Heritage and Future: a conversation between the two Italian masters of Design and with the Product Design students
News
Carlo Forcolini and Alberto Meda share the story and the future of design
Date
30 May 2025
A unique event for the second-year Product Design students at IED Milano, who had the opportunity to attend a special lecture entitled “Heritage and Future: The Languages of Product Across Generations,” featuring the masters of Italian design Carlo Forcolini and Alberto Meda.
During the meeting, part of the “Language Research” course, the two prominent figures engaged in an interview exploring two different approaches and languages, comparing experiences and visions that span decades of design history. The questions, crafted to be respectful yet never rhetorical, sparked deep reflections on the achievements and contradictions of the contemporary design system, offering students a chance to develop critical thinking and awareness.
Alberto Meda is an engineer and designer born in Tremezzina, with a long-standing career ranging from technical direction at Kartell to collaborations with major brands such as Alessi, Philips, and Vitra. His experience combines engineering rigor with creative design.
Carlo Forcolini, on the other hand, is the founder of significant companies like Alias and Nemo and is a key figure in Italian and international design, with a career spanning industrial design and visual communication. Currently CEO of the IED Group, his projects are exhibited in world-renowned museums.
This dialogue between two generations represented an inspiring moment of exchange for young designers, capable of telling the story of Italian design and suggesting new paths for the future of product design.
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