Designing Surfaces

21st-century design has transformed its parameters and guiding principles. From a formalist approach focused on the beauty of an object’s shape, we have moved toward valuing materials and surface design as defining elements in both furniture and architecture.

The discussion features:

• Francesco Zurlo, Dean of the School of Design, Politecnico di Milano

The Contribution of Strategic Design to Innovation in Surfaces, Materials and Finishes

What contribution can strategic design make to innovation in surfaces, materials, and finishes? In this field, strategic design plays a distinctive role based on a dual perspective. On the one hand, it promotes a systemic approach to design, capable of linking material, color, and finishing choices to the context in which they are applied, whether domestic environments, shared spaces, or urban settings. Surfaces are therefore not viewed as isolated elements, but as components of a broader ecosystem of functional, perceptual, cultural, and social relationships. On the other hand, strategic design acts as a tool for anticipation, exploring future usage scenarios and identifying emerging transformations in behaviors, lifestyles, and technologies. Through this forward-looking capability, it helps guide innovation by providing designers with references and directions for developing surfaces, materials, and finishes that can meet both current and future societal needs.

• Duccio Grassi, Founder Duccio Grassi Architects

The Use and Evolution of Flooring and Cladding Materials from the Retail Design Perspective

Retail design serves as a bold and innovative testing ground that often precedes industrial design, generating influences and trends that subsequently shape the world of interior design.

Click here for the Italian version: Progettare le Superfici