Design, Craft, and Meaning: Series Prelude
A journey through form, function, and the human spirit.
Last week, I had the good fortune to attend *Salone del Mobile* in Milan—a global celebration of design, and more subtly, of intention.
On Wednesday, I sat in on a presentation by Alberto Cavalli, the Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship (Geneva) and General Director of the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte (Milan). Alberto is many things: a scholar, a leader, a voice for beauty—but above all, he is a champion of the craftsperson. His reverence for the handmade was palpable. And during his talk, he said something that landed in me like a bell:
“What does it truly cost to spend 10 minutes hand-washing a piece made by human hands?”
At first, it sounds like a question about time. But it’s not. It’s a question about value.
How many of us have fine china, crystal, or handmade drinkware that we reserve only for “special occasions”—if at all? We hesitate to use them, not out of lack of appreciation, but because of the hassle. The hand-washing. The risk of breaking something beautiful.
I know the feeling.
My wife and I have stemware from Cornet Barcelona—delicate, hand-blown, luminous. We love them. And yet, we rarely use them. Why? Because they can’t go in the dishwasher. Because we’re tired at the end of the night. Because… we save them.
But what are we saving them for?
What better use than to share them with our favorite guests?
Alberto’s question didn’t just inspire a reflection—it inspired this series. Because in that moment, I saw more clearly than ever: craftsmanship isn’t just about what is made. It’s about how we receive it. How we live with it. How we honor it.
When something is made by hand—with care, precision, and reverence—it carries a presence. A kind of quiet request:
Treat me with the same care I was made with.
And so, we arrive at a deeper truth:
It’s not a chore.
It’s reverence.
It’s the continuation of hospitality, expressed through care.
This series, Design, Craft, and Meaning, is a meditation on that care. On what it means to live with beauty, not as luxury, but as necessity. To design not just for function, but for feeling. To make and to use objects not as consumers, but as stewards.
Let this be a beginning.
Series Outline:
Post 1: The Importance of Beauty
Beauty is not extra. It’s essential. A meditation on why beauty matters in our homes, our work, and our lives.
Post 2: The Imprint of Care
What separates the functional from the meaningful is often care. This post explores craftsmanship, intention, and how objects carry emotional weight.
Post 3: Made by Human Hands
In a world of mass production, handmade items invite us into relationship. Why we need the human touch now more than ever.
Post 4: Designing for Feeling, Not Just Function
Too much design today is engineered for resale or optimization. What would it mean to design homes, tools, and systems that prioritize how we feel?
Post 5: The Ritual of Use
The life of an object doesn’t end at creation—it’s born again in daily use. From handwashing a dish to lighting a candle, rituals connect us to meaning.
Post 6: Beauty and Belonging
Spaces shape our sense of home. How design influences identity, hospitality, and the experience of belonging.
Post 7: The Modern Maker’s Dilemma
Balancing commerce and soul: the tension faced by artisans, designers, and creators trying to make a living without losing meaning.
Post 8: Toward a More Beautiful Life
A manifesto for choosing beauty—deliberately, unapologetically—in how we build, decorate, gift, host, and live.