AD Top100 Designer with International Recognition Leads Piccalio in Product Design
We’re thrilled to announce the appointment of Hanne Willmann as our first Chief of Product Design. Creating beautiful, functional children’s furniture requires not only an eye for style and design, but a deep understanding of safety and how children interact with their environment. Willmann meets all of these requirements and more, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to each piece she designs.
About Hanne Willmann, Chief of Product Design at Piccalio
Hanne Willmann is an award-winning German furniture designer based in Berlin, where she runs her design studio, Studio Hanne Willmann. Her internationally recognized work has earned distinctions including AD 100, Red Dot, German Design Award, NYCxDESIGN, Best of NeoCon and HiP Awards.
Having worked behind-the-scenes with us for nearly four years, Willmann now formally joins our leadership team to guide product design. “Piccalio is a children’s brand with the mindset of a design brand — and that’s what immediately resonated with me,” she said about stepping into her new role. “I feel very lucky that co-founders Aneta and Ali trust my design process and give me the freedom to shape the aesthetics, while I can rely on their deep knowledge of children’s furniture, safety and usability, as well as their strong sense of brand and art direction.”
Her debut product as Piccalio’s Chief of Product Design is the Arcc® Kids Table & Chair Set. This design-forward children’s table and chairs set was inspired by the quiet warmth of 1970s Scandinavian modernism. Like in all of Willmann’s Piccalio designs, she intentionally married style, function, and safety in the creation of Arcc®.
Willmann’s Unique Perspective on Furniture Design
In addition to being an award-winning furniture designer, Willmann’s international studies and work experiences have given her unique insights into furniture design.
Before settling and founding her design studio in Berlin, Willmann completed studies at the University of the Arts in Berlin and Elisava in Barcelona. Additionally, she worked at the Autoban design studio in Istanbul, which gave her a variety of influences and perspectives.
“My German background has certainly influenced my appreciation for precision, functionality, and honest materials. At the same time, studying in Barcelona opened me up to a different way of looking at design and culture. Working in Istanbul and later building my own studio in Berlin added yet another layer.
I think all of these experiences have made me interested in finding the balance between clarity and emotion — something that is functional and precise, but still has warmth and character,” Willmann said of her background.
How Willmann Considers Safety and Functionality in Children’s Furniture Design
Children’s furniture has important safety requirements when compared to adult furniture. Willmann’s approach is influenced not only by her training in design, but also by her experiences as a mother and Montessorian.
“With children’s furniture, you have to anticipate how a child might use a product — not only how you intended them to use it. They climb, pull, push, jump, and explore things in ways adults simply wouldn’t,” Willmann shared about how she considers safety in children’s furniture designs.
Safety is an important part of the design process from the start, especially as a designer in Europe where safety regulations are robust. Considerations like materials, stability, ergonomics, and potential risks must be integrated to achieve an optimal outcome. “The best solution is usually the one where safety and aesthetics are part of the same idea,” she noted.
Willmann: A Designer, Montessorian, and Mother
A mother of two boys, Willmann remarked that watching them has helped her understand how children interact with their surroundings. “They are constantly experimenting and finding uses for things that I would never have thought of. I don’t want to design that curiosity away,” she stated. That said, she also pointed out that all children are different and it’s important to consider each family’s unique needs and experiences when designing.
Willmann brings knowledge of the Montessori philosophy to her design philosophy as well. “What I really like about Montessori is the idea of giving children trust. Instead of designing everything around controlling what a child does, you create an environment that allows them to explore it independently and safely,” she explained.
Q&A with Hanne Willmann: Piccalio Chief of Product Design’s Philosophy and Creative Process, Explained
We are excited to share more about Hanne Willmann’s design philosophy and journey as a designer. Below, read our Q&A with Willmann.
Piccalio: Did you always want to study design?
Willmann: I was always someone who loved making and building things. As a child, I was very much into tinkering and figuring out how things worked. My father has a very technical background, while my mother has always had a strong connection to art and old furniture — she loved restoring pieces, and I often helped her.
Looking back, product design feels like a very natural combination of these two sides: understanding how something works, but also caring about how it feels and looks. That combination is what made me want to become a product designer.
Piccalio: When you start a new project, how do you find inspiration?
Willmann: When I start a project, I usually don’t begin with a finished form in mind. I collect impressions, make moodboards, sketch, experiment with materials, and build prototypes. The process is quite physical for me — I like to see and touch things rather than only work on a screen.
Piccalio: Can you tell us about your design philosophy?
Willmann: I would describe my design philosophy as a passion for simplicity. I’m interested in creating things that are clear and reduced, but never cold or boring. For me, simplicity is actually quite demanding because every detail becomes important.
I want a product to feel almost obvious when you see it — as if it couldn’t really be any other way. But behind that simplicity there is usually a lot of thinking, testing, and refinement.
I also see design as something collaborative. The initial idea may come from me, but a good product is always a combination of my vision, the team, the brand, the manufacturing possibilities, and the people who will eventually use it.
Piccalio: How do you design furniture to feel friendly and inviting for children, but also elegant?
Willmann: I don’t really believe that children’s furniture has to look like “children’s furniture”. Children deserve good design just as much as adults do. For me, it’s about finding a balance between functionality, proportions, materials, and details that make a piece inviting for children without making it feel childish.
I also think children are much more sensitive to design than we sometimes give them credit for. They respond to colour, shape, texture, and atmosphere — they don’t need everything to be loud or covered in obvious playful elements. A beautiful, well-designed piece can still feel magical to a child.
That’s what I try to achieve with Piccalio: furniture that belongs in a family home, rather than furniture that takes over a room simply because a child lives there.
Children’s Furniture Design at Piccalio
At Piccalio, we prioritize safety, aesthetics, sustainability, and ethical production, creating children’s furniture you can trust and that looks beautiful in your home.
This philosophy aligns perfectly with Willmann’s, who remarked, “I much prefer the idea that children’s furniture can be part of the home we all share. That is one of the things I really like about Piccalio. The pieces are designed with children in mind, but they are beautiful enough for the whole family.”
We are excited to bring Willmann’s expertise fully on board our leadership, working closely to create more kid forward pieces for families to love and cherish.
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