From young inventor to innovation partner for series production.

We help manufacturers of physical mass-produced products to identify hidden product problems and develop protectable, mass-producible product features from them — from the initial idea through design, engineering and prototyping to industrialization.

Gerig Design AG will turn 33 on August 1, 2026.

When I started out as a young inventor at the age of 23, there were no text messages, no emails, no websites, and no internet as we know it today. Patent research back then meant driving to the patent archive in Wil, St. Gallen, an underground archive containing millions of patents in paper form. You searched, leafed through, compared – and if you found something relevant, you could have individual patents copied. Looking back on it now, it's astonishing. The tools have completely changed. The speed, too. But the fundamental question remains the same: Where is there an unsolved problem – and how can a better solution be developed from it? I started out as a trained typographer and advertising designer, as well as a trained carpenter. My self-employment didn't begin with a grand business plan, but with curiosity, a knack for craftsmanship, and the desire to make things better. Wherever I lacked knowledge, I pursued further education. Over the years, various training courses and diplomas were added to my qualifications – always with the goal of offering better services, gaining a deeper understanding of technical relationships, and taking the perspectives of different stakeholders seriously. Today, Gerig Design AG develops new product features for manufacturers of physical mass-produced goods, from the initial idea to series production. We combine invention, design, engineering, prototyping, and industrialization. 33 years later, the core motivation remains the same: to observe closely, get to the bottom of things, and develop solutions that create real value for people, manufacturers, and markets. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has placed their trust in us and entrusted us with exciting challenges to find solutions. Thank you to all OEMs and suppliers for the close collaboration and for working together to solve what sometimes seemed impossible requirements. Thank you also to all my employees, freelancers, and the customer development teams for the trusting partnership. And a very special thank you to my family and friends for their unconditional support. I look forward every day to the current and upcoming tasks when it comes to products that make people's lives and work easier.

Kind regards from Switzerland

Thomas Gerig
Founder and CEO of Gerig Design AG
August 1, 2026