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The FormBar is a creative studio based in Zurich, Switzerland. It's a bar in the sense that it's a counter for all design-related topics and more. Furniture, products, graphic design, brand experience, the web, motion graphics, coding, or your next project. Whether our talk results in a collaboration, a valuable opinion or some good laughs, the bar had a successful day already.
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Collaborations
Portrait


Est. 2018
The FormBar is run by me. My name is Frank Frick, I was born in 1992. I'm an object designer, digital designer and creative coder based in Zurich, Switzerland. A creative and maker in both the physical and digital space.
I design for the smile. The smile when you have fun using a product, when you appreciate how much easier a design makes your life, when you realize the cleverness of a solution, or when you notice the small details that show someone cared.
Starting my career by creating digital products, I was soon drawn to material objects that take direct part in our lives. The world of surfaces, of sensation, of light and shadow. Whether I create objects or experiences, I always want to create something people love to use.
I am part of the collective PAKD, a strong network of partners for digital projects.
Expertise
Object and Product Design: An object or a product is made up of materials, pieces, colors, overall shape, comfort, intended use, construction, manufacturing process, disposal. All of which need to be considered and carefully designed to make the result work well. In a dialog we sketch, review and take the right decisions. Step by step getting closer to a – at the beginning unknown or vague – outcome. Results: Furniture, bags, accessories, appliances, industrial design, sketches, construction plans, renderings
Spatial and Interior Design: A room or a space by itself is lifeless. That's why I carefully choose and create objects to fill it with and with as much care position them wisely. To give it character and make it better fulfill its purpose. Apart from its contents, the appearance of the space itself can be considered. How it's divided, what materials its surfaces are consisting of, the lighting. Results: Shop interior, event space, catering outfitting, office division
Interaction, UI and UX Design: The way a product looks is not the only way you can convey your brand and your values. The manner in which it behaves and reacts – the way it feels – have at least the same impact on the impression they leave on you. Just like with humans it shows the character. It makes you want to use it more, or not. By intentionally designing how we interact with computers, apps, websites, installations, people, even with a brand, we can create a fruitful relationship and just as important a fun time. Results: UX prototypes, ecommerce, websites, app concepts, information architecture, user flows, exhibition installation, forms, brand-customer relationship
Graphic Design and Branding: By carefully choosing how content is laid out, we can steer a viewer's attention to digest your content in as fun a way possible. With fitting typography, colors, visual elements, imagery I support your message and give it the tone it needs to successfully resonate with the audience. Apart from delivering what you have to say we can strengthen your identity. Or even redefine your identity to match your current values and mentality. We find a visual language that speaks more than words. Results: Styleguide, website design, portfolio design, microsites, printed brochures and flyers, branding, logo, advertisement, printed & digital business cards
Motion Design and Animation: Similar to how something interacts with you, the way it moves and looks over time communicate more than we consciously realize. It defines its character but can also enhance the experience by making clearer what is happening. It can transition fluidly from one state to another without abrupt jumps. The motion guides the viewer and makes information more entertaining to consume. And it's just so cool, given the right easing. Results: UI animation, motion graphics, web animation, interactive animations, 3D experiences, micro animations, social media content
Creative and Web Development. Through writing code I can tackle a situation from a different angle. Unexpected discoveries are bound to occur when you go from the abstract imagination to the hands-on trying it out. Randomizing values can give a design endless variety. I'm fluent in the web's languages, which offer new and surprising possibilities every day. Results: Interactive animations, randomized animations, websites, microsites, real prototypes, algorithmically generated graphics, accessibility, seo, content management system, webshop, interactive 3D experiences
Motivation
Our lives are surrounded and shaped by objects invented by humankind. Often even more so than objects occurring in nature. Whether it's tools, devices, furniture, vehicles, landscapes, buildings. I want to do my part to make lives simple and joyful. I create objects, that help and delight. I love adding character through playful details, maybe only discovered at second sight. I want to create products that are essential, that last and are worth and possible to repair. Current material sourcing, the production process, distribution and a product's end-of-life should happen in harmony with the future of nature and life. I want to encourage local work, local products. Finding the right materials, aesthetics and manufacturing process is my passion.
The digital world – the web – connects us all. It enables knowledge sharing, communication and collaboration. I want to embrace this open nature. Bring people, institutions, companies closer together. By creating clean, vivid and fun experiences. I want them to not merely be marketing tools or distractions, but rather purposeful experiences that make people wiser and happier. Even though we sometimes separate the digital from the physical world, they are not. Every digital product uses real resources, is stored in a place, and uses lifetime to be experienced.
Contact
Notebook

I immensely enjoy working independently. The direct contact with clients, working by your own values and the flexibility it allows. The downside is, you also have to find work by yourself. I'm grateful of how it worked out so far, still at the moment there is a phase of low workload. Which is not ideal, but allowed me to go to Barcelona and visit my friend and industrial designer Reto Schneller. Currently discovering the city and working remotely from his office the other half of the day. What a hospitality, thank you.

After a longer work break last year due to a difficult personal situation, I started picking up my independent design business again in January. By accident I walked past this shared atelier office and asked if they have space for one more creative. Luckily they did and I'm so happy to have such a nice work place now and even better to share it with amazing company. Merci Fabian Stacoff and Onari Projects.

After loosing my dad to brain cancer, our farmhouse to selfish people and my sanity to their manipulations, I had to get away for a while. The question of where I belong now is constantly on my mind. I'm still looking for the answer but this small van is making the whole of Sardegna my home for now. Preparing it for this trip gave me new purpose.

What the photo doesn't show is the building to the right. It's home to the communications agency Agentur Koch. After starting to support them with web development, I've now been providing design services for the last six months. Apart from being a super cool team they also give me a new insight into the broader spectrum of communications work. Branding, Campaigns, Print, Film, Motion and more.

This trip is a long-held dream come true. The photo is a bit misleading though. I'm living and working on Bali for three months. So it's not all fun and games but the time before and after work definitely has some advantages over winter city life in Zurich. I am so grateful for the flexibility of my clients.

This street is rather well known, still here just a few floors up we discover the unknown. Possibilities for Brands, Interactions, Graphic Design, Technology. After some time working on my own it feels great to be part of a team again. That this team happens to be a group of good like-minded friends is icing on the cake. Cheers to Unknown Digital.