C100

posted by Emily Gosling March 23, 2021

It takes a smart design agency to be able to seamlessly transition from designing for Amnesty International to tackling projects for luxury brands like Calvin Klein and Prada, or pieces that feel, perhaps, less than sexy for telecom brands.

C100 Studio in Munich has created great work for all of these and more, with other names gracing its client list including Absolut Vodka, BMW, Levi’s, Nudie and Vans. C100 bills itself as a creative/art direction and consultancy practice specialising in visual identities for brands and publications, image creation and design, working across all platforms for international institutions focusing on culture, fashion, sports and the arts.

The studio was founded back in 2003 by Christian Hundertmark, who still heads up the studio; bringing in creatives specialising in various artistic disciplines from across Europe and beyond, depending on the project.

Just five years after the studio began, it was the star of one of the Design & Designers book series from French publishing house Pyramyd, published in 2008. C100’s work has since been featured in numerous other publications, including Novum, Los Logos, X-Ray Magazine, Best of Disc Art, Musikraphics and more. Hundertmark himself has has authored the street art books The Art of Rebellion I, II, III and VI, which has now sold more than 90,000 copies.

This hints at his life outside of the design world: Hundertmark also works as what he terms an “urban contemporary artist”, with his work shown in both group and solo shows around around the world, from New York to Berlin, Vienna and London. Since 2016, he’s worked with his former graffiti buddy Patrick Hartl, “who is a calligraffiti ambassador,” under the collaborative title LAYER CAKE. Together, the pair paint canvases, paint murals and put on art shows that offer a little variety to the route design day job stuff.

Alongside its client commissions C100 also works on a number of different collaborative projects, such as skate and arts publication A Bigger Park. Existing as an online magazine covering art, design, music, surfing, skateboarding, BMX bikes and more; the publication also puts out some cute little Riso prints, t-shrits and other ephemera.

Hundertmark has said that his motivation for working in design is because he “always wanted to create. Working as a designer/artist helped me getting closer to that aim.” He adds, “Have fun and don’t take design too seriously—most of the time we are not saving the world!”