Behind the Scenes – Team interviews
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Martina Skvaro
BSC of Arts ZFH in Product and Industrial Design
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
For several years, I gained experience as a CAD Designer. I was employed in the fields of medical technology and in the development of a helicopter. Just before RADIATE, I worked in the R&D department of Götti Switzerland where we developed 3D-printed and rimless glasses, their components, assembly tools and everything related to eyewear. During this time, I also completed a bachelor’s degree in industrial design at ZHdK. After all these years I can say that my strength is to develop products with a focus on design and engineering combined. I love to work with Siemens NX and I specialized in parametric and freeform modelling.
What do you enjoy most about working in product development and innovation?
The whole development process! It is always an exciting journey. I love how a product evolves from the initial idea to the finished product, merging engineering and design. I like to be challenged and find the most thought-out solution to a task. For me, innovation means creating something unexpected and progressive. It’s also important to think about how a product is made and what impact it will have on the future.
What’s a hobby or interest that you have that might surprise your coworkers at RADIATE?
I am 90% employed so I can design products for my home besides my work at RADIATE. So in my free time, I also design SLS-printed lamps, 3D-printed ceramic candle holders, bedside tables, coffee tables, and vases. I do whatever I feel like and always focus on material combinations or the manufacturing process.
How do you balance your work with your personal life, and how do you unwind after a long day at work?
A good work-life balance is important to me. I appreciate having an exciting job and being creatively challenged from Monday to Friday. Nevertheless, I put just as much focus on my free time. On the weekends I like to spend time with my partner, my friends, or my family. To recharge the batteries, I love to ride my vintage Colnago, I like to go hiking, jogging, and other outdoor activities. But I also love to just relax, prepare a great meal, play cards, or listen to my Vinyl collection.
Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! The world is full of interesting people, objects and interactions. I find inspiration in good conversations with people, but also by observing my surroundings. I am interested in how objects are manufactured and how their material connections are made. Everywhere you look you find connections.
Edouard Tarter
MSc ETH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
A good mix of focused individual work on challenging projects and dynamic and interesting discussions with team members to dissect and solve complex problems. Also, some time in between to just chill, have fun and talk about random stuff during coffee or breaks.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I have a background in Product Development and Engineering Design, Machine Learning and Adaptive Composite Structures.
What do you enjoy most about working in product development and innovation?
The interdisciplinary aspect of the challenges, the dynamic environment of product-oriented projects and the fusion of differently skilled but talented individuals to strive as a group.
What motivates you?
Clean but modular and robust solutions to requirements, creative concepts and hands-on work for the development of products. I also enjoy dealing with challenging tasks which allow me to learn and try new things: f*ck around and find out.
How do you balance your work with your personal life, and how do you unwind after a long day at work?
By enjoying the time at work and off work separately and trying not to let stress flow over to personal life which helps to keep a fresh mind and generate new ideas. I like being spontaneous when it comes to free time, be it hanging out with friends, working out, gaming, some DIY projects…
What is your favourite design/engineering object or tool?
At the moment, certainly the 11” iPad pro with pencil – it is strikingly beautiful and effective, just an impressive piece of design and engineering.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done, and would you do it again?
Climbing up and jumping into the Zurich lake from a 10m loading crane, definitely would do it again!
What’s a hobby or interest that you have that might surprise your coworkers at RADIATE?
Not sure, maybe that I used to play baseball for 10 years because it is not very common in Europe.
Jonathan Brunner
Workshop Assistant
What does a typical working day look like for you?
My day starts with commuting from Jona to Zurich which I do by train. Once at the office, my working day is pretty straightforward: In our workshop, I build and finish various composite parts for one of our customers.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I am a carpenter originally, but I have done a lot of all-round work in different construction processes during my career.
What motivates you?
I really like to learn new things every day and improve processes and organization. I also like the environment of a professional team and having a common goal so we can work hand in hand and build a cool product.
How do you balance your work with your personal life, and how do you unwind after a long day at work?
