From the Library: Vico Magistretti

In an era where glossy products seem to appear in our feeds every day, it’s nice to stop and consider the journey that brought them to life. Starting as an idea, which was then drawn on paper, prototyped and collaborated on with a manufacturer and refined into a potentially harmonious form that holds up in our homes decades later.

We are inspired by glimpsing into the process of the late Italian architect and designer Vico Magistretti who’s bold and graphic sketches and product designs, many of which, are in the permanent collections of museums like MoMA, are paired together in the book, Vico Magistretti by Vanni Pasca.

We see how Magistretti’s initial sketches look quite similar to the final iteration of his product designs, and we gather some insight into his process which seemed to value collaboration with makers:

“So what I really like is teamwork, not with other architect but with the people in the manufacturing firm. I need the sort of feedback that I get from production.”

Maybe we can apply this to our own work as designers as we develop our work, starting the conversation with ideas and sketches, but acknowledging that there is much to gain from the experience and knowledge that makers bring to the table.