Creating and Preserving Brand Heritage

Various corporate museums throughout Florence and Milan - June

Richard Ginori, Piaggio & Salvatore Ferragamo

Kartell & Alessi

A corporate museum is a type of institution that combines elements of a profit-making organization with a traditional museum, giving the public a glance into the past, present and future of a company. We've visited several corporate museums on this trip, each one taking a different approach in exhibiting the evolution of the products, people and organization of the company.

An excerpt from LAGO APPARTAMENTO - A Living Showroom

This is an excerpt from a book about LAGO's Appartamento concept. The book covers the story behind the appartamento concept and some short dialogues and reflections tangential to this idea. The book is currently floating around, so if you are interested in reading more from it, come find me, it might be in my hands. Anyway, I've copied an interesting section regarding a dialogue with Marco Bettiol (VIU) about the future and changes in the design world. Enjoy!

 

Re-inventing Made in Italy Dialogue with Marco Bettiol

               With the appartamento, LAGO presented a highly innovative project and comment on the new values of design. In the Appartamento we organized a series of seminars, where we addressed the various elements that seemed to us to be the important factors for design – now and in the future.

                During these seminars a number of interesting issues emerged regarding the evolution of design. A particularly interesting one was the conceptualisation of design in terms of it being a sense-making activity. We must now move from designing objects to designing meanings, because the new values of design are not about producing more and more objects (the world is already overflowing with them) but instead to produce meanings and to focus more on the immaterial side of the product. We believe that design has to be more about making sense of the world around us and to provide and create the new services and strategies that are really needed. Also of course products, but those products will be directly related to meanings.

Fratelli Barbini (Video)

Fratelli Barbini - Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011



- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Nason Moretti (Video)

Nason Moretti - Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011







- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Gallino Ferro (Video)

Gallino Ferro - Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011





- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Murano - Community of glass specialists

Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

Murano is an island of Venice where many small glass companies are located. Many of these companies specialize in certain types of glass products. For example, stores which sells ornamental glass lighting, decorative mirrors and glass kitchenware can be easily found all over the Murano.

The Changing Future of Murano Island

Nason Moretti, Murano Venezia - Friday June 17th

Murano Island has built it’s heritage on glass, waking before the sun and sleeping when the kilns are retired for the evening. It is a quiet place that draws tourists from Venice for day trips to this quint, crafty island. I was lucky enough to personally experience this wonderful art of glass blowing and fell in love with the charm of the sleepy streets of Murano, but what role does a one industry region play in an increasingly globalized world?

NasonMoretti

NasonMoretti, Murano Venice - Friday June 17th, 2011

On June 17th, we were fortunate enough to visit the NasonMoretti factory in Murano. They have been producing beautiful glassworks since 1925 and are constantly researching new techniques to produce innovative, unique products.

Reflections of Murano

Fratelli Barbini Glass Mirror Company, Murano, Venice - Friday, June 17th, 2011

A detailed corner view of a completed mirror.

While on Murano Island in Venice, we visited a company called Fratelli Barbini, which manufactures ornate mirrors in the Ventian traditional style. Fratelli Barbini has aways been a small family company, and can trace it's traditions back to the 17th century when Girolamo Barbini created beautiful mirrors for the royal palace in Versailles.

One of the most interesting parts of our visit to Murano was learning all of the techniques and processes used to make these beautiful creations. Below is a step-by-step guide on how traditiona Venetian mirrors are made.

Fabrica (Video)

Fabrica, Venice - Wedsday, June 15th, 2011












- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Foscarini - Innovation and Collaboration

Foscarini, Venice - Wedsday, June 15th, 2011

Allegro and Allegretto, 2007 - by Atellier Oi

Foscarini is an innovative lighting company which started out as a small company doing contract lighting in small series using Murano glass. They do not produce any of their own products anymore, which they see as their biggest strength, since it allows them to be flexible and design for the initial idea/concept instead of changing the design to fit the material.

Breaking Tradition

Foscarini Headquaters, Venice - Wednesday, June 15th

Foscarini started off as a traditional contract-based glass blowing company. The transition of the company to turn away from just solely glass occurred after receiving several “problematic” design proposals of lights that could be done in glass, but not in a way which would be cost effective or practical.

Foscarini - Company Philosophy

Foscarini, Venice - Wedsday, June 15th, 2011

Many Italian design companies have strong company philosophies that encompasses their values and beliefs. Holding true to their words, Foscarini is a prime example of the benefits of gaining and maintaining their strong brand identity through dedication and devotion of their mission. Take a look at the short clip above to find out the way they approach design.

- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Keyword: Tradition

The Production System of the Lago Factory

Lago factory, Venice - Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

The Lago manufactory is serious business. They take heavy consideration of the processes as well as the environment in which their employees work in to maximum quality and efficiency - that is, they take both a micro and macro approach. Unlike many common factories built with concrete, the Lago factory is constructed completely with wood and a lot of glass windows, allowing natural sunlight to fill the factory. The company strongly believes that, "a nice environment has a reflection on the product." I completely agree with this, as experience tells me a person's emotions can greatly influence the quality of their work.

Bisazza (Video)

Bisazza Showroom, Venice - Tuesday, June 14th 2011





- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Lago's Production Evolution

Lago Studios, Venice - Tuesday, June 14th

Top view of Lago's manufacturing facility

What started as a small Italian furniture company producing basic wooden furniture in dark colours, Lago, which has only recently become a publicly listed company in 2006, has exhibited enormous growth.

Lago: Adapting Manufacturing Systems

At Lago, we were given a tour of its factory by Diego Paccagnella, Lago’s art director. Throughout the tour, he made it clear that design is not only apparent in its products, but also in the production process. They practice a system called lean production which is strictly followed in all areas of the plant. Manufacturing and distribution processes are reorganized in order to maximize efficiency.

A separate ‘lean office’ houses four employees whose focus is solely on developing this practice. Different sectors are orchestrated to work together so that flow is optimized. Although their regime is closely followed, it is still considered flexible because they implement changes for the more efficiency. The design of lean production is constantly monitored; each station is videotaped and work ethics are analyzed after.

Here are some examples of what they've done: 

FASHION FROM FLOOR TO CEILING

Bisazza, Venice - Tuesday, June 14th, 2011


On June 14th we visited the luxury glass mosaic company, Bisazza. They opened in 1956 in northern Italy and today are known for their modern take on mosaics. The aim of Bisazza’s brand strategy is to express a unique style that interprets the classic in a modern way and combines fashion and design. To me, this close connection to fashion was one of the most interesting things about the company. In their main lobby they had posters from one particular campaign that really caught my attention.

LAGO Appartamento Project

Lago has established an interesting marketing strategy to promote their company identity and products. In 2009 they introduced a pilot project to create a living showroom showcased at the Milan Design Week. Lago completely furnished an apartment with their products. Realizing their concept of living and working in one social space with visitors, employees and journalists, all interacting within an enclosed environment. The project was a success and they continue to expanding on this concept. Currently, with several apartments located in Europe and at each location, a different tenant occupies the apartment.

Investing in Young Designers

Lago Studio, Venice - Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 & Fabrice, Venice - Wednesday June 15th, 2011

 

The library and outdoor terrace at Fabrica - places to get the creative juices flowing.

Throughout our Grand Tour of Italian design, many of us have noticed that a good portion of this country's designers are from an older generation. Many of the studios and offices we visited were well established and widely known firms. We began asking, "Where are the young designers in Italy?" Our visits to Lago and Fabrica not only answered our question, it also left us with a satisfied feeling that as young designers, we have chances of creative freedom before setting out into the working world.