About FSB
Philosophy
Johannes Potente
Jasper Morrison
Dieter Rams
FSB’s unique blend of style, utility and ergonomics originates in the vision of designer Johannes Potente, who became head of development and design in the 1950s. Potente believed a door handle should do more than fulfill its simple function, that it should imbue the door with a special form. He believed even such an everyday object as a lever handle should exemplify good design. Potente’s lever designs for FSB are so admired that four have been added to MoMA’s permanent collection, as well as inspiring a monograph in the ‘Design Classics’ series published by Verlag form.
Two philosophies guide FSB. The first, the “four rules of good grip,” is an aesthetic principle drawn from the work of Johannes Potente, and describes the four elements of an ideal lever: a guide for the thumb, a hollow for the forefinger, ball support for the palm, and volume to fill the grasp.
The second philosopy FSB calls “design management.” FSB aims to provide a range of hardware to be used throughout a project — levers, window handles, cabinet knobs, thumb turns, door stops — all with a consistent design. This principle is why so many architects and designers have grown to value FSB, since they no longer need to struggle to match products from diverse sources.
Since the mid-1980s FSB has conducted bi-annual designer workshops which draw on the talent of well-respected designers and architects to explore new ideas. Many designers have participated, among them Hans Hollein, Dieter Rams, Alexandro Mendini, Mario Botta and Peter Eisenman, with some of their innovations inspiring new product lines.
FSB has also commisioned “name designs” in which a designer authors a complete hardware range consisting of one or two lever handles, matching window handles, cabinet knobs and doorstops. So far Dieter Rams, Jasper Morrison, Philippe Starck, Franco Clivio, Harmut Weise, Nicholas Grimshaw, and Erik Magnussen have contributed their talents. FSB is listed in ‘Design Directory: Germany,’ an encyclopedia of the best contemporary German design.
In the late 1990s FSB introduced three new handles whose design follows the rules of the golden section, the fundamental idea behind a new range of products. These handles not only meet fire code requirements for a ½" return, but demonstrate FSB’s exploration of new ideas.
