Jens Martin Skibsted

Jens Martin Skibsted – Life, Career & Design Philosophy

Dive into the life and work of Jens Martin Skibsted — the Danish designer, entrepreneur, and author famed for Biomega, KiBiSi, and visionary mobility design. Explore his biography, achievements, design thinking, and guiding quotes.

Introduction

Jens Martin Skibsted (born June 28, 1970) is a prominent Danish designer, strategist, and author whose work spans industrial design, urban mobility, and design philosophy. He is best known as a co-founder of Biomega (designer bicycles), the design collective KiBiSi, and as a partner in the strategic design firm Manyone (formerly Strategic Design Group). Skibsted’s influence extends beyond objects: he is a voice in discussions of future cities, sustainable mobility, and how design can shape systemic change.

His career bridges creative entrepreneurship, thinking at scale, and design activism. In a world facing climate, urbanization, and social challenges, Skibsted stands out as a figure asking not just what to design, but why — and for whom.

Early Life and Family

Jens Martin Skibsted was born in Sønderborg, Denmark on June 28, 1970.

Because of this, his upbringing took on a transnational dimension: he spent part of his youth in Francophone countries, including a year in Paris, which exposed him early to international culture and perspectives. AV-ART, an art association in Copenhagen combining gallery, record label, and event space — a space for poetry, experimental music, and visual art.

These early experiences — loss, mobility, exposure to multiple languages and cultures, and a grassroots art mindset — likely shaped the worldview from which his later design philosophy would grow.

Youth, Education, and Intellectual Formation

Skibsted’s educational trajectory is notably interdisciplinary — blending film, philosophy, and management, rather than following a single “design school” path.

In 1994, he graduated from École supérieure d’études cinématographiques (ESEC) in Paris, where he studied film.
He then returned to Copenhagen and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Copenhagen, finishing in 1998.
In 2000, he completed a program in Project Management at the University of California, Berkeley.
Later, he also studied Cross Media Communication at Copenhagen University (2011).

This mix of film, philosophy, communication, and project management gave him a broad lens: not only about form, but about narrative, systems, human meaning, and execution.

During his university years, he also remained active in cultural and editorial work (e.g. with the AV-ART initiative, editing magazines) — bridging the practical, conceptual, and expressive sides of creative practice.

Career and Achievements

Founding Biomega & Bicycle Design

In 1998, Skibsted co-founded Biomega with former classmate Elias Grove Nielsen.

His designs for Biomega have won numerous awards, and several of the company’s models (e.g. the Puma bicycle) are part of permanent museum collections such as MoMA (New York), SFMOMA, Le CNAP, and Design Museum Denmark.

Examples of Biomega designs (and their accolades) include:

Biomega NYC — awarded the Good Design Award in vehicle/mobility categories.
Biomega OKO — recognized by Good Design Awards, Iconic Awards, Danish Design Awards, nominated for Beazley Design of the Year.
PUMA bike — placed in the MoMA collection.

These works established Skibsted’s reputation as a designer capable of merging utility, visual appeal, and concept.

Skibsted Ideation, Actics, Ogojiii, and Strategic Design

Beyond Biomega, Skibsted has been a serial founder and thinker, building platforms and ventures that combine design, agency, philosophy, and culture:

Skibsted Ideation — his own design studio/consultancy, focused on strategy, product design, and creative direction.
Actics (founded in 2005) — a project linking ethics with online/social actions.
Ogojiii Magazine (founded 2015) — a printed design magazine launched in Johannesburg, South Africa.
KiBiSi (founded in 2009) — a design collective in Copenhagen, co-founded with Bjarke Ingels (architect) and Lars Holme Larsen (designer). KiBiSi blends architecture, product, and industrial design, producing furniture, electronics, transport, and cultural artifacts.
Manyone (formerly Strategic Design Group) — a strategy-design hybrid agency rooted in systemic thinking. Skibsted is a global partner.

Over time, his focus expanded from individual product design to broader strategic and systemic challenges: urban mobility, future cities, sustainable systems, and the role of design at scale.

Board, Think Tanks, and Influence

Skibsted’s influence extends into leadership and thought roles:

Chair of the Danish Design Council (2014–2018)
Vice-chair / leader roles in World Economic Forum’s design & innovation and entrepreneurship councils
Member of Global Future Councils (Cities, Urbanization, Mobility) at the WEF
Frequent lecturer, contributor to media (Huffington Post, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company) on design, innovation, and future thinking.

His leadership roles allow him to promote design literacy, ethical design, and systemic thinking beyond individual artifacts.

