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Made by Partdirector in Matosinhos, Portugal, 2026

Modem Design Cases

Modem

MODEM — Office for Design and Innovation — is a Zurich-based studio operating at the intersection of research, technology, and design. Functioning as a hybrid between a think tank and design practice, MODEM explores how emerging technologies shape future environments and user experiences. Led by a multidisciplinary team, the studio collaborates with global partners including On, Google DeepMind, and Harvard GSD. Notable projects span retail innovation and human–machine collaboration. By merging speculative research with tangible outcomes, MODEM defines new strategies for growth and transformation across digital and physical spaces.

https://modemworks.com/

Amsterdam, Netherlands

50 Cases

Known for:interviewai designmotion designspeculative designopen-sourcetechnology

eemailmodem.works

Cases

Unknown Client
Speculative Product Design For Memory Enhancement Device
Conceptual, Futuristic, Immersive, Reflective, Speculative, Technological

Design Case - Modem design work cover image

Unknown Client
Research And Vision For Ai-enhanced Learning
Conceptual, Educational, Futuristic, Philosophical, Playful, Speculative

Design Case - Modem design work cover image

Unknown Client
Design Research For Future Scenarios 3
Collaborative, Conceptual, Experimental, Futuristic, Interdisciplinary, Speculative

Design Case - Modem design work cover image

Unknown Client
Editorial Exploration Of Algorithmic Bias In Artificial Intelligence
Analytical, Conceptual, Critical, Inclusive, Reflective, Technological

Unknown Client
Speculative Interface Design For Connected Homes
Adaptive, Ambient, Contextual, Minimalist, Sensorial, Speculative

Air Company
Future Material Study For Air Company

News & interviews

Take five with POV Budapest: OpenAI on why human craft still matters
The Brand Identity · Dec 2, 2025 · Interview
The Brand Identity interviews OpenAI Design Directors Shannon Jager and Cary Hudson following their talk at POV Budapest 2025. They discuss OpenAI’s recent rebrand, created in collaboration with Dinamo and Studio Dumbar, and explore how human craft remains vital in an age of AI-generated design. The conversation highlights the balance between technology and human creativity in shaping approachable, emotionally resonant design systems.
POV BudapestOpenAIDinamoOpenAIbranding
On treats technology as texture in its Movement Labs retail space
The Brand Identity · Nov 20, 2025
The article details how Tomorrow Bureau and Modem collaborated with Swiss sportswear brand On to create the Movement Labs retail installation in Zurich. The project integrates digital storytelling into physical architecture through a sculptural table with embedded screens and reflective materials, embodying On’s philosophy of technology as texture. The work merges motion design, custom hardware, and minimalist aesthetics to communicate On’s product innovation in an immersive, tactile way.
Tomorrow Bureau ModemStudio DialectOnenvironmental

Clients

European Commission

Google DeepMind

Map Project Office

Morgan Catalina

Mouthwash Studio

Nike House of Innovation Paris

Pablo Castillo Luna

Tech Stack

Technologies detected on Modem's website.

WordPressplatform

Google Analytics 4analytics

Mailchimpforms_email

jQueryother

Environment, Innovation, Material, Structure, Technology, Yarn

Air Company - Modem design work cover image

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"Modem Design Studio Sets 2030 Expiry to Foster Risk-Taking"

The Brand Identity · Oct 3, 2025 · Interview

The Brand Identity interviews Modem co-founder Astin le Clercq about the studio’s unique decision to operate with an expiry date set for 2030. Le Clercq discusses Modem’s hybrid model blending a think tank and design studio, its decentralised network of collaborators, and its open-source product ventures like Dream Recorder. The conversation explores how temporality, research, and collaboration shape Modem’s experimental approach to design and technology.

ModemOpenAIGooglebranding

Modem Dream Recorder Turns Dreams Into AI-Generated Visuals

It's Nice That · Jun 25, 2025

The article profiles Modem Works’ conceptual product Dream Recorder, a bedside device that visualises users’ dreams through generative AI imagery. Developed in collaboration with artist Alexis Jamet, the project blends tactile product design and lo-fi aesthetics to create surreal, dreamlike visuals. The design emphasizes ambient computing principles and a softer, more human approach to technology.

Modem Worksdigital

Sanne van den Elzen

SPACE10 + Barbican

Teenage Engineering

The Infinite Surround