On meeting Eckart Wintzen

On February 18, 2008, we were invited for a personal session with Eckart Wintzen, the founder of BSO, to talk about the Panamorphosis Table. Sadly, today we heard that Eckart Wintzen died last friday, less then five weeks after our lively encounter.

The Ex’Tent workplace

I had contacted Eckart Wintzen after hearing his talk at the Dordtse Doeners in which he talked (metaphorically) about the coffee corner as the most innovative place in the workplace. I was there to present the Panamorphosis Table, which in our view can serve well as an informal virtual meeting space, extending the metaphoric coffee corner for innovation. Therefore I couldn’t resist contacting Eckart about this idea, especially in relation to his Eye Catcher. Also during his talk he asked the audience about the true inventor of TomTom’s navigation technology and of course I had to answer that one.

After some emails back and forth, Eckart invited us over at his Ex’tent Headquarters. We had a long and lively discussion on the differences and similarities of different systems and at one point Eckart put us behind his desk and ran out to do a real-live demonstration of his Eye Catcher system. Sitting behind his desk, in his wonderful office, I just had to shoot the picture above.

Now, just five weeks later, the news arrives of Eckart Wintzen’s untimely death. After loosing people I admire both close and farther away, this month is marked by many losses.