Get in Touch
open conversations and ideas
for creative growth
for creative growth
originating from and founded in germany since 2003 under the name gondor design culture. we are a creative agency established in shanghai since 2021, specializing in brand strategy, art direction, and design production for all platforms.
we are proud to have a diverse range of clients who trust us to provide them with exceptional services. our portfolio includes renowned brands such as → audi, vw, ikea germany, nike, converse asia, vans, bosideng, staedtler, and many others. we have also had the privilege of working with cities like berlin, shanghai, bordeaux, and even the european union (oecd).
what brings you here?
who we are?
sk
salma khaled
text & conceptualisation
has been working in visual communication for nine years, focusing on advancing design research and questioning design thinking. fields include digitization, urban planning, blockchain, artificial intelligence. teaches at th nürnberg, germany, fh salzburg, austria, and central academy of arts in china. co-founded shanghai urban design society consultancy usdc in 2017, "hundred best arabic posters 100/100" in cairo in 2016. since 2015, works at gondor design culture.
dg
darius gondor
ceo & design
expert in human-centered design & ai integration, curator of numerous exhibitions, and guest professor at universities worldwide. since 1995, he has been expanding the fields of design theory, international brand communication, typography, and poster design. lecturer since 2001 with a focus on "the future of civil transformation". recipient of many design awards in german-speaking countries. master of advanced studies in design culture. zhdk, switzerland.
- areas of expertise:
- ‣ contemporary corporate design
- ‣ design thinking
- ‣ urban communication
- ‣ guest lecturer at the 中央美术学院 central academy of fine arts, china
- ‣ guest professor at xiamen university
ca
carlos avalos
automotive & product design
with 8 years in the automotive industry, specializing in automotive design and perceived quality. based in shanghai for nearly five years, he's contributed to developing and preparing various vehicles for production for companies like tesla, nio, and byd, and worked on prototypes for events like auto shows. his focus is on improving and simplifying products, challenging the status quo to create more accessible and functional products for users.
xxc
xiuxiu chen
spatial designer
MA degree in AAIS, Architectural Association. Specializing in spatial design and performance, centers her focus on the nuanced interaction between human behavior and space. With a foundation in interprofessional research, she has collaborated across visual arts, performing arts, and media practices. Her portfolio encompasses the design of various spaces, including exhibitions, retail stores, restaurants, housing, offices, etc.
kg
kino gau
architecture & digital product
kg blends digital product innovation with spatial storytelling, working across architecture, web experiences, and the exhibition industry. she transforms challenges at the intersection of the physical and digital into opportunities for engagement, clarity, and connection—crafting solutions that are useful, usable, and fun. her past collaborations include audi, byd, shanghai design week, shui on land, and a range of emerging startups.
bh
ben hauk
data & algorithm engineering
keynote & panel speaker, university lecturer on ai & data analytics, cbdo at tecxipio, technology & board advisor. co-founder, gǔ 鼓, smart data solutions institute shanghai. initiated, negotiated and closed complex business deals with clients like netflix, disney, blackrock, cbs, nbcuniversal, sony, hbo, amc, a+e, starz, sky, livenation, amazon, hulu, iflix, warner bros, village roadshow pictures, ernst & young, omd, and the mpaa. international keynote & panel speaker on artificial intelligence and big data for fortune500 companies and governments. lecturer in information technology and subject matter expert at carnegie mellon university, pittsburgh.
nsm
nicolas santa maria
photographer
nicolas santa maria, a photographer from santiago, chile, has worked in chile and shanghai since 2005. he specializes in cityscapes, architecture, and food portraits globally. additionally, he's skilled in commercial food, travel, and documentary photography. his work has been showcased in several galleries and museums worldwide, including ctdo art gallery, buenos aires, mac, santiago, and modulor art gallery, castro.
mt
matthias tratz
data analysis & design theorie
is a visual designer and design researcher. he has been awarded and published nationally and internationally. currently, he is working on visual rhetorics and how to combine this with current techniques of artificial intelligence. his research focuses on visual design and machine learning / deep learning. his lectures include design research and artificial intelligence (2019), mobility as user-experience and public transport on rivers (2018), design – theory and practice: discourse, applied research, machine learning (2017), and visual rhetoric (2016).
kw
wera kunz
is an artist and designer based in frankfurt am main. she studied art history at the goethe university, frankfurt am main and fine arts at the academy of art and design offenbach am main / hfg offenbach am main, graduation, diploma. 2011 - 2012 she was a co-founder of the music project "jax". in 2015 she founded the design studio "rainstudio". she is team member of "space for visual research" a workshop and laboratory for experimental research in cooperation with prof. markus weisbeck at summer academy hangzhou, china, at pati korea and at y-festival macau. she was co-curator of the exhibition "space for visual research" art space dalian, china and artist forum tehran, iran. her main focus is presently on conceptual design at the studio surface.
mw
markus weisbek
a graphic designer and professor in frankfurt am main and weimar, he founded the design studio surface in 2000. he has lectured, participated in international conferences, and taught globally. since 2011, he has been a professor of graphic design at the bauhaus in weimar. he serves on design juries and writes for publications like the frankfurter allgemeine zeitung.
in 2013, he founded "the space for visual research" at the bauhaus university weimar, a workshop for experimental research in graphic design. through collaboration, curatorial projects, and publications, he developed a unique practice. in 2013, he curated exhibitions in marburg, milan, and berlin. his design projects include work for the museum of modern art frankfurt am main, the forsythe company, luma arles, and many others.
friendly collaboration and knowledge exchange with prof markus weisbeck (bauhaus university weimar) and wera kunz.