Habits change and so does the way of interpreting the new reality through products and communication.

Designing landscapes, real landscapes. In many cases this is the task of today’s designer, unlike years ago he is often called upon to act as a full-fledged art director. He has to deal with multiple aspects, not just the more technical ones.

This was discussed in the new episode of Icone Talks by Icone luce art director Giulio Cappellini and designer, architect and university professor Ilaria Marelli.

“To work on the company project at 360°, the designer is today called to work on the product and on communication. To do this, he has to know the company inside out, to know what it can do and what it cannot do, what is useful to do and what is not,” Cappellini explained.

Ilaria Marelli’s experience within major companies, such as Tivoli Audio, for example, is one related to a certain type of approach more than having her own personal style, which is always the same:

“I see myself as a consultant, I try to understand the company, which gives inside always tends to be a bit self-referential, with its history, its know-how and its routine. I try to understand how people move, what their habits are, and at the same time I try to bring to the companies what I see around me, the new consumption habits, the new social rituals, and to turn all that into a product, into a communication message,” Ilaria comments. Then there is the direct contact with production: “For me, however, it is always a big stimulus to see how things are produced in the factory.”

The modern role of the designer has also changed because of Covid, because people’s habits in life and work have been transformed.

“We have realized that we can live and work differently, there is a big change going on. For this reason, we designers have to try to think of more and more hybrid products, suitable for different contexts; in this direction, thanks to new technologies and materials we can give more facets to products,” Cappellini added.

Click here to watch the full episode of Icone Talks with Giulio Cappellini and Ilaria Marelli.