In the past three years we have visited and interviewed over forty Italian Design firms and companies across Italy, from young firms like Ian+, Labics, Metrogramma and Cliostraat to established designers such as Enzo Mari, Andrea Branzi, and Massimiliano Fuksas and from industrial giants like FIAT to “design factories” like Casina, Segis, Saporiti and Alessi. Our team spent 6 weeks in Italy in spring 2004, six weeks in spring 2005 and seven weeks in spring 2006 studying, researching and conducting interviews.

This research is evidence of our work to date. Working in the mode of Venturi's “Learning from Las Vegas, ” we aim to “Learn from Milan,” and Rome and Florence and all of Italy at the moment when globalization changes the great design nation into a knowledge economy and post-industrialism spreads across Italy.

After completing our analysis in fall 2006, we will return to our Italian network for another six weeks in spring 2007 to expand our network further. Ultimately, we hope FIRST to contribute to the Italian design discourse and then bring what we have learned about innovation practices home to Canada .