About Gerd Wippi.ch

Qualifications and Background

I grew up in Bremen. I studied visual communication at the University of Kassel Art School in the 1980s. In 1994 I had one semester at HyperStudio Muttenz (later known as HyperWerk) studying design of interactive media.

After working in agencies as an Art Director and Multimedia Designer for a number of years, I went freelance in 1994 and concentrated primarily on developing learning programs, for the most part working on the concept and design, but also as the project leader.

My first experience of web design (a website for SBV) came in 1995, in 1996 layout for the digital FF Layout font family for Fontshop, the first touch screen programs in 1998, programs for Elmex research. In 2006 I joined the metaphor agency network.

I enjoy working as part of a team on larger projects. I am able to orient myself in new areas quickly and am flexible, which is why many companies (among them KPMG, Phonak, Trivadis, HQ) integrate me into their internal project group.

Lecturing

I am a part-time lecturer at the Institute for Industrial Design at the FHNW (Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz) since 2001. I lecture on hard- and software tools, image editing using Photoshop, interface design and web design.

I also gave courses from 2006 to 2016 at the SfGA (Schule für Gestaltung Aarau) and the SfGZ (Schule für Gestaltung Zürich) to design students studying web design.

From 2015 on I am teaching at the Basel School of Design some modules in training for HF Interaction Design.

Mission Statement

I am interested in the conceptual side and development of digital information systems and implementing them using current design thinking methods: web standards, accessible and user-centered design, content strategy, storytelling, semantic markup, tagging, generative AI...

The ongoing search for the optimal design solution has for me a strong social aspect. It's not my first aim to «style» our surroundings, but rather to make daily life easier and more agreeable for people. If the results also happen to look good, all the better.