, work, retail and then back home again, should be harmonious, personal and intuitive. this is why deutsche telekom is continuously looking for solutions able to merge the worlds of technology and interior design together. connectivity is the norm and now, more than ever, a digital lifestyle is the one we lead. as monica and her team are creating, digital experiences are there to help, so get ready to invite connectivity into your homes.

the lab-like design gallery tests new technologies to understand how they can benefit environments like work and retail
photograph courtesy of deutsche telekom

‘we really believe that technology is and will impact our lives, but the customer experience is more than just a technological product. therefore, it is very important for us to think about how we can shape the future of these experiences for the customer as well dialogue with other designers to understand how the home of customers will look in the future,‘ concludes monica dalla riva. stay tuned to designboom as deutsche telekom’s design team reveals an exciting new project, called ‘digital lifestyle‘, which will illustrate the changes in interaction between people and digital technologies within our home environments.

their designers constantly question real products and services about how customer experiences can be bettered
photograph by carlo magnoli / MMG