Carlo Magnoli
Carlo Magnoli was born in 1960 and obtained his professional qualification at the Politecnico of design in Milano, specializing in Industrial Design. He cooperated for a period of 10 years with the Ambrogio Pozzi firm participating to significant projects for Rosenthal Guzzini and Zojirushi. In 1989 he established the MMG designing firm. Presently his activity is divided among various sectors with interventions connected with designing, communication and graphic design for companies like Whirlpool Europe, Missoni home collection, Timberland, Argo, Labello, Linel, Zepter International, Vorwerk Contempora, Loro Piana. For Felicerossi he’s with In 1999 he created a new division in charge of web and multimedia design.
Karim Rashid
Karim Rashid is one of the most prolific designers of his generation. Over 3000 designs in production, over 300 awards and working in over 35 countries attest to Karim’s legend of design. His award-winning designs include democratic objects such as the ubiquitous Garbo waste can and Oh Chair for Umbra, interiors such as the Morimoto restaurant, Philadelphia, and Semiramis hotel, Athens, and exhibitions for Deutsche Bank and Audi. Karim has collaborated with clients to create democratic design for Method and Dirt Devil, furniture for Artemide and Magis, brand identity for Citibank and Hyundai, high tech products for LaCie and Samsung, and luxury goods for Veuve Clicquot and Swarovski, to name a few. Karim’s work is featured in 20 permanent collections and he exhibits art in galleries worldwide. Karim is a perennial winner of the Red Dot award, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design award, I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review, IDSA Industrial Design Excellence award.
He holds honorary doctorates from the Ontario College of Art & Design and Corcoran College of Art & Design. Karim is a frequent guest lecturer at universities and conferences globally disseminating the importance of design in everyday life. Karim’s has been featured in magazine and books including Time, Financial Times, NY Times, Esquire, GQ and countless more. In 2009 Rizzoli released Karim’s latest monograph KarimSpace, featuring 36 of Karim’s interior architecture designs. Other books include Karim’s guide to living, ‘Design Your Self’ (Harper Collins, 2006), ‘Digipop’, a digital exploration of computer graphics (Taschen, 2005), compact portfolio published by Chronicle Books (2004), as well as two monographs titled ‘Evolution’ (Universe, 2004) and ‘I Want to Change the World’ (Rizzoli, 2001). In his spare time, Karim’s pluralism flirts with DJing, art, and fashion and is determined to creatively touch every aspect of our physical landscape.
Toshiyuki Kita
Began designing in Japan and Milano from 1969. Since then, Kita has designed many best-seller products from European and Japanese manufacturers worldwide. Many of his works are selected for permanent collections in world-famous museums such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York (MOMA), Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris), etc. He is also very active in revitalizing and promoting local Japanese traditional crafts and industries as well. He is the Director of the international trade fair for home and lifestyle renovation “LIVING & DESIGN” and proponent of Japanese lifestyle renovation, the “RENOVETTA” project. Professor, The Osaka University of Arts. In 2015, his invitational exhibition “Il Lusso Della Natura” was held at Chiesa San Domenico Church in ALBA. Multi-international awards include the 1990 “Delta de Oro (Gold Prize)” Award of Spain and the prize “Carrier Internazionale of Compasso d’Oro” of Italy in 2011. In 2016, he served as The International Jury of Compasso d’Oro, Italy. His recent publications include “Power of Design”, “Local Industry + Design”, “Venture for Design”, and many more.
Riccardo Giovanetti
He was born in Milan in 1967. He attended the Faculty of Architecture at the Milan Polytechnic where he graduated in Industrial Design in 1992. He began his career in the field of design by working as a designer for a number of new brands, which in those years appeared in the panorama of design production. Alongside these first experiences he was deeply involved in design research, borne out, among other things, by many different projects held in Italy and Japan. The new millennium signalled the start of a new phase, which saw a growing activity in the world of industrial design; testifying to this fact are collaborations with prestigious firms such as Azimut, Cassina, Fast, Flou, Fontana Arte, Leucos, Pallucco, SpHaus, Whirlpool.