Awards & Recognition

Skibsted’s career has been honored with many awards and institutional acknowledgments:

Inclusion in the I.D. Forty (emerging designers list)
Multiple Good Design Awards, iF Design Awards, Wallpaper Design Awards
Design of the Year 2019 for HAV dinner set (KiBiSi / Royal Copenhagen)
His works being placed in permanent collections (MoMA, Le CNAP, SFMOMA, Danish Design Museum)

These honors affirm both the aesthetic and conceptual weight of his designs.

Historical & Cultural Context

Skibsted’s trajectory emerges at the intersection of several macro trends:

Scandinavian design tradition — the Nordic model emphasizes utility, minimalism, human scale, and social value. Skibsted builds on that lineage but pushes its frontiers.
Urbanization and mobility crises — his career aligns with growing challenges in city planning, congestion, sustainability, and climate change. He positions design not as adornment, but as an essential actor in resolving systemic urban issues.
Design thinking and interdisciplinarity — over the last few decades, design has migrated from object-making to systems, experience, and strategy. Skibsted is both product designer and design strategist, embodying that shift.
Global dialogues and design diplomacy — as a Danish designer operating internationally, and participating in think tanks like WEF, he is part of the movement that sees designers as cultural agents in global governance, not just craft creators.

His life thus mirrors how design’s purview expanded over the late 20th / early 21st centuries — from making things to shaping meaning, systems, and futures.

Personality, Thinking & Design Philosophy

From public statements and his body of work, several traits and convictions stand out:

Design as meaning, not decoration
Skibsted often argues that a good design must carry conceptual weight: it should tell a story, address a problem, and evoke emotion. In his studio, he frames design as “the world’s most effective marketing and systemic tool.”
Sustainability and responsibility
His focus on mobility, urban systems, and future cities signals a belief that designers should engage with ecological and societal challenges — not just ornament.
Cross-disciplinary curiosity
His educational and professional path — film, philosophy, design, strategy — shows a hunger for multiple modes of thinking, and refusal to be siloed.
Iterative, speculative thinking
Many of his projects push into conceptual or speculative territory (e.g. Aeroslider, hypothetical elevated transport). He does not shy away from risk or “what if” design futures.
Collaboration and networks
His co-founding of collectives (KiBiSi), partnerships, involvement in think tanks, editorial projects, and strategic alliances show that he values collective intelligence and networks over lone genius.

This personality yields work that is both visionary and grounded — rooted in real mechanical, cultural, and human constraints, but pushing toward alternative possibilities.

Selected Works and Iconic Designs

Here are some notable works and projects by Jens Martin Skibsted:

Project / Design	Description / Significance
Biomega bicycles	Designer urban bikes combining aesthetics and utility; iconic models include Puma, NYC, OKO	KiBiSi studio works	Furniture, electronics, transport — leveraging the synergy of architecture (BIG), industrial (Kilo), and Skibsted’s design philosophy	Aeroslider	A speculative elevated train concept, reflecting his interest in larger mobility infrastructure beyond bikes.	HAV dinner set	A KiBiSi / Royal Copenhagen design which won Design of the Year in 2019.	Ogojiii Magazine	A design and culture magazine launched in South Africa; part of his interest in culture, editorial, and cross-continental dialogue. These works show both breadth (objects, mobility, editorial) and ambition (museum inclusion, speculative infrastructure). Famous Quotes & Insights While less known for pithy quotes, several statements by Skibsted reveal his thinking: “We think of design as the world’s most effective marketing and systemic tool.” “A new product should ideally somehow transcend ordinary product and service types.” From his writing and interviews, he often stresses that design is not merely form, but identity, narrative, and value — that it must create exceptional value, not just utility. In media contributions, he often reflects on the ethical responsibilities of designers, the pitfalls of mere trend-chasing, and the need for long-term thinking in design systems. Lessons from Jens Martin Skibsted’s Life & Work The arc of Skibsted’s career offers many lessons — for designers, entrepreneurs, and thinkers alike: Start with questions, not answers Because he studied philosophy and film, Skibsted begins from curiosity: why do things function as they do, who do they serve, what could be otherwise — rather than starting purely from form or market trends. Design at different scales He moves fluidly from a bicycle to city systems to editorial ventures — reminding us that good designers should learn to scale their thinking from detail to ecosystem. Courage to be speculative He doesn’t just design what exists; he designs toward futures. Concepts like Aeroslider show willingness to play with possibility, not just what is “safe.” Integration of strategy & creativity Through Manyone and his consultative work, Skibsted shows that design and strategy are not separate — that designers can and should partake in vision, business, systems, and meaning. Sustain your ethical compass In an age where design is often commodified or shallow, he insists on design with responsibility — to people, places, and future generations. For creatives, entrepreneurs, or systemic thinkers, his path encourages bridging imagination and execution, depth and agility, idealism and rigor. Conclusion Jens Martin Skibsted is not merely a “designer of nice objects.” He is a design thinker, a systems provocateur, and a cultural entrepreneur whose work challenges how we move, live, and imagine. His trajectory — from AV-ART in Copenhagen to Biomega to KiBiSi to design strategy at scale — reflects how design’s boundaries expanded over recent decades. In a time of climate crisis, urban congestion, and social fragmentation, Skibsted’s emphasis on mobility, systemic responsibility, and design ethics is deeply relevant. For those seeking to understand design’s future, his life and work offer both a mirror and a compass — showing that design can be beautiful and consequential. Articles by the author Design is a powerful factor in communication between disciplines and stakeholders and can transform knowledge into creative, human-oriented solutions that can promote companies' and countries' competitive ability and foster innovation and growth. Jens Martin Skibsted Leisure activities such as contemplation, going for a stroll or a bike ride boost our overall health, wellbeing, and creativity. Jens Martin Skibsted ImportantQuote - Love, Motivational & Life Quotes Daily. Discover the internet’s most-loved quotes: love, motivational, life, friendship, funny, and more. Curated collections with authors, topics, and daily updates Popular Topics Poetry Quotes Truth Quotes War Quotes Positive Quotes Women Quotes Popular Authors Henry Ford Robert Frost John Piper Albert Einstein Bill Gates About us Contact Blog About us © Inspirational ImportantQuote - Love, Motivational & Life Quotes Daily Home Topics Topics Age Quotes Alone Quotes Quotes of the day Authors Blogs

