GERMAN industrial designer Ute Kranz gave a presentation of the latest trends in ceramic design in town recently.

The 34-year-old senior industrial-designer for Keramag, a ceramic manufacturer for more than 100 years, is working to introduce the latest trends in European home decoration to the Chinese market.

Contrary to what most people believe, more and more women designers are working with bathtubs and toilet water tanks, perhaps because women are usually the decision makers in home decoration. “They choose the product and men pay,?joked Kranz.

Bathroom designing is no longer functionally restricted, but extends to additional features, making the space a place for relaxation. The design often focuses on creating a warm atmosphere, with coloured lights and water coming down from the ceiling like summer rain.

Like artists, Kranz finds inspiration from things around her. “The social trends are displayed in various fairs, fashion shows, and exhibitions,?she said. “You learn to read between the lines.? She defines her style as personal and her designs as minimalist. “You can have a shower cabin with hundreds of functions, but still look neat and simple,?she said.

By hiding the functions, the facilities offer comfort without showing it. “Like integrated heating in a bathtub. You don’t see it, but the water never gets cold,?said Kranz, who studied medical design and later ceramic design at the University of Practical Art in Vienna.

Always an art lover, she enjoys contemporary art and paints as a hobby. She has had strong passion for old cars since childhood. A red 356 Porsche from 1962 remains her favourite.

“Maybe these old cars with their special floating shapes and surfaces have led to my love of ceramics. It represents a very special material, true, natural, precious, soft in appearance but durable in life,?said the designer.