I think it’s important to have a clear line between work life and private life. To unwind I spend time with my family (my wife and my son). I also like to walk along the beautiful Lake Zurich and enjoy nature.
What is your favourite design/engineering object or tool?
As a carpenter, I like all kinds of machines and tools but at this time it is probably the CNC machine I get to work with. It’s incredibly accurate and efficient, making it an invaluable tool for my work.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?
I would like to spend some time with my Grandpa Martin. He died a few years ago and I miss him sorely.
What’s a hobby or interest that you have that might surprise your coworkers at RADIATE?
I like to sing but only in private and for my son 🙂 Music has always been an important part of my life.
Pascal Trachsler
BSC of Arts ZFH in Product and Industrial Design
What does a typical working day look like for you?
On a typical workday, my alarm clock rings at 6.30 am. Apart from that, everything else that follows is usually not typical at all.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
After graduating as an Industrial Designer at Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), I worked for a while on a project in collaboration with ZHdK, ETH Zurich and Helvetas in Nepal. After co-designing a stair-climbing wheelchair for Scewo AG and some smaller projects, I was happy to join the team at RADIATE.
What motivates you?
Working in an exciting team and always completing a wide variety of tasks with new challenges and the potential to learn more.
What do you like to do in your free time?
There are many things. Whether I’m working on my own project, traveling, making music, or standing on one of my boards in the waves, snow, or in the streets – getting bored is never an option.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
The Moka pot, invented by Alfonso Bialetti.
Where do you find inspiration?
If I set my mind to it, practically everywhere.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
To gain the most knowledge about human nature, probably with the person who is most different from me.
Jonas Schmid
MSc ETH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
A typical working day is filled with in-depth project work, a lot of planning in terms of management tasks or simply brainstorming with other colleagues for the best ideas. It’s never the same and varies from day to day.
What motivates you?
The challenge of solving complex problems, when designing products. Our self-defined approach to work and develop. I am motivated by the ability that we define processes, approaches and how we solve complex problems by ourselves. We set the standard in best practice and try to constantly improve by always staying agile.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to go biking with my friends around Zurich – down the Uetliberg trail – or even better somewhere in the Swiss Alps. I’m spending a lot of time with my girlfriend in the mountains around Davos and we love to explore the beautiful nature of Switzerland.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
It’s impossible to pick one specific tool! For me, it’s the mixture and combination of all tools that we have at hand and, above all, the ability to use and combine all of these tools – be it digital tools or physical tools.
Where do you find inspiration?
In the shower! It is no joke. In the shower, I have peace for my thoughts and I am not distracted by other things. That’s how I then often come up with very good ideas on how to solve problems, an approach for an improvement, or a new flash of inspiration … Maybe we should install showers at Radiate soon 🙂
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
The moment when the British Mountain Biker Tom Pidcock won the Olympic gold medal in the XC race with the Silverton SL wheels that we developed. We were watching the race live here in our office together with all the colleagues from Radiate. It was really cool to see that a product that was developed at our company could achieve that. It was a moment where I felt strong gratification.
Melanie Kuhn
Assistant Workshop and Administration
What does a typical working day look like for you?
I get up very early in the morning and the first thing I do is go for a short walk with my dog Ayna. When I arrive at the office, I usually mold the previously built parts, clean the molds and laminate. After that, I vacuum and usually add something new to learn or refresh my knowledge. Since I haven’t been at RADIATE for a long time, the typical working day is just beginning to evolve.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I trained as a carpenter and have worked in that field in various jobs. Among those was a job in the early days of RADIATE, where I helped in the production of prototypes of the full carbon wheel OOCYCLE. I’ve also helped to set up a delivery service for regional products in the Seetal region near Lucerne.
What motivates you?
I like to learn new things and improve what I already know. At RADIATE, I have the opportunity to gain insight into exciting and novel projects and be part of a great team.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My most time-consuming hobby is definitely my dog Ayna, who came to me from Hungary from the animal shelter and still has a lot to learn. Together with my boyfriend, I like to spend time outdoors in nature. We also like to cook together or watch movies. A few years ago, I have discovered my passion for clay modelling. In between, I often have other small projects of my own, where I paint or make something for myself or my nieces or whatever else comes to mind.
