”Italy was, from the outset, more determined [than other countries] to discover a new formula for its particular marriage between art and industry” (Sparke, 1987). From the start, this formula manifested in
relationships very particular to Italian economic realities, with design playing a key and leading role; this situation was markedly different from the prevailing industrial economic model used in other countries. Since the onset of modernity and the late - at first slow - industrial revolution in Italy, it has been particular people and groups who have made this uniquely Italian design a reality, and who continue to play key roles in Italian industry to this day. These are the players of Italian design: intellectuals, designers, and enlightened companies. Through discourse between each other, the players collaboratively distill the geographic, economic, historic, and cultural context of Italy into forms that can be applied to
production. This discursive relationship is unique to Italy. It is our entry point for illuminating how innovative design remains a key generator of economic success in Italy.