Every designer has their own way of working. Some take an exploratory approach, starting with a material, for example, and let the process itself guide them to the final product. Others have a clear idea right from the start and then try to work out how to make it real. Björn definitely belongs to the latter category.

“My processes always start with an idea, which I then mull over. I almost never sketch by hand with a pen and paper. Instead, I walk around and think. I turn an idea over and over in my mind – ‘What happens if you do it this way?’ – ‘And what if you add that?’”

As though you had a sketchbook in your mind?

“Yes, I develop and sort out the idea in my head. Only a fraction of the ideas actually come to fruition, but if I come up with an idea that I feel is worth pursuing. I can relatively quickly dosketches on the computer to get very close to a finished product.”

Björn contends that skipping the pen-and-paper sketching stage and starting straight away on the computer shortens the gap between the idea and the finished product. The downside, he notes with a laugh, is that it never looks like you’re working when you’re walking around thinking.

“It can be seen as procrastination. Like you’re not getting anything done. And if you have colleagues, it’s not much fun for them when you’re walking around with everything in your head as the presentation date approaches. Back when I ran a design agency, it could get a bit awkward. So, working alone – which is what I’ve been doing for the last twenty years – definitely suits my personality better.”

The way you describe your work, it sounds a bit like a conversation you have with yourself, where you try to find solutions to specific problems.

“Yes, the work is like a dialogue, where I start by posing specific questions that I then try to answer. – ‘Is it possible to construct a three-dimensional seating surface out of wire?’ – ‘Can such a seating surface be comfortable?’ – ‘What kind of ergonomics can be achieved with these materials or based on this technical idea?’ Superstructure was the result of a similar question: Is it possible to make a seat basket from parallel slats fastened to a flat ring?”

Björn explains that, being an only child, he never had any trouble keeping himself occupied. He particularly enjoyed solving tricky problems.

“When I was little, there was a series of children’s books with engineering-type problems. As I recall, a new one came out every year – and I’d get it as a Christmas present. I always thought it was great fun to go off on my own with those books and solve the problems. In a way, it’s the same for me today when I’m working on furniture.”

Björn is a truly versatile designer. In addition to furniture, his body of work includes motor-driven breakers, wine glasses, interiors for museums and shops, toys, and even a bicycle. Because he regards furniture design, in particular, as a joyful creative outlet, his work in this area seldom flows from the briefs and commissions of others. Instead, he is the one contacting potential partners, whenever he has a presentable idea.

“I like to treat furniture design as a hobby. I do it purely and simply because it’s so much fun. This way, I can take as long as I like to mull things over – without clients having to worry about missed deadlines. And it doesn’t matter if I end up finding that an idea doesn’t work, because no one’s known what I’ve been up to, anyways.”

Many of Björn’s works are based on simple and idiosyncratic ideas that have been executed with great rigor and consistency. They are bold and distinctive furniture pieces that enliven surroundings and defy expectations.