He works also as design director for several international firms as Armstrong, Bayer, Forbo, Frati, Takett, Omnidecor. He designs temporary exhibitions for important museums and galleries as Triennale in Milano, Danish Design Centre in Copenhagen, Living Design Centre in Tokyo and Musée Des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. As architect he designs several important architectures and private interiors in France, Italy and Portugal. He has won several awards for his exemplary design works. Some of his design works have become a permanent feature in various exhibition hall. He’s visiting professor at ISAD – Istituto Superiore di Architettura e Design and SCP – Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan.
Marko Macura
Marko Macura was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in 1971. In 1981 he moved with his family to New York and in 1989 began his undergraduate studies at the “Rhode Island School of Design”. A year later, his education continued in Switzerland at the “Art Centre College of Design” (Europe). After graduating with honors in 1994, Marko joined Philips Design in Eindhoven, the Netherlands as a product designer working on themes of a diverse nature ranging from operational to visionary and strategic projects. In 2002, Marko established his studio, ‘Marko Macura Design’, in Eindhoven focusing primarily on creative design solutions for the furniture and lighting industries. He was commissioned and initiated projects and designs for clients such as Alcantara®, Antique Mirror, BRF, Chi-Ha Paura…?, Covo, Droog Design, Felicerossi, Lumas Editions Gallery, Metalspot, Reuge, Sputnik/IDEE and Virgin Atlantic Airways. In 2007 Marko was awarded the first prize from Alcantara Lab for the design Angolo done in collaboration with Ingeborg van Uden under the chairmanship of Giulio Cappellini. In 2010 Marko re-launched his studio as ‘Studio Macura’ a larger design office still maintaining its initial focus of design and creative solutions for the lighting, furniture and interior industries. Culturally diverse settings in which Marko lived during his formative and professional years enriched his views and sensibilities. The studio’s mission is to create designs and ideas, which are conceived and developed by a constant reflection on our behavior and lifestyles. A red thread of narrative and cultural inspiration, as well as wit and functionality rather than a formalistic style, characterizes the work. Studio Macura is committed to bringing to fruition and to the marketplace designs of enduring and refreshing quality. In addition to the commission projects, Marko co-founded the ‘Studio Macura Collection’ in 2010, a range of compelling objects and designs which are designed, produced and sold in the context of Studio Macura. Marko combines work at his studio along with the role of Creative Director at Philips Design.
Matali Crasset
Matali Crasset was born in 1965 in Chalons-en-Champagne. After graduating at the Ateliers ENSCI in 1991, she participated in the Milan Triennial, where she presented her project the Domestic Trilogy, in which three diffusers spreading warmth (murmur and intimacy), light (images and memories) and water (scents and swirls).
She then worked with Denis Santachiara in Milan on architecture and design projects as well as on exhibitions. On her return to Paris, she began working with Philippe Starck. She then worked for five years at Thomson Multimedia, where she became responsible for Tim Thom, Thomson’s design center. In 1998, she set up her own structure.
At the same time, she developed a reflexive attitude towards the notion of domestic rituals, involving the creation of objects and furniture for Aquamass, Authentics, Artemide, Comit Colbert, Cristal Saint Louis, Danese, Dolomite, Domeau & Prs, De Vecchi, D.I./M., Domodinamica, Dornbracht, Edra, Felice Rossi, Gandy Gallery, Grimaldi Forum, Herms, Hi Hotel, Lexon, Moeve, Orangina, PikaOne, Pitti Immagiine, Premire Vision, Tefal, Top Mouton, San Lorenzo, s.m.a.k., Tendence, Thomson multimedia, Who’s Nex and a project for a piece of urban furniture, called The Empathic Chair.
Marco Verrando
Architect since 1999. I mature in GTP. In 2001 I found UAU. I develop a more open point of view. I take my work across the world. I give life to POINT in 2011. I attend to every aspect of architectural projects, exhibitions and product design.
Skills: Architecture, product design, Interior design, Exhibitions design, Graphic design.
