Silvana Angeletti and Daniele Ruzza, with Daniele Mazzon from Cristina Rubinetterie, are the speakers of the webinar “Progettare al millimetro” (“designing to the millimeter”) scheduled for Tuesday, June 22, 5 pm
With Silvana Angeletti we have talked about project and product, and the value of design
What does “designing to the millimeter” mean?
“Designing to the millimeter,” explains Silvana Angeletti, “is what a designer does: in any design project, and in faucets in particular, a millimeter can make a big difference in the final result. When you design a faucet, for example, you do a continuous fine-tuning job with the technical office, and in this case sometimes you change a radius of curvature even by just half a millimeter. A product is the result of a mediation between the production and the project, between the requests of a designer and the optimization of the company, and in these situations a millimeter can make the difference sometimes. It is necessary to know the production technologies in order to be credible in the eyes of the technicians and to search for the solution that meets everyone’s needs: easy production and excellent functionality without affecting the form and the beauty of the object.
To explain better, we can take the example of a dress. A little black dress, for example, is usually thought of as always beautiful, but the cut makes all the difference. How many times have we pull out from our closet a garment that, despite its quality, seemed old-fashioned and dull once worn?
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A successful design must express harmony
Another particularly fitting example is the sofa. When we approached the design of a sofa for the first time, we realized that a beautiful sofa has perfect proportions, is comfortable, soft, expresses harmony. A successful design is able to convey overall harmony. And this applies to all designs, on any scale. We usually make 1:1 scale models, not only for faucets, but for all products. Even for sofas we make a 1:1 model with tissue paper cut out on the floor, and starting from that 1:1 model we do our 3D processing. For us, designing to the millimeter also means looking for the perfect proportion that generates harmony.
Register for the webinar (valid for obtaining 2 CFP professional training credits) by clicking on this link
Of course, functionality and ease of production are a given. Production has to be easy, because the easier the production, the better and more durable the product. Functionality is another unescapable element. Today, more than ever, we believe that the time has come to focus on quality. To produce less but better. A design product must be durable, must effectively perform its function and must be harmonious. It has to create a nice atmosphere in the environment, find an ideal place in our home, but this cannot be separated from its perfect functioning.”
Discover the Foil mixer faucet by Marco Pisati for Cristina Rubinetterie
East Side, the mixer faucets with a strong personality
How did the collaboration with Cristina Rubinetterie start?
“We got in touch with Cristina Rubinetterie thanks to our teaching activity at IED. The company participated as a sponsor in one of our courses, and it was such a generous sponsor that it made us want to work with them. The first product we designed for them was a real challenge. Tabula, that’s the name of the collection, had to have a square section. Creating something that could stand out in the crowded market offer was not easy. We worked by subtraction, acting on the control lever, lightening it in order to guarantee a different perception to the touch of the hand. We raised the body of the faucet and created the room to maneuver the lever. A few millimeters, a millesimal difference that gave an identity to the mixer, making it recognizable with its pure yet distinctive shape.”
Register for the webinar (valid for obtaining 2 CFP professional training credits) by clicking on this link
Angeletti Ruzza Design and Cristina Rubinetterie: design to the millimeter
Tabula was followed by East Side, a faucet characterized by the spout and the handle with a knurling that makes it unmistakable to the touch. How was this project welcomed by the technical department of Cristina Rubinetterie?
“They immediately liked the project. Once again, however, there was an important design fine-tuning phase to give the product all the profound qualities connected with functionality and durability. For Cristina Rubinetterie, product quality is a dogma; they can’t think of selling a product that is not perfect. However, mediating between our requests and the needs of the technical department, we achieved a result that satisfied everyone. A project includes also the ability to mediate between the requests of the designer and what can actually be achieved, with the certainty that the finished product works well and lasts over time.
Read our interview with Daniele Mazzon, general manager of Cristina Rubinetterie
With all the company’s professionals there was great chemistry from a human point of view right from the start. The products have been the result of effective teamwork as there is mutual understanding and a great desire to do well by seeking concrete solutions. Our approach to the project is never arrogant; we listen to the company and we always put ourselves at its service. If a company, for many different reasons, is not sure of the success of a product, it is better not to send it into production to avoid future problems. A product is a substantial investment; if you do not believe in its success, it is better to give up. The secret lies in collaboration, which must lead to a product that satisfies all the players involved: designer, producer and retailers.
We think that with East Side we have achieved this result: it is a mixer with an industrial allure and a harmonious form at once, which lends elegance to the environment. It’s black, it’s perfect, and it adapts to different interior design styles.”
The webinar “Progettare al millimetro. A lezione da AngelettiRuzza Design” with Daniele Mazzon, general manager of Cristina Rubinetterie will take place on Tuesday, June 22, 5-7 pm
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