Our last week in the program felt very sentimental yet surreal. Visiting Alessi in Omegna was one of my favorite things we did the whole trip (I have a lot of favorites) because it felt like the best last place to go. It culminated all of what we’ve learned from the program including history of the design greats/masters, objects and people we’ve heard and seen throughout, and a beautiful landscape backdrop that provoked reflection. After our lunch overlooking the water, I sat for a bit by the lake and was just absolutely amazed and filled with gratitude that I got to experience the past three weeks.
I also had fun reimagining an Alessi product and I learned so much from the presentation/conversation we had about their products, their brand, and Italian design culture. It was so cool to hear the two women talk about how Alessi has been involved in cultural moments like movies, but also the intricacies that go into each project from concept to creation on both the technical side and the marketing side. I also didn’t know that they worked with so many designers from Italy and globally. Understanding that they prioritize making usable art many people can afford was so cool to me. Both women that shared with us were very passionate about what they do and brought so much excitement when talking about their work and that was inspiring. I am so grateful they took time out of their day to share so much knowledge with us.
Seeing that Alessi had specific values that made up their definition of successful design made me want to think about what my formula for good design would be as a growing designer. For now, I’ll keep pondering on that.
