Physical and Virtual World

As the interaction between these two is getting more sophisticated, boundaries between them are disappearing. Interacting with a friend on a web conf call is practically the same as in physical presence, the same way the gesture of moving a picture to go to the next one enters the virtual world.
This gives us (designers) a great deal of possibilities. We can combine qualities typical of the virtual world – speed, limitless, waste-less, collaboration, flexibility, etc. – with the ones of the physical world – multi-sensory, three-dimensional, aging, light-affected, etc. Furthermore interactions between people and physical-virtual objects can become (and create new) relationships involving emotions, identity, history. While interactions imply reciprocal actions, relationships also mean reciprocal growth, affection and predictability.

It is a general trend, boundaries are more or less rapidly dissolving, like in nature where states are so gradual that changes are almost imperceptible to us. Think about the distinction between near and far, local and global, young and old, man and woman, inside and outside. A boundary marks a change: a change is an opportunity and it is also more or less traumatic depending on how big are the differences between before and after. It is possible that this general evolution towards melting boundaries will bring us peace and serenity. Happy Valentine's day.

The design event of the year

If you can take some time from the 16th to the 21st of April, come to the Salone del Mobile: the International Furniture Fair of Milano. Last year it had 270.000 visitors (of whom 165.000 coming from foreign countries), and 2.000 exhibitors. It is not really only a furniture fair, it includes everything that is designed. The week of the fair, Milan transform itself into a inspiring party town: during the evening, many design stores host amazing events open to the public and there is a silent competition on who will host the most innovative, surprising, elegant event of all. Interni magazine in March publishes a little book with all the “fuorisalone” (meaning “outside-salone”) events organized by date... you have to take your pick, it's impossible to go to all. Worthy of note this year, director and painter Peter Greenaway will animate the Leonardo Da Vinci Last Supper with lights and sounds.

I love walking on the streets of Milan the week before the fair, every design store has the window covered and you can peek people working, architects supervising, nervous owners, day and late nights till the very last minute before the fair starts.