Giancarlo Zucca and Marco Zummo of the Torino studio Nonostante, who have always been attracted by conceptual design, have designed a series of paper gadgets to communicate "Insectida", the symbolic brand of integration in the cosmopolitan district of San Salvario. (Partner company: Cartiere Burgo)

Q. Could you describe your project for Torino Geodesign?

A. The project starts out from the need of the association Insectida, active in the district of San Salvario, to promote activities for the integration of the various multiethnic groups that live in the district, funding it through the sale of products with the Insectida brand.
The gadgets that we propose, Lacrima e Sorriso, Biblivoro e Pulce nell'orecchio, are constructed using parts of specially cut paper shopping bags. The first (Weep and Smile) serves to convey positive or negative messages in the district; the second is a bookmark insect (Bookworm) that also suggests the titles of poorly publicised books and the Pulce nell'orecchio is a small office memo holder. The intention is to make citizens become bearers of information and messages regarding their area and to promote the Insectida brand.

Q. What do you think of initiatives like this, where design abandons its more glamorous aspects to embrace ethically socially useful themes?

A. We believe greatly in this dimension of design, of an industrial product able to spark social relations and around which diverse needs can concentrate, including intervention in their own environment.
In other design experiences, we have had the chance to reflect on objects that live through the meeting of people and that almost leave aside their formal aspect and that acquire meaning not for their specific use but as support for a common, shared event. These are objects that people appreciate because they are part a social practice in which they recognise themselves. Think, for instance of a "back soon" note, a basket lowered from a balcony to pull up the shopping, the fragments of glass fixed on the top of perimeter walls for security reasons, shoe-scrapers outside condominium doors and so on. These are themes that fascinate us and this is the direction our design takes.

Q. We are half-way through a special and important year for Torino. Can you give an interim judgement on what has been done so far? Proposals? Criticisms?

A. Everything seems to be going smoothly. There are innumerable initiatives, perhaps even an excess. We believe that, after the end of these events, it would be important to take action on disseminating product design and the strengthening of the networks that have been created, involving the (public and private) institutions and users and consumers of industrial products more and more.

Interview with Matteo Ragni

Interview with Adriano Design

Interview with Civico13 and Vered Zaykovsky

Interview with Arabeschi di Latte

link to:
Torino Geodesign
The mobilisation of collective intelligence. 48 projects for Torino

Info:
Torino Geodesign