words Johanna Agerman

Judith Seng doesn't mind mess - in her work or her cluttered Mitte studio. Ever since she graduated from the Berlin University of the Arts in 2001, she has been investigating concepts of perfection and imperfection while establishing a reputation as one of Germany's most intriguing designers.

Her best-known project to date is the limited-edition Hide and Show wardrobes. They only partially conceal the clothes, making the user more conscious of what it is they actually have to hide. But when we meet in her new studio the only piece of her design on display is the Patches table. Patches is four small tables, each with a different surface, that can be moved and reconfigure as needed. It's an informal composition - as Seng says: "I'm not so interested in form-giving." She continues: "For this project I was more interested in the changing idea of eating together." It's an example of how she sees design, as "the practice of rethinking daily life". Seng enjoys observing how people interact with the things that surround them, a sideline in anthropological research that has always informed her design and is now becoming a business in its own right, with clients ranging from universities to car manufacturers.

Portrait by Thorsten Klapsch