Reflections on design

An interview with Nelson's Design Manager, Daniele Gilardi

"The material I prefer to use is expanded polyurethane, with which sinuous shapes and greater comfort can be obtained." So Daniele Gilardi shares his preference to find suitable solutions for his users, hair salons and hairdressers. Trained in the field of architecture and design, Daniele says: "design comes from inspiration that can appear in the most disparate objects or things" and, he continues, "after sketching an object, I think about with what material and technology it can be achieved, naturally taking into account both functionality and ergonomics."

The best example of your approach? The Tortue styling chair, awarded the MCB prize for innovation. "I think, for now, it is our most iconic product, as we've used a material that was not usually adopted in our sector and this has allowed us to create an object with a very particular design." But not only aesthetically, Daniele confirms his approach to holistic design by pointing out that Tortue comes out of production "practically already finished, from a mold, without needing to be upholstered".

With over 38 years of experience in the sector, Daniele has now outlined a linear approach to the design of Nelson Mobilier products "The market is very changeable, we still pursue the path of quality combined with a simple but refined design." With certain obligations towards the hairdressers and stylists; "Today we have to deal with a competition that offers low-value products, we can only beat them by producing high-quality products on a large scale, which then enables us to offer value for money. "

In this Daniele faces challenges that, perhaps, his sources of inspiration know less about. “My training as a designer and my curiosity led me to admire and follow great architects, such as Tadao Ando, Santiago Calatrava and Frank O. Ghery, even if we at Nelson Mobilier limit ourselves to designing and producing everyday objects of much smaller proportions."