The great success of Youth Design Day 2018 in Japan for Switch on Your Creativity (5th Edition) at the Italian Institute of Culture in Osaka, allows us to appreciate and enhance with greater force the creative results obtained by our designers selected during Milan Design Week 2018.
Among all, a special mention should be given to Alessio de Stefano and his work “Filofono”.
Alessio, more than anyone else, managed to express and apply the concept of eco-sustainability to a design work. His idea was born from the intention of creating something that was aesthetically satisfying but with a romantic and vintage touch, and that could be useful at the same time to the modern and technological world of today.
His project is a mobile amplifier whose effectiveness has already been fully tested at the Italian Institute of Culture in Osaka, where it will continue to be on display until November 13th.
Conceived as a design tool that is not too invasive, its traditional wooden color contrast with modern dark and grey amplifiers, trying to visually represent the strong contrast between tradition and modernity with which it was conceived.
It deserves to be mentioned because the eco-sustainable sensibility, demonstrated by the use of wood as a material, and the aesthetic-artistic sensibility, demonstrated by the curvy shape, reach a perfect harmony when, together, they recall the great tradition of Italian craftsmanship.
However, in this case, tradition is not synonymous with backwardness. Despite being an object that, by the will of its creator, has an aesthetic touch aimed at recalling nostalgia and tradition, it is not fossilised in old-fashioned and old use, but rather looks to the future, trying to be useful for that age group that more than others is better able to live and express the violent changes that take place within our society, caused first of all by the rapid technological evolution.
An instrument suitable for youth and modern technology but that will be never unloaded. Being a natural amplifier, it does not require electricity, thus being further eco-sustainable. Filofono tries to demonstrate how useful it can be to return to the artisanal workforce and to discover new uses that materials considered no longer modern can still offer.
Tradition and Innovation are the values we want to exalt through Switch On Your Creativity and Alessio De Stefano has fully succeeded in developing them. We hope that Youth Design Day in Japan has given Alessio De Stefano and other young designers the tools and support needed to express their creativity in the field of Design.
The opening of #DesignAndPlanet exhibition in Osaka at Italian Institute of Culture represents great opportunity for us to introduce the official logo that will follow contents promoted through Switch on Your Creativity’s platform concerning design, in particular those projects that will introduce creative industry’s contents from Milan to the international scenario.
We are proud, after five editions mainly managed to collect and support projects in Europe, to develop a new communication tool that can identify and boost youth creativity in Asia starting from Japan, country that always recognised in Milan an important city for creative industry and in particular for contemporary arts and design.
The logo’s design represents two circles with open spaces that allow inter-actions between two dimensions, the creative and functional dimensions, because the perspective we want to follow is always something that allow contemporary society to get benefit from design and creativity side to improve concretely some aspects of daily life. The colours of course are the same of Switch on Your Creativity’s logo because #YDD is part of the platform we created to boost and promote youth creativity between Europe and Asia.
The presentation will take place today at Festival Tower in Nakanoshima at Spazio Arte managed by Italian Institute of Culture in Osaka during the opening of the exhibition we introduced from April to July through our digital channels (blogsite, social networks, webtv). #DesignAndPlanet, perspectives for sustainability promotes for the first time ever in Japan profiles of designers from Europe and Asia who joined last Milan design Week on april 2018 and it shows well detailed projects described on 18 panels and short movie subtitled in japanese. As we do every year we select also one important partnered centre among academies and universities to provide some joint- contents for our mission. For this edition we’ve chosen IED Istituto Europeo del Design (european design institute) that presented works of some students collected in specific sections of the exhibition.
The municipality of Osaka is Twinned City with Milan and candidate for being designated the city of the next World Expo 2025. For us this frame has an important meaning if we consider that Switch on your Creativity was born on 2013 as creative contest in behalf of promotion of Milan Expo 2015 that officially patronised two edition of our contest, including the second that has taken place during the year of EXPO in Milan.
Yesterday the project has been introduced in Japan to Osaka City Government directly to the Director for Business and International Promotion Economic Strategy Bureau at the presence also of representation of Comune di Milano (Milan City Government) and the director if Italian Institute of Culture. The meeting pointed out a preliminary cooperation’s schedule to develop Design as important content of our mutual agenda for the next year.
In the video below, you can find what some of the other Youth Design Day in Japan participants think about the Japanese market taste concerning sustainable design.
They explain us why and how their design can be appreciated by the Japanese consumer.
The question is “How can you see your project in the Japanese market?”. Here are the answers by Christian Carlino, Dario Ivone and Monir Kazemian, Xijing XU, Tian WU and Yue LIU , Alessandro Azzolini, Clementina Chiarini and Nicolò Cellina, Vincenzo Sorrentino, Sara Vignoli, Alastair Brook, Jack Lehane, I Putu Wiraguna.
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Last week, we presented the first three projects IED Turin selected from its Transportation Design course to partecipate to our contest The Youth Design Day in Japan. Now, let’s find out the other two participating projects!
