Oliver Reichenstein
Oliver Reichenstein studied philosophy before becoming a designer. As founder of iA (Information Architects), with offices in Zurich and Tokyo, he works at the intersection of philosophy and design, connecting the dots and building bridges between both.
iA is known for its focused writing tools like iA Writer and iA Presenter. In 2024, iA launched Notebook, an award-winning paper product that helps you write with lines and read without them.
Talk: Madness and Imagination
We all have reason to get mad about how messed up things are around us. And so we do get upset about buggy apps, dysfunctional workplaces, and that ugly new building across the street. Only a tiny few are mad enough to do something about it and make things better. Most of the time, we calm ourselves by saying that we lack the time, money, skills, or power to improve things. “It’s not my job.” So we accept things as they are and do nothing. It takes courage to imagine what does not yet exist. It takes courage to risk failure, to keep going even if you may be ridiculed for daring to rage against the machine. It takes mad courage to keep going when you know that you may indeed just be crazy.
