who we are and how we work
Planbureau is a Budapest-based design studio with two decades of experience across products, spaces and visual communication.
Our work is interdisciplinary by nature, ranging from furniture, everyday objects and souvenirs to interiors, exhibitions, interactive installations and stage design.
Over the years, we have learned that challenging conditions are often part of the design process. Tight deadlines, limited budgets and incomplete briefs require clear thinking, fast decisions and practical experience.
our studio
For us, the studio and the workshop belong together. We do not stop at drawings and visualisations. We build models, test materials and make prototypes to understand as early as possible what works, what does not and what needs to change.
Digital design and physical experimentation develop alongside one another. 3D printing, CNC machining and prototypes in wood, metal and plastic are all part of our process. Form, material, structure and manufacturability are considered together throughout development.
Our team brings together product designers, architects, an art historian and curator, graphic designers, mechanical engineers and IT specialists.
Many ideas can be developed and tested directly in our own workshop. When a project requires additional expertise, we work with a trusted network of specialists, engineers and manufacturers built over the past two decades. This network extends our in-house capabilities across different materials, technologies, production methods and project scales.
OUR APPROACH
UNDERSTAND & Explore
Every project begins with understanding the problem, the people involved, the context and the conditions within which the solution has to work.
We believe in moving quickly at the beginning. Initial sketches, questions and design directions often emerge within the first hours of a project. This early phase remains deliberately open. We test assumptions, compare directions and identify the elements that are worth developing further before the project becomes more defined.
TANGIBLE Ideas
Budget, technology, production methods and timeframe are considered from the beginning. Hands-on experience with fabrication and implementation helps us judge where an idea needs refinement, simplification or a different technical approach.
Sketches are followed by models and prototypes. We prefer to test an object, detail or spatial situation physically whenever possible, particularly when form, scale, ergonomics, assembly or material behaviour are difficult to evaluate on screen.
DESIGN TOWARDS REALITY
Feasibility is part of the design process from the first sketch.
Materials, structure, production technology, cost and manufacturability are considered throughout development rather than treated as separate technical questions at the end.
Our projects have involved furniture, steel structures, injection-moulded products, custom concrete and glass elements, exhibition systems, interiors and architectural environments. Each requires a different balance between design intent, engineering, production and budget.
Development continues through technical detailing, prototyping, coordination and implementation until the design is ready to be manufactured, built or installed.
Scale does not determine whether a project interests us.
We work on objects that fit in the palm of a hand, environments that occupy entire buildings and many things in between.
Some assignments can be completed within a few days. Others develop over several years and involve large teams, complex production processes and significant budgets.
We are interested in projects where there is a real problem to solve and enough room for design to influence the outcome.
cLIENTS
We work with international companies, cultural institutions, museums, brands, organisations and startups. Some collaborations continue for many years and across several projects. Others begin with a single, clearly defined problem.
Our role can range from an early concept or focused design assignment to the development and coordination of a complete product, exhibition, interior or communication system.
aWARDS
Planbureau projects have received both local and global design awards and professional recognition. Our work has been presented in museums, exhibitions, international design events and design stores, and through collaborations with brands, institutions and manufacturers.