Davide Mercatali
Born in Milan in 1948, Davide Mercatali is an accomplished architect, designer, brand and event promoter, linked to the world of industrial production for the home and public spaces. Active in organizing design exhibitions and a firm promoter of everything that regards this world, he collaborates internationally with many bodies and associations.
The enthusiasm that characterizes Davide Mercatali has led him to work in the most varied industries, creating taps, sofas and armchairs, lamps, cutlery, fireplaces and home accessories.
Maarten Kusters
Was born in Stein, in The Netherlands in 1956. Has studied at the Academy of Industrial Design in Eindhoven and in the year 1983 he moved to Milano, where he earned a Master in Industrial design at the Domus Academy, his very first experience with Italian design, first as a student and later as a teacher. Together with his didactic activity, he carries on his designer activity creating products for well known Italian and foreign companies, among which Cassina, Edra, Omron, LG Electronics and Steel, a new brand – born in 1990 – that is promoting young international designers in the field of Italian furniture. At the end of the Nineties, he establishes the mk_designstudio firm in Milano, which ranges over different fields: from the design of furniture and electronics to the industrial and furniture design, from research to communication, to advertising. He has appeared in various publications, both on Italian magazines, Modo, Domus, Interni, and Ottagono, and on European magazines, DeTijd (The Netherlands) and extra-European ones (Japan).
Massimo Frasson
The designer Massimo Frasson’s intention with Tubby was to combine the concept of deformability with precise lines while making soft and comfortable furniture. Massimo Frasson graduated at the Istituto Universitario di Architettura of Venice and today he lives and works in Switzerland.
Davide Gelati (†)
Davide Gelati died prematurely a few years ago. Davide studied at the Faculty of Architecture in Milan. He came from the ‘province’, but he had already completed professional design studies and visited various environments through which he could look at ‘the world’ from a broader perspective.
It was his way of designing very special, which overshadowed both ‘linguistic’ and ‘functional’ references. As far as architecture is concerned, the starting point was usually the desire to create a new space that was as suitable as possible for the life that would be carried out in it.
Paolo Grasselli
Paolo Grasselli is an Italian designer who graduated from ISIA institute in Florence. He deals with industrial and interior design and runs his own studio. His creations have been shown at Deutsches Architektur Museum in Frankfurt and at Felissimo design house in New York and he was an award winner at GranDesign International Award and at Nagaoka Technopolis International Design Competition.
Paolo Grasselli has worked with many distinguished companies such as Tonelli, Saba, Alessi, Olivetti, and others – and since 2008 he has been the art director of Horus and Mirus. He is also a professor of Design at Università del Progetto.
Emmanuel Babled
Born in France 1967, studied at European Institute of Design (Milan) graduating with a diploma in 1989. In 1995 opened own studio – Studio Babled – in Milan, specializing in the development of industrial design products and objects in glass and crystal for companies such Baccarat Covo, Venini, and Rosenthal. Studio Babled also works as a consultant for both private and professional clients in product design, home accessories, graphics and art direction. As a glass designer Emmanuel Babled produces one-off and limited editions of design pieces, which have been shown in numerous exhibitions and events with both emerging and established designers: 1999 “Fusion” Milan, 2000 “Sputnik” Milan-New York, 2001 “Smash” Milan, New York, Paris London, Tokyo. Since 2001 he teaches design at Domus Academy, Milan Design Academy, Eindhoven, European Design Institute, Milano
Setsu e Shinobu Ito
Setsu Ito, graduated from Tsukuba University in Japan, began collaborating with leader of avant-garde italian design Alessandro Mendini at Studio Alchimia and master of modern design Angelo Mangiarotti. Shinobu Ito, graduated from Tama Art Unviersity in Tokyo, started her career for CBS Sony (Sony Music Entertainment) in Sony Creative Products and attained a Master Degree at Domus Academy, Milan.They opened their design studio in 1995 consulting for important international companies, and have received design awards such as: The Young & Design Award 1999″ (Italy), “The Good Design Award 2001” (Japan), “The Toyama Product Design Award 2001” (Japan), “ADI Design Index 2001, 2005” (Italy) and “Premio Compasso d’Oro 2011” (Italy). Some projects became permanent collection of “Triennale Design Museum”, Milan and “Die Neun Sammlung International Design Museum”, Munich. Their works were published in design books and magazines worldwide such as: biography “East-West Designer” (Italy 2008), International Design Year Book (Sterling 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007), The Eco-Design Handbook (Sterling 2002), New Furniture Design (2005 in the U.S., Britain, Germany), 1000 New Designs (Sterling 2006), European Design Since 1985 (2009), Plastic (Spain 2007), Process (British Issue Cover 2009), Wallpaper magazine cover (Italy November 2006) and Elle Deco cover (Italy April 2010, 20 years activity celebration). They are visiting professors for important design schools such as Domus Academy in Milan, Politecnico di Milano, IUAV University of Venice, IED Istituto Europeo di Design Milano, and Tsukuba University, and Tokyo University, and Tama Art University. Japan Fashion Color Association board member.