The first of the two is that by Manuel Negri, 21 years old. It’s name is K-scrambler. Below some words from his author:
“K-scrambler is a zero-emission electric motorvehicle that has been conceived with the concept of sustainability in it. K-scrambler can be defined as a supporter of a particular innovation, in the social sphere, which foresees a change in the way of conceiving a motor vehicle, whose sole purpose is that of making fun, even in a hypothetical situation of city traffic. But it is in the dirt road and in the most remote places that its true captivating spirit is freed.
It is conceived when the problems of the planet become unsustainable, and one of these is the climate pollution caused by the emissions of diesel and petrol engines. It allows you to reach other unimaginable destinations to reach for such a segment and at the same time to preserve the surrounding environment.
It is developed to conceive it on a global level, and with the possibility of becoming part of a possible Japanese market, as it is linked to the concept of Keicar, a protagonist of the Japanese market between the 60s and 70s. The goal of this vehicle was to entertain the driver even in city traffic situations.”
Manuel NegriK-scrambler
The second of the two is by Tommaso Lorenzini, 22 years old. (U) Pilen is the name of his project. Let’s find out what he told us about his work:
“My concept comes from the idea of saving materials and industrial assembly processes. Inspired by the meccano, the frame is made up of panels that can be laser cut, which are fixed with 3 load-bearing pins and join; battery, motor, mechanical components and hull. The customization of the vehicle already in series, relaunches a lot the value and the concept of uniqueness, despite, this product is born from a minimal industrial process which wants to reduce the use of material and the number of processing steps.
I projected a vehicle that is dynamic even in its internal parts, in facts, I created a frame that is adaptable to the needs of consumer with small variations in the canvas. These variations are very simple to make thanks to the industrial influence in the design approach.
My vehicle id designed for young market, looking for an accessible entertainment. It is inspired by Meccano, a game of the past, with screws and bolts allowing to assemble various pieces of metal to create constructions. The pieces that formed these constructions were very light, and individually devoid of aesthetics.”
Tommaso Lorenzini(U)Pilen
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We asked the young and talented Youth Design Day in Japan participants how, in their opinion, Design can be part of the Planet’s safeguarding movement.
In the video below, you can find the answers they give us to the question “How can Design save the Planet?“
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As anticipated by an article published last week, IED Turin selected some of its students of the Transportation Design course, to participate to our contest The Youth Design Day in Japan, also due to the fact that the deep attention to Sustainability is a common element that join Switch On Your Creativity and the University in Turin. The projects they selected are 5, and in this article you are going to find out 3 of them. The other projects will be illustrated in the next one. Let’s start from the first project.
It is by Emanuele Tomassorri, 21 years old. It regards Honda Motorino, a vehicle prototype which tries to combine functionality and portability without overlooking the importance of Sustainability.
Here what its creator says about his project:
“Honda motorino was born from a modern interpretation of the vehicle from which it takes its inspiration, the Motocombo. Its purpose is to mix urban life together with the mobility of urban planning itself, an object that allows you to be guided or transported easily, depending on the user’s needs.
This project was born to overcome the problems of space, use and theft caused by vehicles in this segment, being an object that is easily transportable and very intuitive in its use.
It tries to avoid dead spots during the use of the vehicle in areas where the vehicle in motion cannot be used. Simply, it bends and is totally transportable on the shoulder.”
Emanuele Tomassorri
Honda Motorino
The second project is by Matteo Prola, 21 years old. His project name is F111 and concerns a prototype of a completely electric vehicle for the Ferrari brand.
Below the words from Matteo about his work:
“F 111 is a zero-emission electric vehicle with a rooted sense of sustainability in his concept. What characterizes it is the sinuosity of the shapes, as if a veil were dropped and then molded to the underlying structure, thus creating and transmitting that sense of lightness and elegance, without forgetting to give back the right dynamism to the volume.
[…] It is conceived to respond to the needs that will born when car sharing will be very popular and people, tired of them, will want to return to the pleasure of driving. Especially when the problems of the planet become unsustainable due to the emissions of petrol and diesel engines. This is why it has the key to sustainability in terms of solving a social problem caused by these dynamics. This product will allow people to have very high performance at the level of a 12 cylinder, but at the same time able to preserve the surrounding environment.
[…]This project has been developed and conceived with an eye always towards the internationalization of the product. Japan has always been a lover of the reds of Maranello, since the 70s, when the feeling broke out. The attraction for the elegant and muscular forms, and the innovation that Ferrari has always included in its models. I was inspired by the F40 because at that time it had stunned the audience, as if it came from another planet. Result obtained thanks to the collaboration with Pininfarina. The goal was to create a sort of Formula 1 adapted to road use.”
Matteo ProlaF111
The third project is by Mirko Pocobello, 25 years old. The name of his project is Pathos and it is a motorbike model made for Maserati. It involves elegant lines and sustainable life-circle.
Here what Mirko has explained us:
“Pathos is a motorbike made for the Maserati brand. It is a visionary product that does not have a precise temporal collocation. Hence the idea of thinking of an object that could be out of time, that did not undergo fashions or trends of the moment. A primordial object, the achievement of a further synthesis, both volumetric and conceptual. Thus, drawing a sustainable product because of an end of life that potentially does not exist, an avatar that lives with us as long as we are alive, an extension of the body. This is Pathos.
