“Design is a Verb”

Premiere “Design is a Verb” is the first documentary written and produced by Leftloft. It is the result of a question (or rather, a few of them): What does being a designer mean today? Where is design going? And how does the notion of “project” affect what we will be tomorrow? The film is research in feature film form. It debates and is shaped by the thoughts of international designers who represent a point of reference and a constellation of meaning for Leftloft. The film was shown by the Teatro dell’Arte during Touchpoint and at the Milano Design Film Festival the following week. “Design is a Verb” is the tale of a young designer’s journey through the questions, responsibilities and desires that define the identity of her trade. It is enriched with contributions and responses from representatives of the independent design scene, who were protagonists at the first edition of Touchpoint: Thierry Brunfaut (BASE, Brussels-New York-Geneva), George Eid (AREA 17, New York-Paris), Christian Haas (Raffinerie, Zurich), Pascal Soboll (Daylight Design, San Francisco-Seoul-Munich), Giacomo Spazio (Milan), Astrid Stavro (Design by Atlas, Palma de Mallorca-New York), Anette Væring (MindLab, Copenaghen) and Hans Wolbers (Lava Design, Amsterdam-Beijing).

“Design Marathon”

Touchpoint Design’s second marathon was the result of a provocation: In what way can design change Italy? This was the question that everything started out from and that 40 guests from 5 working groups were asked. These groups were made up of many designers “in various capacities”, from traditional designers and managers to journalists and architects. From 10 in the morning to 8 in the evening, 5 working groups were busy exploring as many topics, which were thought up to create a dialogue between design and the country on several fronts.

Communicating the Product

Some products exist even before they are born. They are in the atmosphere, anticipated as something that will arrive. They are a result of the times and of a collective imagination that partially needs to be built but, above all, needs to be listened to and understood. How do you participate in the construction of imagination? How do you listen to the world’s desires? What is needed to design and narrate the products of tomorrow? Participants (moderated by David Pasquali): Matteo Battiston (Luxottica), Silvia Botti (Abitare), Paolo Brambilla (Calvi e Brambilla), Marco Cendron (Pomo), Martina Gamboni, Cristina Ortiz, Mirko Pajè (Mediaset), Gianluca Renato (Pirelli) and Maria Sebregondi (Moleskine).

Information Design 

What are the big contemporary challenges that every actor in the world of publishing and information has to face? What are the skills, collaborations, and cultural, educational, technological, legislative, economic and design aspects that are helping us to confront them? Participants (moderated by Andrea Braccaloni): Simona Battaglino (Influse), Carlotta Branzanti (Mondadori Electa), Antonio Calabrò (Pirelli/Confindustria), Antonella Di Biase (Vice), Francesco Franchi (Designer, Art Director), Luca Pitoni (Designer), Stefano Quintarelli (Italian Chamber of Deputies), Federico Sarica (Rivista Studio) and moderated by Andrea Braccaloni.

Designing Service (for) Transformation

A debate on what innovating means for those who work in the service field: What are the obtacles and the forms of collaboration between ecosystem actors in coming up with concrete methods and producing solutions that meet the needs of those who offer services and those who use them?

Participants (moderated by Stefano Maffei, Polytechnic University of Milan): Chiara Daneo (Municipality of Milan), Cristina Juliani (Capgemini), Salvatore Larosa (Poste Italiane), Matteo Reale (CNA), Guido Romeo (Il Sole 24 Ore), Francesco Sala (Jetcost) and Lidia Tralli (Fjord).

Design for the City

Working Group What are the problems for the modern-day city? Which projects should be presented? Where and to whom? What could happen in the next 5 years? And when has a city really “made it”? Participants (moderated by Bruno Genovese): Nicolò Bassetti (Nuovi Paesaggi Urbani), Aldo Carioli (The Good Life Italia), Marco Maccapani (Carnival of Venice), Luca Martinazzoli (Municipality of Milan), Fabio Terragni (M4 Milano) and Federica Verona (Super, Il Festival delle Periferie).

Design Talks

Three guests for three points of view on design as a tool for a transforming society, a key factor for innovation and a trigger for sustainability.

The following people spoke:

Erik Kessels

Co-Founder and Creative Director of the KesselsKramer agency with offices in Amsterdam and London, as well as customers all over the world. A multifaceted figure, Kessels is also an artist and curator. He works in publishing and is a point of reference in the field of "found photography".

Giulio Quaggiotto

Advisor for innovation to the Prime Minister's Office of the United Arab Emirates and associate of the English Nesta innovation foundation. His previous experiences include Pulse Lab Jakarta, a special initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to explore the use of big data in development.

Chris Moody 

Chief Design Officer and Global Principal of Wolff Olins. He says: "I am one. I'm finally smart enough to realise that it's not what you say you do that describes you best, it's what you do to get there that really matters. Job description are just something that gives your LinkedIn spam a title."