Shape + material = wonder
Let's see few case studies where the use of materials and finishes, combined with the right shape, create wonder.
Useless to say that materials are fundamental in defining the success of a product.
This topic has been on my mind because I’m working on a document for a company where the material is literally changing the whole perception.
The more I see things around me, the more I understand that the material choice can change a product’s destiny. Sometimes the material itself becomes a tool for wonder when it’s combined with the right shape.
I want to share a few reflections that might help you switch your brain into the right mode the next time you design (or judge) a product.
Starck nailed it
Sorry for those who hate him, but Starck is someone who can change the game very easily, time by time with over-designed products. Designing a chair today is incredibly complicated, not only because of all the technical limitations, but also because in the last 70 years we’ve made so many new chairs that being original is almost impossible.
I already talked about how effective it was to design a transparent chair back in 2001 in one of my LinkedIn articles (before starting this newsletter - have a look here).
Now I want to show you a more recent design that broke the system again: Poêle for Alessi.
In this case, the use of a mirror-polished stainless-steel seat works for two main reasons:
It’s deeply tied to Alessi’s identity.
It’s impossible to confuse it with another material.
This choice makes the chair highly recognizable and in a way, it visually justifies its higher price point.
Don’t forget we live in times where images anticipate the physical experience of a product. We buy almost everything online. So we must anticipate physical feelings and avoid betraying expectations.
The same chair, made of painted steel, doesn’t have the same effect. It loses the “hey, I’m breaking the rules” vibe and might even be perceived as plastic instead of high-quality metal.
I’m sure there are many reasons why this product is available in different colors, but it’s interesting to reflect on how the material choice determines the perception.
Front playing with perception
A few years ago in Milan I saw a huge wooden bench by Moroso, designed by Front.
Except… it wasn’t wood.
Moroso and Front usually have very different design approaches, so this combination already caught my attention. Getting closer, something felt strange and that kept me hooked.
Once there, I sat on it and realized it was actually an upholstered piece with a wood-texture fabric.
Front had been incredibly precise in selecting that texture. It really looked like wood, and I jumped right into their plan.
This was years ago; I’m not sure if people today would experience it the same, but at the time it totally worked.
Paul Cocksedge, the wonder player
Paul Cocksedge is one of the best at designing wonder.
He’s extremely successful with public installations that require people’s interaction to complete the opera. For products, he plays the same music with different notes.
One of the clearest examples is the Compression sofa.
This aesthetic could be achieved in many ways, but the fact that he combines a marble seat with a massive upholstered block immediately the question “how is this made?”.
It gives you the entire story in a second and creates that familiar Cocksedge sense of wonder.
Mentioned in the article:
Why all this matters
I focused on seating because it’s easier to explain visually, but there are plenty of examples in lighting and other areas of industrial design.
If you know of perfect shape+material combinations that genuinely surprised you over the years, please let me know.
I always want to discover new things and I’m sure the rest of the community does too.
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And now, let’s continue with the new format. I want to hear your opinion - check the poll below.
Designer from Somewhere Else
I’ve asked my friend Silvia Ceñal
to share one of her case studies. She’s a successful designer based in Spain, and we often talk about our design paths, the good and the bad of running an independent studio.
For me, this newsletter is like the conversations I want to have over a coffee with colleagues and clients.
So imagine Silvia at the table with us, sharing how one of her products made it into production.
“
Ten years ago I opened my studio in Donostia–San Sebastián.
Since then I’ve worked with Treku, Ondarreta, Woud and Gantri, but one project shaped everything that came after: the Macaron lamp.
It started in 2013 with a small idea I carried during my walks to work.
I drew it, modelled it, chose colours and materials, and uploaded it to Behance, mostly for myself.
Two days later my inbox exploded: The Contemporist had featured it, and suddenly people wanted to buy it.
Sometimes the world tells you “this works” long before you’re ready to hear it.
The truth is, I wasn’t ready at all.
It was just a render: no prototype, no price, no plan.
So I took the long road. I replied to every email, delayed the sale, and used that time to learn what no book teaches you: how to turn a picture into a real object.
I found a carpenter for the wooden rings.
I bought components, cords, packaging.
The first prototypes were terrible, then slowly, through mistakes and more mistakes, the lamp came alive.
For a year I produced and shipped Macaron myself, from Spain to the Netherlands, Germany, France, even Australia.
It appeared in Interior Design Magazine, Sunday Times and Design Milk.
Beautiful, but exhausting.
Designing is maybe 20% of running a studio.
The other 80% is logistics, emails, pricing, packaging, and being brave enough to keep going.
Eventually I knew it was time for the next step.
I needed someone who could scale what I had started.
In 2015, Emko wrote to me.
They believed in the lamp, and in 2016 it was presented at Maison & Objet.
Later, they expanded it into a full family, something I never imagined when I was producing orders by hand.
A good manufacturer doesn’t just produce - they expand the story.
Looking back, that quick sketch from 2013 took me places I didn’t expect.
That’s the part of design I love most: you never know which idea will stay on the page and which one will build a path for you.
“
Silvia’s design and writing are always insightful.
If you want to discover more of her work, follow her on Instagram and if you read Spanish, her newsletter is worth it.
Any friends from Spain? Let them know.
Thigs to know
Kooij on Design Wanted
I’ve recently wrote a new article on Design Wanted about Kooij, insides and thinking behind a design factory, not just about design process, but also business process. Very interesting, have a look.
Kooij: a Design Model built from tools, not slides : DesignWanted
Material based companies
PLASTIZ - Turin (Italy)
PAPERSHELL - Tibro (Sweden)
CRISTALPLANT - Portobuffolè (Italy)
A design I like
Today I’m talking about a product you probably wouldn’t expect from me, because my style is quite far from her studio.
Here it is: Babar by Patricia Urquiola for Glas Italia.
What I like about this piece is not the shape itself (which is obviously well done — we’re talking about one of the most prolific contemporary design studios), but how a recycling process can actually give a company a new perspective.
Glas Italia is known for pushing experimentation with glass, but here we see a completely new language compared to what they usually do.
I’ve seen many companies fail when trying to design with recycled glass.
This, instead, is a great example of how the right synergy between a company and a designer can unlock a solution for almost anything.
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With love,
Mario