The company from the Black Forest region was the first in the bathroom supply industry to bring in external product designers. Its collaboration with the young Hartmut Esslinger began back in the late 1960s. The founder of the international agency Frogdesign made an early career move when he began working with the Swabian firm. His very first design for the company, the compact three-phase shower head Tribel, made an immediate impact. It was the first head with a 360-degree swivel – an innovative concept that proved highly marketable and soon won design accolades for Hansgrohe. Since then, awards have mushroomed. Like its competitor Dornbracht, Hansgrohe has also made design an integral part of marketing and corporate

culture. Its products are divided into three different brands. Under the name Hansgrohe it sells solid, functional bathroom technology. Pharo stands for deluxe “shower temples” serving a new market for preinstalled shower units – a sector of the industry that Hansgrohe itself has defined. The company’s most design- centred brand is Axor, offering a whole series of “lifestyle lines”.