La mappa come strumento d'indagine

This paper explores the map as both a methodological and interpretative tool for investigating the emerging trajectories of contemporary Italian design, drawing on the critical framework proposed by Maria Luisa Frisa in Una nuova moda italiana. Starting from the notion of “fashion in the making”, the article extends the cartographic approach to the field of design, with a particular focus on the relationship between designers under 40 and the world of craftsmanship. Within this framework, the doctoral research Design & Crafts in Italy: the other origin of objects offers a critical mapping of the millennial generation of Italian designers, highlighting the rise of a new movement referred to as Design & Craft. Through the collaboration of five expert curators and the analysis of over thirty designers, the study presents a nuanced and multifaceted portrait of the current landscape, in which experimentation, interdisciplinarity, and the valorisation of artisanal knowledge converge within an evolving system. The map thus emerges as a means to render a fragmented yet widespread phenomenon intelligible, revealing connections, trends, and potential developments for an Italian design practice capable of integrating tradition and innovation on an international scale.