Later you were responsible for around 70 employees as Head of Technology at typolitho ag – right in the midst of technological change. What was your biggest challenge?
typolitho ag was one of the first companies in Switzerland to combine typography and lithography before the introduction of the polygrapher apprenticeship. At the same time, there was a fundamental change in the working methodology when interdisciplinary teams replaced traditional departments. The biggest challenge was team building. This restructuring required numerous further training courses – and most importantly the intrinsic motivation of the employees to constantly develop themselves.
Digitisation and change processes have been a constant throughout your entire career. How has that changed your work?
Digitisation has created new business areas around printing, especially in the field of crossmedia. As a result, portfolios have been expanded to include agency services. One of the first projects I was able to deliver in this area was with a major sanitaryware manufacturer – including a website overhaul and interactive elements. Here, text, image and design expertise had to be brought together. At the same time, customers' expectations in terms of quality have increased. In this phase, I was able to work with Ugra on accreditations, certifications and standards for the printing industry.
Standardisation was also a focus during your time as Head of Education and Project Manager for Technology. Why are standards so central for you?
Customer satisfaction comes first – it is the foundation for long-term collaboration and reputation. Standardised processes allow us to reproduce results. This is particularly important in logo printing, where achieving colour values not just once, but consistently and precisely over time is crucial. International standards would be desirable – a process of harmonising the standards is currently underway, with Europe currently shaping the landscape of norms in particular.
You have also developed innovative training concepts. What makes good further training in a technical environment?
A prerequisite is always personal interest. I still consider on-the-job training to be the most effective form of learning. I also taught myself a lot of things. Mistakes are part of the process – you learn from them and develop new solutions. I also place a strong emphasis on group work as it promotes interdisciplinarity and simulates real team processes.
As a lecturer you teach sustainability and quality. What role does sustainability play in media production today?
A very large one. In view of the climate crisis and the scarcity of resources, sustainability aspects must be taken into account in all areas. In the printing industry, this mainly means: streamlining processes, saving energy and reducing how much material we use. A process that has been optimised according to the Process Standard Offset (PSO) not only saves time, but also ink and electricity – in some cases up to a third of energy consumption. Offset printing can be used sustainably, as long as we handle resources consciously and responsibly. Printing inks and solvents also offer a great deal of potential. And last but not least, buildings, working environments and infrastructures play an important role in the overall balance.
You worked with Hannes Zaugg to initiate the CAS Crossmedia Manager. What was the vision behind this?
The value creation steps before and after printing are often underestimated – such as web applications, digital channels or image editing. For too long, thinking has been confined to isolated disciplines. This is where the cross-media manager needs to start: at the interface between automation and profitability. It's about understanding communication planning, knowledge of modern media techniques and practical experience in cost-conscious action. We wanted to present the customer with new options through cross-media projects before the famous PDF bar.
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