[…]I believe that the search for a new formal language does not have to consider market segments as hermetic zones from which one cannot go out. Rather, I believe that the contagion between the various areas of design is of vital importance for the continuous evolution.”
Mirko PocobelloPathos
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A few days ago, we had the pleasure to interview Chiara Ferella Falda, Director of Communication and Special Projects Manager of Superstudio Group. Since many years, it has been presenting itself to the city of Milan as a great centre whose aim is to meet the needs of the city by representing an alternative to the Milan Fair and hosting art and fair exhibitions. We asked her some questions about her point of view on the Sustainability themein the Design field and below you can find the complete interview we had with her.
SUPERDESIGN SHOW @ Superstudio Più
SOYC: “At Superstudio you organize Superdesign Show, the great international event dedicated to furnishing and the latest design trends. Then, we wanted to know what you think about the link between Design and Japan. Do you think design is an element of inspiration in the Japanese market?”
Dr. Ferella Falda: “I think that in Japan everything is Design in the true sense of the word. There is a maniacal attention to detail, form, functionality, aesthetics. Nature and tradition wisely blend with technology, rigor with a playful aspect, and poetry with irony…
The Japanese designers are expected and acclaimed during the Milan Design Week, the most important in the world. At the Superstudio, visitors also made three hours of queue to enter Nendo. And then Kengo Kuma: spectacular is his giant origami installation that absorbs pollution. And then the retrospective dedicated to the great Shiro Kuramata, or the transparent piano that played by itself by Kawai. They were the real attractions of our Superdesign Show 2018. But, next to the Japanese superstar, there were also less famous but very talented young people: Yoy (keep an eye on them, we’ll hear a lot about them…), Budbrand, Yokohama Makers Village, Japan Design Week…
NendoDassault, Kengo Kuma
On the one hand, I believe that Japan has acquired a new awareness of its importance and influence on the international market, on the other it has become increasingly able to exploit “Design” as means of communication and not only as a result of a process. The success of the mega installations of technology companies such as Panasonic, Citizen, Toshiba, Sony, Lexus and Fuorisalone demonstrate how design has increasingly become a powerful communication tool, even for consumers, beyond the commercial product to be sold.”
SOYC: “What is your opinion about “Design and Planet – Sustainability Projections”, theme of our contest TheYouth Design Day in Japan, which aim is to combine design and attention to the sustainability needs of the planet?”
Dr. Ferella Falda: “I think it’s a great opportunity of exchange between Asia and Europe, and a special showcase for young Italian talents. I really appreciate how the theme of sustainability has been approached by the contest. The word “green” became almost an empty concept a few years ago: everything was eco, everything was sustainable, everything was cruelty free, but often this attention reflected only a new trend… It is a little like it happens today with the “vegan” phenomenon. The time to tackle the topic urgently and rigorously has come: there is no more time for us and the planet.
Your callgoes in this direction. It mentions in detail low energy and water use, saving of harmful emissions, eco-sustainable housing and architectural solutions, innovative urban furniture, recycling and use of waste, bio-based materials, clean and renewable energy, biodegradable packaging, etc. A very serious and articulated approach.”
SOYC: “According to you, what is the direction design will take in relation to the Sustainability element?”
Dr. Ferella Falda: “We are already witnessing the banning of certain materials such as plastic. Before we recycled it, now in many areas it will be forbidden to produce it and use it. I believe that the gravity of the situation involves forced radical choices. It is a world emergency. Design will have to accept the challenge and propose more and more radical solutions that are also aesthetically pleasing and functional, at acceptable costs. Nanotechnologies are certainly one of the most interesting solutions to obtain new materials capable of purifying the air and I was also very impressed by the study of bacteria able to “digest” the polluting substances… The time for half-measures is over, now we have to really act.”
SOYC: “Is it possible that in the future there will be meeting points and synergies between Superstudio and Switch On Your Creativity?”
Dr. Ferella Falda: “Superstudio has always followed new paths not beaten by others. It has been the pioneer of the Fuorisalone phenomenon since 2000. Even earlier, in the 80s, his engine has transformed a peripheral industrial area in today’s famous Tortona area. Asia (Japan in particular, but also Korea, China, Taiwan and Thailand) has always loved Superstudio. Every year we have many requests from companies or designers who want to present their projects here at Superdesign, because they know they can find an iconic place that enhances them and communicates them with professionalism worldwide.
Every new challenge, every creative project that is also innovative, research based, and that values new talents, stimulates us a lot. Therefore, it definitely exists a point of encounter and mutual interest with “Switch on Your Creativity.“
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Alessio, more than anyone else, managed to express and apply the concept of eco-sustainability to a design work. His idea was born from the intention of creating something that was aesthetically satisfying but with a romantic and vintage touch, and that could be useful at the same time to the modern and technological world of today.
SWITCH ON YOUR CREATIVITY 