After studying in Wiesbaden, Helmut Ness founded the design firm Fuenfwerken with his two partners, focusing on corporate design. In the context of digital transformation, 5W specializes in brand strategy, brand design, brand experience, and brand innovation. In 2000, Helmut changed his center of life to Berlin and focused on the development of the now established capital office of the transformed Fuenfwerken Design AG.
Helmut originally began his career as a type designer, typographer and corporate designer. This resulted in typefaces such as the corporate and information typeface Vialog (Linotype/Monotype), which is used today as a typeface by the Munich public transportation company, the Spanish railroad Renfe, and the New Jersey Transport Authority, among others, as well as in the English lettering for highway signage in Japan.
The topics he has focused on over the past 25 years as a designer, consultant and entrepreneur are holistic CX, service design, UX, brand strategy, design, communication, and implementation. His focused areas of practice are mobility, health, B2B to B2C, and since the birth of his three children, education.
He also conveys his passion for looking for opportunities and continuing to learn with each individual process in order to contribute something new as a coach at the School of Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI D-School).
Helmut Ness is a board member of the IDZ and a UX Ambassador for the UX Design Awards.