„Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context – a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.“ Eliel Saarinen

American designer couple Ray and Charles Eames followed their teacher Saarinen’s advice and took an almost scientific approach to finding the ‘next larger context’. They zoomed out in a straight line from an everyday scene on the shores of Lake Michigan, covering an area of 1 x 1 metre, leaving Chicago, Earth and our solar system behind until everything was hidden behind superclusters of galaxies.
What is exciting is the change of direction the two take and – starting again from the lake shore – search for the ‘next smaller context’. They dive into the human body and find molecules in the cells and atoms there, whose nuclei they encounter protons, neutrons and quarks.

Spoiler: the two travellers find structures in the macrocosm and microcosm that are quite comparable.

As part of the project, we focus on the dimensions of the human and the man-made. We orient ourselves on a wide variety of scales, we estimate, measure, weigh and sort, we make small things huge and look down on giants from above. We analyse and compare shapes and structures and visualise them using simple modelling techniques with cardboard and wire. On our joint journey of discovery, we gain confidence in three-dimensional space as observers and designers.

Dominik Harborth is a product and communication designer and represents Prof. Judith Glaser in the field of object and 3D design. As the founder of BUERO HARBORTH, he and his team oversee a wide range of projects, from classic product development to complex sustainable brand communication for large companies. The interactions between product and communication are always at the center of his work. In December 2025, he was a guest speaker at the FGW Lunch Lecture.

He will be happy to answer questions about the course on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. online via Zoom: https://thws-de.zoom-x.de/j/69734841542