Where do you find inspiration?
In nature, because there you can find an incredible number of refined and beautiful models.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
I think it would be incredibly exciting to swap roles with any person. Preferably with someone who has a lot of knowledge and can do things that I can’t, so that I can acquire some of that.
Frederic Poppenhäger
MA Communications, Consulting and Business Development
What does a typical working day look like for you?
As I commute from Lucerne to Zurich, my day starts with breakfast and listening to podcasts on the train. When I arrive at the office, I usually have a tight schedule for the day. My work focuses on content production for our marketing channels and various administrative tasks.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I studied communication at the University of the Arts in Berlin and worked for over a decade in advertising agencies in different countries.
What motivates you?
I find it extremely motivating to see how a project starts from scratch with an idea and evolves with time to a concept, a prototype and finally into a tangible object that connects emotionally with people, such as a wheel, a prosthesis or a drone.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love cycling. Be it with my road bike, gravel bike or mountain bike. Switzerland is full of possibilities and I still have some ground to cover where I’ve never been.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
My favorite object is obviously the bicycle 🙂
Where do you find inspiration?
I like to think that inspiration rather comes from the ordinary than the extraordinary. That means that you don’t have to go to a museum or read a special book in order to be inspired. As I’m often on the train I like to out of the window, watching the landscape pass by. That often inspires me.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
The most exciting moment so far was right at the beginning of our journey in the early days of the company. We just had given some of our first full-carbon wheels to pro cyclists who were participating in a cycling competition here in Switzerland. They were keen to use our prototypes and shared our enthusiasm – that was a great feeling!
Jan Schenker
MSc ETH ME, CFD Simulations and Structural Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
This depends a lot on the current project and tasks I am working on. I could be running simulations, analysing results, doing design work or thinking about new concepts. From time to time it also includes testing or manufacturing of parts in our own workshop.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I studied mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich and then worked in Formula 1 as an aerodynamicist.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
Getting my hands on the first prototypes of the bicycle wheels that I have been working on. It is nice to see how an idea evolves into a product with all the work that went into it from running simulations to optimising the shape, testing in the wind tunnel to designing tools and jigs for manufacturing.
Mario Tischhauser
Head of Prototyping Lab
What does a typical working day look like for you?
As I’m responsible for the workshop, the first thing I do is take a look at what there is to do – and most of the time this is a lot. Then I start, for example, sanding parts, filling, sanding again, cleaning and then I apply spray filler. Or I trim parts with the Dremel and rasp. Time flies and suddenly it’s already late afternoon!
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I have already worked in very many different areas and am a real all-rounder. After my apprenticeship as a forester, I completed a second apprenticeship as a wood sculptor. After that, I made a living as an artist for a while. During this time, I worked for a 3D factory to deepen my knowledge of digital production.
What motivates you?
Firstly, I want to get better and better as a craftsman. That takes a lot of practice. Secondly, I study archaeology at the University of Zurich alongside my work. I always want to continue my own education!
What do you like to do in your free time?
At the moment I am doing an anatomy course for artists. Otherwise, I read a lot about sculpture and prehistoric life. I need the rest of my free time to study archaeology, which is also one of my hobbies.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
My favourite tool is the rasp. You can work quickly and precisely with it. But the best thing is that there are so many different rasp shapes.
Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration when I look out into the world. As a curious person full of drive, I am rarely bored. There are always new challenges to master.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
The introduction to the use of our great coffee machine 🙂
Juan Ignacio Navarro Mañes
MSc RWTH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
It involves three main ingredients, namely: some interaction with my colleagues, some concept development and some testing. This workflow works best for me to produce innovative ideas.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I have moved around quite a bit. Upon completion of a Bachelor and a Master degree in mechanical engineering in my hometown (Valencia) I moved to Germany where I did a second Master in product development at the RWTH. Thereafter I worked for a year in the electronics industry for an American company in the Netherlands. Finally, I worked at Thömus, a Swiss bicycle brand in Bern, before moving to Zurich to join RADIATE.
