Alberto and Francesco Meda, father and son, are two contrasting generations, and a perfect example of how two different approaches and two different perspectives can be mutually advantageous in the creative world. Useful, good-looking, simple and innovative are the keywords that reference Alberto’s career path. He uses technology lightly to solve complex problems and produce simple, natural shapes. For Francesco, design is a matter of research, context and vocabulary, and – above all – materials.

The theme of their intervention is in fact intergenerational comparison: they will set out the differences and similarities that mark out two generations of designers in terms of their own training, experience and work. In particular, they will underscore the importance, for Alberto’s peer group, of their relationships with companies that have allowed them to try out new solutions over and above market trends. For Millennials like Francesco, on the other hand, technological advances and digitisation have allowed them to embark on self-production, and thus create and market their own products under the aegis of their own, very personal, “brands.” Nonetheless, a dimension of continuity remains, represented by the knowledge that is passed on, like in a “Renaissance workshop,” testament to the fact that different perspectives are riches indeed.