Timothy Jacob Jensen

Life and career

Timothy Jacob Jensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was raised in Hejlskov (Central Jutland). He is the son of Danish designer Jacob Jensen and Patricia Ryan. In 1978, Jensen became an apprentice at his father’s (Jacob Jensen) studio. In 1982, he became chief designer of the Jacob Jensen Design studio. In 1985, he opened his own studio in Copenhagen called Voss Foerlev & Jensen. The studio closed in 1988, at which time Jensen started collaborating with various international designers including Ross Litell.

In 1985, he founded JACOB JENSEN™. The company designs lifestyle products including watches, clocks, jewellery, smoke alarms, telephones, kitchen products, and other products. In 1985, Jensen designed wristwatches The Classic series models 510 and 520, which were included at the design study collection in the Museum of Modern Art (New York City). In 1996, the wristwatches were also awarded “Watch of the Year.”

In 1990, he purchased the Jacob Jensen Design studio and became the company’s CEO and Chief designer. Jensen developed the Jacob Jensen Design studio internationally, collaborating with numerous major companies including ECCO (Danish shoe manufacturer), Gaggenau Hausgeräte, Bang & Olufsen, Haier, LG, Panasonic, Steinway Lyngdorf (Steinway and Sons), Toshiba, Vertu, Lufthansa, and Volvo. From 1991 to 1998, Jensen worked as Chief designer for Gaggenau Hausgeräte’s design programme, where he designed ceramic hobs, built-in ovens, extractor hoods, dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers. A number of these products received awards including the EB900 Built-in oven and CK494 Glass ceramic hob.

Jensen’s works have been featured is various museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (New York City), the Musée des Arts décoratifs, Strasbourg (Paris), the Danish Museum of Art and Design (now known as Danish Museum of Art & Design), the Museum für angewandte Kunst Frankfurt (Frankfurt), the Danish Watch Museum (Aarhus), Het Kleine Veenloo Museum (Veenendaal), Royal Library, Denmark (Copenhagen), Kalmar Konstmuseum (Kalmar), the Chicago Athenaeum (Chicago), Bauhaus Museum, Weimar (Berlin), Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (Copenhagen), Die Neue Sammlung (Munich), and others.

In 2011, Timothy Jacob Jensen was appointed as Master of the DeTao Masters Academy in Beijing. In 2012, he was appointed as Honorary professor at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (SIVA), China. Jensen was subsequently awarded the title of High-level Expert by the China Industrial Design Association (CIDA). He currently also serves as a lecturer at Universities, companies, and other institutions.

In 2011, Jensen founded his first subsidiary, the Jacob Jensen Design / DeTao Shanghai studio. The studio was created in collaboration with the DeTao Group at SIVA Campus in Shanghai. In 2014, the Jacob Jensen Design studio established its second subsidiary studio named Jacob Jensen Design / KMUTT Bangkok. The studio was founded in collaboration with King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi.

Jacob Jensen Design Studios

In 1990, Jensen became chief executive officer and chief designer of the Jacob Jensen Design studio, and expanded the company internationally. The studio focuses on design, and has branches in Denmark, China, and Thailand. In 2016, Jensen became the chief design officer of Jacob Jensen Design studios.

Design Style

Timothy Jacob Jensen developed his father’s design works, which involved the merging of the International style (architecture) and MAYA style. Jensen turned his father’s two-dimensional graphic works into three-dimensional designs, applying this to multiple major brands including Gaggenau, Vertu, Steinway Lyngdorf (Steinway & Sons), and JACOB JENSEN™. Jensen’s maxim is “Form follows feeling.”

Gaggenau Hausgeräte

From 1991 to 1998, Jensen was served as designer for Gaggenau Hausgeräte’s design programme. This comprised several ranges of products including ceramic hobs, built-in ovens, extractor hoods, dishwashers, washing machines, and tumble dryers. A number of these products received awards, primarily in Germany. These include the EB900 Built-in oven and CK494 Glass ceramic hob. In 1995, Gaggenau Hausgeräte was acquired by Bosch-Semiens Hausgeräte (BSH Hausgeräte).

Works

Timothy Jacob Jensen’s best known works include the Bang & Olufsen Beocenter 9000 (1986), Bang & Olufsen Beowatch (1993), Jabra JX10 Bluetooth headset (2005), Vertu Aerius Bluetooth headset (2006), Gaggenau EB900 Built-in oven (1993), Gaggenau CK494 Glass ceramic hob (1993), Rosti Mepal Victoria Bowl (2008), Steinway Lyngdorf Model D Music System (2007), Toshiba WL768 flat screen television (2010), Tommerup Kister Diamant 32 Coffin (2010), Lufthansa First Class Aminety Kit (2016), Danzka The Spirit (2016), Phicomm K3 Router (2017), Classic Watch (Model 510), JACOB JENSEN™ Strata Watch 270 and 280 (2014) , JACOB JENSEN™ Smoke Alarm (2001), Telephone T3, JACOB JENSEN™ Air Quality Monitor (2016), JACOB JENSEN™ Weather station series (1999), and others.

Awards