birgit lohmann steps down as designboom’s editor-in-chief

DESIGNBOOM co-FOUNDER BIRGIT LOHMANN STEPS DOWN

February 2nd, 2023 – Birgit Lohmann is stepping down as Designboom’s Editor-in-Chief.

She has been the co-Founder of the world’s first online magazine and at the creative helm of the publication since 1999. Over the years Birgit Lohmann has played a fundamental part in making the brand what it is today through her groundbreaking creativity and tireless dedication.

Born and raised in Hamburg, multilingual and multicultural, a designer with over 20 years working experience in the fields, before starting Designboom, Birgit Lohmann knew the rules, often to then break them and rewrite them slightly. 

As of today, Designboom is pleased to announce that Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou assumes the role of Editor-In-Chief. Sofia began her career at Designboom in 2018 and has worked closely with Birgit Lohmann over those five years. 

Birgit Lohmann says: ‘It has been an extraordinary journey for me, lasting over a quarter of a century. During this long period, Designboom has been my home, my family where I have dedicated love and passion. I wish to send my most sincere thanks to this extended family, to all the individuals who have looked after and supported Designboom. Without you all, none of what we have built would have been possible.’ Birgit Lohmann co-founded Designboom in 1999 

Birgit Lohmann says: ‘Designboom started as a design project with no legacy in the field of internet publishing. It was still a creative process, modeled on the modus operandi of a Renaissance Bottega or that of a Classic Couture Atelier. The innovation started from a deep knowledge of tradition.

I closely collaborated with Vico Magistretti and Achille Casiglioni, Bruno Munari and Enzo Mari, entrepreneur Maddalena De Padova and with several technicians and artisans. It has been fundamental for me. The ‘pass le baton’ and the limit that comes from this awareness gives you also the freedom to think about how to overcome certain things you don’t like. I’ve had the good fortune to meet my gurus and in a different way to continue their disruptive approaches – for an ever-stimulating creative community of international people – that’s you!’

Designboom co-founders Massimo Mini and Birgit Lohmann | image © Adriano Mauri

Birgit Lohmann continues: ‘Together with Massimo Mini, we started out a couple of months before Google and before any popular social media channel [like Facebook, where now 1.2M people follow us, and Twitter /1.2M and Instagram /3.9M].

Back in 1999, the internet was mainly text-based, from scientific forums to university researches. No publishing software [like wordpress] existed but we imagined Designboom already as a magazine [or fanzine], with big beautiful images to illustrate what matters. We were relatively young and unconventional [we still are]. We learned how to code and have designed Designboom’s appearance ourselves. The start of this challenge has been to ferry the knowledge of the great tradition of ‘project making’ to new and much broader audiences. Exiting the narrow niches and closed interested circles. The experiment worked on all fronts.

Savoir-faire is the foundation of a designer’s craft. A ground from which the creative process starts. And Humanism is an attitude of hope. The idea of humanism that fuels creativity. We were redefining common values and hoping for active participation, but also approaching extravagance and eccentricity, the incredible and the improbable. Evidence of complexity and heterogeneity. Designboom’s longevity might confirm the validity of its subject matter.

It seems strange today to say ‘we knew personally most of the big internet players that came by at that early time’. There was a quest for transparency, a friendly exchange of knowledge, and common goals. We influenced each other. To our surprise, Kickstarter’s co-founder Charles Adler told us once that without Designboom they would have not existed. We remember the gratefulness experienced by Airbnb founder Joe Gebbia [We invited the then young designer to travel with us around the world and to exhibit early works in our renown and very popular mart exhibitions. [The sofa sharing, ‘airbed and breakfast’ idea was born soon after, after many enthusiastic discussions].

We are most proud of our growing readers’ section. We have been able to offer to a lot of people greater autonomy, a concrete sign of a more horizontal distribution of contemporary culture. We asked for active participation, to inject impulses, and to gather that idea of fantasy and ​​freedom, of the possibility of the impossible [that is imprinted in all interesting things.]

In short, this will be our new course: For us, it is a natural evolution to step back from the many daily responsibilities. We wish to concentrate more on the readers platform, on certain special projects for Designboom and on an overall strategic planning. We will still accompany Designboom over the next years, but we also wish to have more time now for ourselves and family, for the many passions we cultivate.’

Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou

DESIGNBOOM’S NEW EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Designboom welcomes Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou as its new Editor-in-Chief. Sofia was raised in Thessaloniki, Greece, and after architectural studies and work experiences in London, Rotterdam and Amsterdam, she moved to Milan, where she began her career in Designboom.

Since 2018, Sofia has held positions of increasing responsibility, finally being appointed director. In her new role, Sofia will lead Designboom’s editorial calendar, overseeing the daily content production. DAAily CEO Stephan Bachmann extends his gratitude to Birgit Lohmann and congratulates Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou for her new role.

Stephan Bachmann, CEO of DAAily, comments: ‘Thank you Birgit for everything you have done and I am happy that you will keep supporting us in the future. Designboom continues to be the world’s leading online design destination, with almost 3.5 million readers a month — a worthy member, alongside Architonic and ArchDaily, of the DAAily platforms group of global A&D channels, whose clear mission is to inspire, connect and empower its global community of design professionals to create a better living environment.

I’d like to congratulate Designboom editor Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou on becoming the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief. I have no doubt that her deep understanding and appreciation for Designboom’s unique legacy will stand her in good stead as she leads the editorial team in writing the next chapter.’

Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou says: ‘It is an honor for me to take on the role as Editor-in-Chief of Designboom. I am proud to contribute my creative vision for the future of a magazine with such an extraordinary history. Together with a fantastic team, I look forward to bringing Designboom into the future while building upon the unique legacy of its founders. I would like to warmly thank Birgit Lohmann, Massimo Mini, Stephan Bachmann, and DAAily platforms for their trust.’

Birgit Lohmann says: ‘We have closely worked with Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou over five years, and from now on she will be working with the senior management to develop a vision that encompasses all of the magazine’s strategies.
We wish Sofia good luck and we have given ourselves the opportunity to continue our artistic journey with the mutual wish of further great success. Sofia Lekka Angelopoulou started in her new position yesterday.’

daaily platforms

In January 2022, Designboom, Architonic and ArchDaily joined forces to create DAAily platforms, the clear global market leader in premium architecture and design, while continuing to operate as separate and distinctively branded channels. DAAily platforms is the Neue Zürcher Zeitung‘s (NZZ) Media Group’s digital flagship.