There’s this sauce, the recipe for which is known to very few, but it tastes good to everyone. Good design is the key to this puzzle; it’s an intangible quality that we can identify when we see it. Alberto Alessi, a pioneer and absolute innovation in the creation of home items produced through collaborations with industrial designers, is a major figure in achieving this unique mix.
This is not an easy road; in order to truly chart a course, one needs have a keen understanding of what is and is not attainable. I recently listened to Alberto Alessi’s Design Indaba conference on YouTube, where he gave a brief overview of the company’s history.
His knowledge of the events is so extensive that he bears a resemblance to a university historian, painstakingly outlining the background and rationale for each decision and candidly discussing both achievements and setbacks.
He discussed Richard Sapper, one of the greatest designers of all time and one of my favorite designers, during his address. Sapper is the creative force behind several of Alessi’s best-selling items, such the well-known 9091 Kettle, as many of you may already be aware. This kettle is unique in that it can produce a melodious sound instead of the typical loud whistle as the water boils. Even though there were sometimes problems—like the kettle not working—Alessi fixed this issue. The primary objective was to arouse feelings rather than just boil water.
Let’s examine the Cintura di Orione collection and their partnership with Richard Sapper. This range includes completely working items with an inside composed of stainless steel and an outside made of copper. Steel preserves the integrity of the food contact while copper guarantees uniform heat dispersion. The outcome, which combines excellent design with functionality, is nothing short of amazing.
The experience of utilizing a high-performing product that expertly blends the finest design elements is incomparable.
It’s like wearing Armani or driving a Ferrari: the perfect balance of premium materials and outstanding design to arouse real feelings. It is very challenging to locate this border, but it does exist. Both your eyes and marketing research are incapable of seeing it.
As Alberto Alessi said at Design Indaba in 2020, “you can only feel it […] using your intuition and of your sensibility accepting to take more big risks.”
As Mr. Alessi puts it, living on this edge is fundamentally focused on design. Relevant Italian businesses like Alessi, who select designers skilled at striking this fine balance, share this idea.
I will not get overly attached to Aldo Rossi or the heyday of Philippe Starck. Rather, I would like to draw attention to Marcel Wanders Studio, who, with their Circus design collection, are recent pioneers. Clowns, elephants, and red and white rhombuses are among the components in this circus-inspired collection.
During such advances, there is a great deal of risk of failure; a small error in shape or finish might instantly make the product look cheap and tacky. But this did not occur; everything was executed perfectly. Even if my primary appreciation for design is functional, there’s something about these things that draws me in, maybe because they feed a need that I can’t get by myself.
I felt driven to contact Alessi in order to learn more about this topic after putting my ideas down on writing. I wanted to investigate this idea from both an insider’s and an observer’s standpoint. Gloria Barcellini, the Assistant Metaproject, who sits next to Alberto Alessi and provides vital background, and I had a great talk.
A design borderline is purely conceptual in nature.
This line changes throughout time due to a variety of variables. Trial and error, experiences that define it, typically guided by design symbols who push the boundaries, are the best ways to determine its placement, even if it sometimes involves forecasting the times (and maybe failing).
Michele De Lucchi’s electric kettle Plissé is a modern example of exceeding these limits. De Lucchi changed people’s perceptions of a banal plastic object by turning it into a noteworthy kitchen tool. It is now more than just an inexpensive item from a megastore; it is beautiful and loving. Its deviation from the standard in electronic goods—no cheap plastic or streamlined designs—stands out as a sincere attempt to give character to a product that is generally disregarded.
The profound intellectual honesty that people who are sincerely passionate about what they do, whether it be cars or kitchen tools, bring to the conversation is one of the most pleasant things about talking to them. They make the difficult appear simple, and as a result of their commitment, excellent outcomes inevitably follow. Their dedication extends beyond offering a simple product; they give an emotion, a topic for conversation, and something to keep in mind.
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