On Trust & The Quality of Understanding
How can creative direction become a trusted partnership that helps organisations clarify what they are truly trying to express?
Wöhner operates in a space where precision matters. With deep technical roots in electrical engineering and energy distribution, the challenge was not simply communicating complex technologies, but understanding the ambition behind them.
Through a long-term collaboration with the marketing team and CEO Philipp Steinberger, the work evolved across product launches, image direction, communication concepts and digital experiences — creating alignment between technical expertise and expression.
Roles
Creative Direction, Senior Creative Advisory, Image Direction and Photography for Wöhner, in collaboration with Whybrand, Berlin
The Relationship
The most valuable part of a long-term collaboration is often the understanding that develops over time.
Working with Wöhner as Creative Director and Senior Creative Advisor through Whybrand, the agency that has held and continues to hold the Wöhner account, meant becoming familiar not only with the products, but with the people, the engineering mindset and the ambition behind the organisation.
Over several years, the role evolved beyond individual projects into an ongoing creative partnership, helping translate complex ideas into communication that felt precise, relevant and true to the company.
"Creative work in such a technical company is harder than it might look. You need someone who can hold both sides, who understands the engineering ambition and can translate it into something that communicates with clarity.
What I found in working with Alex over these years is that he genuinely understood what we were trying to build. Not just what we briefed, but what we actually meant to say. And when something was not quite right he said so, which matters more than most people realise.
What also set this collaboration apart is his ability to genuinely connect across very different worlds, to have a conceptual conversation at C-level and then see him with factory workers get on in the same genuine way. That kind of presence is rare. That kind of creative partnership is something you build over time."
Philipp Steinberger, CEO, Wöhner
Key Work
One of the most visible projects was the launch of the MOTUS C14, a new electronic motor starter and a significant technical innovation for Wöhner.
The launch had to happen without a trade fair, relying entirely on digital communication. This required a different approach, one that could carry the weight of the product without the usual physical context.
The result was a coordinated system across multiple touchpoints, including a streaming platform, launch film, microsite and product communication. More important than the output itself was the clarity it created. The launch generated real momentum for a product the market had not seen before.
Visual Expression
For a company built around engineering, energy distribution and the future of an electric society, the visual language should communicate more than the products.
Photography has become a vital part of Wöhner’s brand expression, shaping how the company, its people and its technologies are perceived. Across leadership, product and industrial environments, my photographic work creates a consistent image world.
On Advisory
The most valuable part of this kind of work is difficult to show. It happens in human interactions, in conversations and the moments between decisions. Through trust, connection and the understanding that grows when working closely together over time. It means understanding more than the project at hand or the company itself. The people behind it, the ambitions they carry and the questions that sometimes sit beneath the surface. Being open enough to follow conversations beyond the immediate task, because those moments often reveal what the work actually needs.
Over time, this creates a different kind of role. Not a supplier, but a kind of presence people can rely on. Someone who helps keep the work aligned, the conversations honest and the relationship at the core.
Recognition
German Brand Award — Excellence in Brand Strategy and Creation, Brand Communication Print MOTUS C14, Wöhner (2023)
German Brand Award — Brand Innovation and Business Model, Brand Innovation of the Year MOTUS C14, Wöhner (2022)
German Design Award — Special Mention, Communication Design MOTUS C14, Wöhner (2022)
Roles
Senior Creative Advisor and Creative Director. Concept development, creative direction, image direction, photography and ongoing advisory via Whybrand
