talk session at expo 2025: from the perspective of life-centered design

fritz frenkler, founder of f/p design, spoke on stage during a talk session hosted by azbil corporation. the session, titled “creating a well-balanced future lifestyle with automation,” explored the role and responsibility of design from an international perspective.

in his lecture, frenkler emphasized the importance of using the german term gestalten over the word “design,” which has been stripped of its true meaning. he explained that gestalten carries deeper social and ethical connotations, and warned that the essence and responsibility of design are blurred in today’s consumer society.

he stressed the need to consider both environmental concerns and social equity, as well as the importance of sensory perception as human beings. building on this, he proposed a shift toward “life-centered design”—a philosophy that embraces not only human needs but all forms of life and the earth itself. drawing from decades of experience and rich perspectives, he outlined the vision for the future of design.

in closing, frenkler referenced sanpō yoshi, the traditional japanese principle of “good for the seller, good for the buyer, and good for the society,” calling to reexamine how we approach business and design in today’s global context.

following the presentation, frenkler joined alongside fellow speakers mr. clarence chua (singapore economic development board, head of region japan and korea & svp business environment) and mr. akifumi yogo (ph d, prof., vice director, institute of laser engineering, the university of osaka) in the discussion on “a well-balanced future lifestyle”.

this talk session will be available at a later date on the official youtube channel of expo 2025.