Adrian Peach
Approach and Method – a Clear Vision
The holistic, design-led consulting service I offer today builds upon a wealth of previous experience in diverse design-related fields. With a firm grounding in product design, including collaborations with Italian architect and designer Antonio Citterio and British architect David Chipperfield, the scope of my project work has broadened to include space design, brand consultancy, consumer insight, research, and teaching.
My approach is to establish a personal dialogue with clients and project partners to address their unique challenges, from the overall ‘vision and values’ of the project to detailed technical and practical problems. It is a process of questioning, methodic but also intuitive, that draws much inspiration from the pioneers of Italian design who combined imagination with economy and function in a way unrepeatable today. Their vision, their thirst for progress and their human touch are entirely relevant to tomorrow’s challenges.I work with partners to devise a more effective system for delivering long-term benefits to all stakeholders in the process. This means ensuring quality for the end-user as well as effective and sustainable processes of production and delivery. The resulting product/service package must do more than the job we ask of its – success depends on creating a deep emotional bond with the user.
Design is fundamentally a business tool, but increasingly designers are needing to grapple with thorny social and environmental problems emerging from today’s landscape of consumption, production, and digitalization. If we observe successful business models, we note that they tend to look beyond the short-term profit motive and align themselves with pressing social and cultural dilemmas, building an ideology around them. Consumers will search for cultural relevance in the vision and values of the brand before they buy into the product.
My job is to act as a cultural antenna, to focus on the user perspective and develop a clear, holistic, long-term strategy for the vision, the values, and the product.
Gianluca Macchi
Global Designer working on architecture, product and graphic design. Skills: branding and identity,architecture, graphic design, product design, food design, exhibition, interior design.
No Picnic
No Picnic is a Scandinavian Design Innovation Agency based in Stockholm, Sweden which specializes in product development and industrial design. The company was founded in 1993 and is today among Sweden’s three largest industrial design firms.
No Picnic works with some of the world’s most ambitious and inspiring global brands. Creating world-class design is no easy task. That’s why our wholehearted approach shapes everything we do. We won’t rest until our proposal is wholeheartedly right. In our guts, in our minds, and in our hearts.
Simon Quick
Since setting up in London as an independent designer in 2005, I have been working both on product development projects and private commissions for clients within the interiors sector.
Born in Edinburgh and graduating with a degree in Furniture Design from Loughborough College of Art and Design, I won an RSA Design Bursary in my final year, an award which included a work experience placement at Dartington Furniture in Devon.
Following design consultancy experience in the UK, a move to Italy and design studio work in Milan offered me an introduction into the European design scene. From there, I established myself firstly, as a model maker for architects and designers within the field before moving on to complete personal design projects for furniture manufacturers on the continent.
In a recent body of design work, reflecting the softening of the creative workplace, my activities have focused on the crossover between contract and domestic furniture where I believe the potential exists to develop new forms or even product typologies.
Francesco Mansueto
He tries to change perspectives, the perception of things, of spaces and shapes, realizing a mad, creative, unique, particular and different thought that puts man at the center more and more, its manual skills and its characteristic imperfections animate what they create.
G. Trezzi
Designer of Morris (by Newarch).