Project / Design

Description / Significance

Biomega bicycles

Designer urban bikes combining aesthetics and utility; iconic models include Puma, NYC, OKO

KiBiSi studio works

Furniture, electronics, transport — leveraging the synergy of architecture (BIG), industrial (Kilo), and Skibsted’s design philosophy

Aeroslider

A speculative elevated train concept, reflecting his interest in larger mobility infrastructure beyond bikes.

HAV dinner set

A KiBiSi / Royal Copenhagen design which won Design of the Year in 2019.

Ogojiii Magazine

A design and culture magazine launched in South Africa; part of his interest in culture, editorial, and cross-continental dialogue.

These works show both breadth (objects, mobility, editorial) and ambition (museum inclusion, speculative infrastructure).

Famous Quotes & Insights

While less known for pithy quotes, several statements by Skibsted reveal his thinking:

“We think of design as the world’s most effective marketing and systemic tool.” “A new product should ideally somehow transcend ordinary product and service types.”

From his writing and interviews, he often stresses that design is not merely form, but identity, narrative, and value — that it must create exceptional value, not just utility.

In media contributions, he often reflects on the ethical responsibilities of designers, the pitfalls of mere trend-chasing, and the need for long-term thinking in design systems.

Lessons from Jens Martin Skibsted’s Life & Work

The arc of Skibsted’s career offers many lessons — for designers, entrepreneurs, and thinkers alike:

Start with questions, not answers
Because he studied philosophy and film, Skibsted begins from curiosity: why do things function as they do, who do they serve, what could be otherwise — rather than starting purely from form or market trends.
Design at different scales
He moves fluidly from a bicycle to city systems to editorial ventures — reminding us that good designers should learn to scale their thinking from detail to ecosystem.
Courage to be speculative
He doesn’t just design what exists; he designs toward futures. Concepts like Aeroslider show willingness to play with possibility, not just what is “safe.”
Integration of strategy & creativity
Through Manyone and his consultative work, Skibsted shows that design and strategy are not separate — that designers can and should partake in vision, business, systems, and meaning.
Sustain your ethical compass
In an age where design is often commodified or shallow, he insists on design with responsibility — to people, places, and future generations.

For creatives, entrepreneurs, or systemic thinkers, his path encourages bridging imagination and execution, depth and agility, idealism and rigor.

Conclusion

Jens Martin Skibsted is not merely a “designer of nice objects.” He is a design thinker, a systems provocateur, and a cultural entrepreneur whose work challenges how we move, live, and imagine. His trajectory — from AV-ART in Copenhagen to Biomega to KiBiSi to design strategy at scale — reflects how design’s boundaries expanded over recent decades.

In a time of climate crisis, urban congestion, and social fragmentation, Skibsted’s emphasis on mobility, systemic responsibility, and design ethics is deeply relevant. For those seeking to understand design’s future, his life and work offer both a mirror and a compass — showing that design can be beautiful and consequential.

Articles by the author

Design is a powerful factor in communication between disciplines and stakeholders and can transform knowledge into creative, human-oriented solutions that can promote companies' and countries' competitive ability and foster innovation and growth.

Jens Martin Skibsted

Leisure activities such as contemplation, going for a stroll or a bike ride boost our overall health, wellbeing, and creativity.

Jens Martin Skibsted