What motivates you?
I really like bringing new ideas to life. Furthermore, the satisfaction is even greater if I notice other people appreciating in the same way something that I have put work on.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Sports such as climbing, mountain biking or pingpong; listening to music and trying to play some with my guitar; cooking and eating; hiking and camping; riding my motorcycle; playing chess; traveling to discover new places – the list goes on and on. Luckily it feels like there is always something enjoyable to do.
What is your favourite design/engineering object or tool?
CAD software. It is both powerful and fun.
Where do you find inspiration?
In nature. Natural selection is in a way a long-term testing process and the ideas that prevail are worth paying attention to. In the words of Richard P. Feynman “…nature’s imagination far surpasses our own…”
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
With Ayna, our company dog here at the office. It would be very relaxing to have such a simple life for a while.
Timothy Habermacher
MSc ETH ME, Mechanical Engineering
What does a typical working day look like for you?
I like to start in the morning by planning my day — I need this to get self-organized. During the day, I work on projects for our customers as well as on other tasks as part of the management. Having both is very important for me. It is like flying at different altitudes. My perspectives & challenges change constantly, which makes my day interesting.
What motivates you?
The freedom to innovate and work with people. I find this in projects for our customers, but also in the development and implementation of structures and processes within RADIATE. What motivates me is when I have the space to follow-up thoughts that are greater than the “now”. What also motivates me is that I am part of a great team – this is definitely the case at RADIATE.
What do you like to do in your free time?
A lot of time of my free time I spend with my wife and with friends. I like to be in nature, love hiking, especially in the mountains, and spend nights outside. I started to like arts such as concerts and visuals. Likewise, I do read — often about topics and opinions which I would not agree to, but it lets me challenge my assumptions and lets me rethink.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
Simplification. I believe that the notion of “reduction of complexity” is at the core of many improvements. Ironically, sometimes the road to simplification is more complex. But the art is to see the result—which is simple. I also like my TI-82.
Where do you find inspiration?
Definitely in nature. Ideas come to my mind by daydreaming — typically during walks in solitude. Sometimes also during concerts, where thoughts can wander all around.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
Maybe not for half a year, but for a short moment in time it would be great to switch roles with one of our customers and to see in his eyes how it is to work with RADIATE. I do think that the capacity of putting oneself in another person’s place can be very helpful for self-reflection.
What has been the most exciting moment at RADIATE for you so far?
There have been many exciting moments! Most of them are certain milestones. Possibly the most exciting milestone in the past few years was when I got my hands on the first and brand new Silverton SL wheels in a factory in Taiwan. It was a long journey to arrive at the point when the design was completed and infrastructure was set up to start manufacturing.
Lucio Bürgisser
Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education in Product Design,
Product Design & CAD Modeling
What does a typical working day look like for you?
I am glad there is no standard day. In addition to the stable pillars of a daily routine such as food intake and output, physical and mental exercise each day varies and brings new challenges.
What is your background before you started working at RADIATE?
I found my way into mechanical engineering, where I started as a design engineer and continued as a project manager. The last few years I studied industrial design part-time to combine technical and formal elements.
What do you like to do in your free time?
There is usually the challenge to reconcile all activities and hobbies. Whether it’s almost any kind of sport, a cozy dinner in good company or just enjoying nature.
What is your favorite design/engineering object or tool?
There are quite a few. I particularly admire the timeless objects that have endured for several decades, such as the Eames Side Chair, the peeler (*Sparschäler*) or the Victorinox pocket knife.
Where do you find inspiration?
During sports, in the lake or in the mountains, on the bike, in the pub next door, under the shower… Anywhere where body, mind and soul are energized.
With whom would you like to switch roles for half a year?
Half a year is a very long role swap. I am happy the way it is, I would rather keep my own role 🙂