Design as communication: on April 24th 2018, architect Paolo Bartoli from Bartoli Design was hosted by Terri Pecora in her workshop at NABA (Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano), to discuss about product design, art direction and the design profession at large.

1. design as communication
Arch. Paolo Bartoli
NABA aprile 2018

2. 0. why am I here ?

4. why design, after all ?

5. B146 / Arflex (Carlo Bartoli,1963)

6. 1. design as a language

7. Design is a conversation between designer and user.

8. Design is a conversation between designer and user.
Design is designer’s language, like poetry to poets or music to musicians.

9. Design is a conversation between designer and user.
Design is designer’s language, like literature to writers or music to musicians.
Designers speak through objects.

10. Design is a conversation between designer and user.
Design language is a cultural expression.
Design is designer’s language, like literature to writers or music to musicians.
Designers speak through objects.

11. Design language is a cultural expression.
“Language is a system of communication comprising conventional spoken,
manual, or written (drawn?) symbols by means of which human beings - as
members of a social group and participants in its culture - express
themselves.”

12. Design language is a cultural expression.

13. Design language is a cultural expression.

14. Design language is a cultural expression.

15. Design language is a cultural expression.

16. 2. design for meaning

17. true to materials: natural hide, solid
wood and stainless steel
simple and powerful in its shapes
1085 Edition / Kristalia

18. natural
cow hide
wooden and
metal frame
stitching
nautical
tie-rod
The challenge proposed by Kristalia: to make a chair with a
material which had never been used before in furniture, the
high-thickness natural cow hide by the Pietro Presot
company, a long-established tannery.
It’s a fascinating material of high quality, very difficult to work
with: exactly its 7 millimeters thickness, compared to the 3
commonly used in furniture, is the problem. The process,
from concept to realization, took two years.
The design had to be very simple: cutting a flat shape from
the hide and trying to wrap it around a metal frame. With its
high thickness, wrapped around the tubular frame, it tended
to stay flat and, anyway, gave to the curves a noticeable
roundness, which we made a distinctive feature of the chair.
For better comfort we hot-press moulded tridimensionally the
seat and the back. After making some attempts, we
separated the seat from the back, sewing them together with
a distinctive zig-zag stitching.
Even after moulding, the hide has to be firmly held in place,
as the flaps push to open apart. To keep them, we used
nautical tie-rods, clearly expressing the strength needed to
work with this hide.
Legs are the last of the three elements (frame, hide mantle
and legs) that we kept formally straightforward and
autonomous; they’re in solid oak, joined to the black steel
frame.
1085 Edition / Kristalia

19. This chair is a challenge in time: the hide will inevitably move, its
texture and color will change, as the chair will be the expression of
this transition, preserving functionality and performance over time.
Bartoli Design drew upon the experience of Presot in the haute
couture sector, and the boating sector, as seen in the tie-rod device
that ensures the right tension to cope with the natural softening of the
hide.
This design project arrives at a time when the concepts of artisan
made, italian craftsmanship and eco-friendly production are the main
concerns.
1085 Edition / Kristalia

20. In the Western world much has been said about “programmed
obsolescence”: a trick whereby objects are made that already include
the seed of their destruction, encouraging quick exchange and
perpetual replacement. Old objects must either be thrown away or
polished as if they were new.
How can we design objects that record the passage of time and
people ? How can we convey signs of existence that make objects
alive and therefore susceptible to time ?
Some companies such as Kristalia, which, having overcome
traditional scepticism about certain materials that are particularly
sensitive to change (e.g. natural hide), firmly believes in the value of
industrial products that can become unique objects thanks to wear,
the seasons and the hands of those who made and used them.
The chair can become a silent ambassador of not only those who
made it but also of the special blend of the best artisanal production
and industrial precision.
They are traces of the past and of the future, because who use them
are part of this experience and add layers of life: natural hide will
move, change colour and this piece of furniture will witness a life lived.
1085 Edition / Kristalia

21. Sushi, Nori, Maki: evolving extendable tables

22. Sushi / Kristalia

23. “We created the Sushi table with innovation, aesthetics
and functionality in mind.
Kristalia is very serious about the environment, that’s why
the Sushi table is manufactured in aluminium, a material
100% recyclable.
It’s also lightweight and very durable, replacing many
components that would normally be made of plastic”
(Bartoli Design)
Sushi / Kristalia

24. Sushi / Kristalia

25. Nori is an evolution on the theme of extendable
tables: even sharper lines with a very thin
triangular leg section.
The tabletop as well has been thinned to
extremes, but is still very resistant, thanks to
high quality materials and craftmanship.
Nori / Kristalia

26. “The Nori table will work in all settings and spaces thanks to its elegance
and minimalism. We love the way the table suits all styles of home and
can even be used as a home office table.” (Bartoli Design)
Nori / Kristalia

27. The partnership between Kristalia and
Bartoli Design has resulted in best sellers
such as the Sushi and Nori tables.
Maki is a table also inspired by the idea
of sheer simplicity: the leg profiles have
pleasantly rounded, rather than sharp,
corner.
Maki / Kristalia

28. Maki / Kristalia

29. 3. balance between simplicity and triviality

30. Joko / Kristalia

31. Joko / Kristalia

32. Joko / Kristalia

33. Jedi / Riva 1920

34. Jedi / Riva 1920

35. 4. design as storytelling

36. in a world overflowing with too many products,
design as storytelling to give a context to products

37. Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

38. Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

39. Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

40. Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

41. Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

42. Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

43. Terai - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

44. Terai - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

45. Lhotese - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

46. Lhotse - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

47. Annapurna - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

48. Annapurna - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

49. Lhotse - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

50. WangdenLhotse - Himalayan Undyed / Nodus

51. …one last word

52. “Design can be art.
Design can be aesthetics.
Design is so simple, that’s why it is so complicated.”
Paul Rand

56. eye bee M

57. “Without play, there would be no Picasso.
Without play, there is no experimentation.
Experimentation is the quest for answers.”
Paul Rand

58. if you’re not curious and inquisitive, you’re not going to be a designer

59. www.bartolidesign.it