ABOUT ME

Francesco Langer

My name is Francesco Langer, and my story began in Dessau—the very place where the Bauhaus once revolutionized the world of design. I studied integrated design there, and this interdisciplinary approach has captivated me ever since. What exactly is integrated design? For me, it was the realization that the most exciting things happen when you stop thinking in terms of categories. Product design here, digital fabrication there, craftsmanship over there—why not combine them all?

But to be honest, my curiosity started earlier. As a child, I measured pyramids with my father, discovered a previously unknown butterfly species on an expedition, and spent every vacation in nature—observing, asking questions, exploring. The conviction that the world wants to be understood and that you have to look for yourself to do so has stayed with me. It's present in every project that leaves the studio today. Research is in my blood—and the more technically demanding a task, the greater my interest. Today, I live that out at the design studio Fusión.

In the mornings, I print a ceramic mold on the 3D printer; at midday, I'm at the melting furnace at 1,180°C, shaping molten glass; in the evenings, I program my 3D printers or plan a customized course on metal casting processes or 3D model making. Sounds crazy? For me, it's the only way of working that makes sense. I run the studio on my own—for projects requiring specific expertise outside my own experience, I bring in a network of trusted colleagues. Handpicked, project-specific, and on equal footing.

My conviction: The best ideas arise at the intersection of different technologies. When traditional glassblowing meets digital fabrication, when centuries-old techniques merge with 3D printing and precision milling—that's when things get interesting. That's when things emerge that were previously impossible. My experience and love for artisanal processes are not at odds with digitalization—they are the foundation upon which I understand what technology can achieve and where its limits lie.

In my courses, I teach exactly that – in German, English, or Spanish, depending on who's in the studio. No stiff workshops, but genuine collaborative experimentation. From the first contact with hot glass to complex 3D modeling for printed ceramic molds, which, like the ancient Romans, can also be used for serial glass production.

Therefore, "interdisciplinary" is not a buzzword for me—it's the way I think, work, and teach. And this very energy from my childhood and my time in Dessau is present in every project, every course, every piece that is created here today.