Founder Thomas Møller Jensen talks about Æsir: how it began life, and its philosophy.

Q:

Can you sum up Æsir in just a few sentences?

TMJ:

With Æsir we are trying to bring a stream of fresh, thought-provoking designs into the mobile phone industry, allowing visionary designers to explore their own ideas of what mobile design could be. We create in limited quantities to open up design possibilities and give attention to design excellence and detailing that would just not be possible with larger volumes. With the phones we aim to create something more desirable with a distinct point of view.

Q:

How did the idea to start up Æsir come about?

TMJ:

I came up with the concept in 2007 having read an interview with Karim
Rashid. He was asked what he felt the future of design was and one of the things he mentioned was the need for a truly desirable mobile phone. I thought it would be interesting to explore that, to find exciting people to work with to develop that. The plan was always to create niche small-scale production and to design a phone that does less, but what it does do, it does really well.

Q:

What do you think that you can achieve by combining design and technology in a mobile phone?

TMJ:

If you consider watches for example, they have a basic functionality, but one can portray that in endless engaging ways. Similarly, if you take the mobile phone out of the toolbox and make the design interesting you’re into a whole other world. Our phone is not just a tool – it’s more than that. And by sticking to doing what we do and not considering expanding into other product areas, we can focus on making it the best, something exciting and new, thus challenging the way we all view mobile phones.

Q:

Part of the proposition you describe is to produce in small volumes with design excellence and detail. Do you expect this to change people’s relationship with their mobile phone?

TMJ:

As it stands, we, on average, upgrade phones every year or so. The question is do we really need to? That seems like a lot of waste. Surely by creating something interesting and desirable, something that challenges existing mobile design, and that is beautifully designed and constructed – we don’t have to. The phone could be an object you buy and hold. I really hope that Æsir will encourage people to reconsider what they’re buying and why.

Q:

Where did the name Æsir come from and what does it mean?

TMJ:

When we came to name the company we needed something that embodied our Danish roots and the storytelling aspect of the Æsir brand, along with our commitment to a collaborative approach with some of the world’s most interesting experts. Æsir is an old Norse word that describes the bringing together of unique characters of the Nordic gods and their own strengths to create a whole, or a collective that’s bigger and better than its parts. That’s exactly what we’re trying to do with designers and our global expert collaborators, and this will manifest in a growing collection of Æsir editions.

Q:

Is there anything that’s particularly Danish about the company other than its Copenhagen headquarters?

TMJ:

We are a Danish company but this is not about Danish design. Without doubt we’re infused with the traditions of Danish design and its heritage – quality, form and functionality, simplicity, precision, durability and excellence – are all very much what we aspire to. Danish design is meant to last and it is never really considered as luxury even though it’s often quite expensive.

Q:

How, when and why did you select Yves Béhar as your first designer collaborator?

TMJ:

It has been a long journey since we began development in 2007. I approached design mastermind Jens Martin Skibsted for assistance with selecting the right designer. He had worked with the world’s most interesting designers for his company Biomega. Together we came up with a short list of eight designers initially, but Yves Béhar, with his understanding of technology and his storytelling approach to design, was the obvious first choice. His trademark is to take technology and make it more humane. He has this need to tell a story through design and that was precisely what we were looking for. I really believe Yves is a great thinker – absolutely nothing he designs is random. He was absolutely right for this project and we’re thrilled with the results.

Q:

Can you describe the commissioning process?

TMJ:

We gave him a very open brief. He was told we wanted something that would last, and this informed his choice of materials. From there he came up with four designs of which we chose one, which is what the
Æ+Y became. He really had a free hand aesthetically and we trusted him totally.

The key to this entire project is building a phone from the outside in. That is a totally new concept for the mobile phone market. So for us, the design, the designer’s ambition for the phone and the user experience led the engineering and technology. That has, of course, resulted in a more difficult and longer process, but it has forced us all to think harder, to find solutions and to ultimately create a superior product. We noticed that some of the larger companies we approached to work on the phone were unable to help as they’re used to a mass-market production approach and quality, which typically means they’re used to creating a plastic casing around the technology. The smaller companies for aesthetic parts and technology were better equipped for our needs.

This process has been so valuable in terms of what we’ve all learned and the potential we’ve realised. Yves’s design dictated a certain way of working with our chosen suppliers and it challenged them to apply their expertise in new ways. Ultimately our suppliers became creative partners as we worked together to find the solutions. It has been a very exciting and rewarding process.

Q:

From where does your interest in mobile phones come?

TMJ:

My interest in mobile phones is that I don’t really have any interest in the mobile phone market. Up until now the mobile phone has been a tool and it’s just not sexy or desirable; it is a commodity product. My father worked for a company that developed early mobile phone technology and I’ve always been very interested in technology, so perhaps that also triggered something in me. From the age of 17 I was importing handmade turntables from the UK – so perhaps that’s where my love of combining hand craftsmanship and technology comes from.

Q:

From where did your interest in design come?

TMJ:

My childhood was steeped in Danish design. I think you just grow up with that in Denmark – the principles of quality and heritage. There are two kinds of designers that really excite me. There are those who, in line with Danish principles, refine things and make them more beautiful. And then there are those who really challenge the way we do things. I’m hoping Æsir embodies both.