The goal is to design an experience of the surface and the space where it is placed, understanding how the surface can make us rethink the use of a space, of an entire room, and its furnishings.” It might seem like an oxymoron to talk about the intangible quality of design related to tactility, materiality, technical features, and performance and aesthetic aspects. Yet, “surface design can also be a bearer of meanings and stories having to do with ethics, sustainability, lifestyle, user experience, emotional aspects, and user needs,” Cristina Boeri continues. “The narrative value around products can no longer just be about aesthetic and functional aspects. We need to add a narrative that tells the values of the brand and the product itself.” The path to this approach opens through attention to sustainability, especially on the part of users.

In production sectors, this triggered processes of research and change with the invention and use of alternative materials with a high functional value that are biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable. As Boeri points out, “This has also brought out new aesthetics, such as unfinished styles, where the work in interiors seems as if “not designed” and the designer’s hand is almost invisible, letting the allure of the passage of time or the aesthetics of the imperfect stand out. A fascinating realm of work is connected to materials made from scraps. Here the content of the narrative leads to reflection on the aesthetic of imperfection, in contrast to serial production that pursues perfection, which enhances imperfect, but unique elements.