The Iconic Awards 2017

Michel Casertano
Atelier Brückner GmbH, Stuttgart
Michel Casertano studied architecture at the Technical University in Munich and at the University of Bath, England. Since 2005 he has been employed at the internationally acclaimed ATELIER BRÜCKNER in Stuttgart, and has been an associate there since 2012. He heads up its architecture division. ATELIER BRÜCKNER has been designing and realising narrative architecture and exhibitions following the principle of "form follows content" since 1997. Content and messages create scenography which sets benchmarks. The reasoned interplay between space, graphics, light and digital media determines the convincing overall statement of architecture, museums and brand environments.

Marco Dessí
Studio Marco Dessí, Vienna
Marco Dessí, born 1976 in Meran, Italy, after an dental technician apprenticeship studied industrial design with Bořek Šípek and Paolo Piva at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Straight after completing his studies in 2007, he founded his own design studio. He worked with international companies such as Richard Lampert, Skitsch and long-established Vienna companies such as J. & L. Lobmeyr, Vienna porcelain manufacturer Augarten and Wittman. The studio does not stick to a specific style, a preferred material or a standard formula, but views design as craftsmanship in which a deep understanding of materials, processes and their relationships form core creative values. Dessí emphasises transparency in his work, in the sense of a consistent relationship between design process and actual production stipulations.

Louise Kiesling
Partner at Coop-Himmelb(l)au, Vienna
Member of the supervisory board of Volkswagen, Wolfsburg
Louise Kiesling studied Fashion Design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. During many years working in the fashion industry, she also realized projects in other design disciplines, such as lifestyle product design (Porsche Design). While working as a designer and managing director of a London-based luxury mail-order company she took great interest in combining interdisciplinary design and trend strategies, a topic which led to her research work at Vehicle Design at the Royal College of Art in London, where she completed her PhD. She has been Partner at Coop-Himmelb(l)au since 2012. In 2014 she aquired the textile manufacture Backhausen GmbH. Dr. Louise Kiesling became member of the supervisory board of Volkswagen in 2015.

Andrej Kupetz
General Manager German Design Council
Andrej Kupetz has been General Manager of the Rat für Formgebung/German Design Council in Frankfurt/ Main since 1999. He studied industrial design, philosophy and product marketing in Berlin, London and Paris. In 1997, after various positions in design management and university liaison, Andrej Kupetz joined German Railways (Deutschen Bahn AG) where he was responsible for brand management in the DB Group and for the implementation of various corporate-design processes. 
Kupetz is member of the advisory board of the Design Management Institute Bosten. Since 2011 Kupetz has been a member of the higher education council of the Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach/Main. That same year the European Commission appointed him to the European Design Leadership Board.

Silvia Olp
Phoenix Design Stuttgart/Munich/Shanghai
Silvia Olp is Head of Communications at Phoenix Design and Vice President on the Board of aed Society for the Advancement of Architecture, Engineering and Design in Stuttgart. She is also initiator of the aed neuland competition for aspiring young designers. For many years she was Head of PR and Marketing and Member of the board at burkhardt leitner_modulas spaces. With her consulting firm, Silvia Olp Public Relations, she advised design agencies and other clients in the design sector on PR and marketing measures. Furthermore, she worked as studio manager for renowned photographers.

Stefan Weil
Atelier Markgraph, Frankfurt am Main
Stefan Weil began his career in 1989 as a designer with Meiré und Meiré, an early adopter of interdisciplinary brand design. He later brought this approach to international full service agencies such as Leo Burnett, TBWA, Saatchi & Saatchi and JWT; working as an Art Director and Creative Director, he created and implemented new marketing and communication formats for global brands such as Levis, Marlboro, Diamond Trading Company, Sony and Becks. In the year 2000, Stefan Weil became Creative Head of LAB.01 – the ‘Future Laboratory’ initiated by DaimlerChrysler – at EXPO Hanover on behalf of Atelier Markgraph. Stefan Weil has been Lead Creative Director at Atelier Markgraph since 2005. Founded in 1986, this interdisciplinary design and planning provider creates tangible, 3D experiences of companies, brands and themes. Using cutting edge technologies, Atelier Markgraph produces surprising spatial productions at the interface of business, culture and science – from exhibitions through media presentations to corporate architecture. In addition to brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Lufthansa, Union Investment, WMF and Viessmann, the Atelier Markgraph client list also includes cities, museums and cultural institutions. Stefan Weil has received numerous national and international awards for his work.

Linda Stannieder
GRAFT Brandlab, Berlin/Los Angeles/Beijing
Linda originally trained as an architect before specializing in branding. After her master degree at the University of Applied Arts Berlin-Weissensee, she relocated to China in 2005 for her Chinese studies, where she lived and worked 6 years. Living and working in China, Linda came to the world of brand when she was approached by the branding agency MetaDesign to help establish and creatively lead their new Beijing office in 2008.
Believing strongly in the emotional power brands possess beyond the limitations of two dimensions, Linda’s experience both in pure architectural and strategic brand projects means she has accumulated a wealth of experience with international renowned clients spanning brand adaptations, corporate identity projects, events, exhibitions, trade shows, retail and brand destinations in industries ranging from automotive to fashion and beauty.
In her previous position as Head of Brand Environments and member of the management board at MetaDesign Berlin she started working back in Berlin in 2011, where she also started her own business in 2014.