In a recent design module led by Studio Mayice, founded by Marta Alonso and Imanol Calderón, students from the Master in Product Design at SPD Scuola Politecnica di Design delved into two hands-on projects that challenged their creativity, technical thinking, and sensitivity to material and light. This collaboration offered an inspiring opportunity to investigate design’s poetic and functional dimensions, under the guidance of renowned designers known for their innovative approach to craft and illumination.
From Scraps to Statements
The first project tasked students with creating a piece of furniture that began its life as something entirely different. Using scraps from the workshop as their starting point, each student crafted an object, whether a functional design element or a purely artistic artifact. This initial exploration served as both material experiment and conceptual springboard. From there, they were asked to develop a more refined project using panels of any kind, which they would transform into a distinctive furniture object. The exercise pushed students to find beauty and utility in overlooked materials, elevating waste into thoughtful design statements.
Designing with Flame and Shadow
In the second project, light itself became the subject. Students were challenged to design a family of lamps that used candles as the primary light source. By working with open flames rather than electric bulbs, they explored the intimate, shifting qualities of natural light, its warmth, its unpredictability, and its capacity to shape atmosphere. This investigation deepened their understanding of how light interacts with form and space, encouraging them to think beyond pure functionality and embrace emotional resonance in their designs.
Craft, Context, and Concept
Throughout the module, students moved fluidly between conceptual ideation and hands-on making. They sketched, built models, tested materials, and refined details, always anchoring their projects in broader narratives about how we inhabit and illuminate our environments. Each proposal reflected a personal vision, yet was grounded in rigorous exploration of structure, texture, and light behavior.
A Dialogue with Designers
Working closely with Studio Mayice gave students rare insight into a practice that seamlessly blends art and design. Marta Alonso and Imanol Calderón shared their expertise on how to draw inspiration from materials and processes, how to balance spontaneity with precision, and how to allow light itself to become an active participant in a design story.
Beyond the Object
For the Master in Product Design students, these projects were more than exercises in form-making. They were invitations to reconsider familiar ideas, like the function of scrap material or the glow of a simple candle and to transform them into experiences that resonate on aesthetic, tactile, and emotional levels. In doing so, they demonstrated how thoughtful design can not only solve problems, but also elevate everyday life through new rituals and a renewed appreciation for craft.