Zetalab

This is a research presentation on communication design studio, Zetalab, based in Milan. For a field school research program that I was a part of in 2014, we interviewed various designers, architects, and design-thinkers around Italy.

To prepare ourselves for that journey, we did extensive research on all the agencies and companies we booked appointments with to ensure we get the best footage and content for our website: 2014.sfuitaliadesign.com

Transcript

1. Z E T A L A B
   F A M I G L I A N O V E
   

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2. Zetalab founder, Lucio Luzo Lazzara, is a
   global leader in the integration of logos,
   identity systems, and applications with
   multiple types of new media.
   L U C I O
   L U Z O
   L A Z A R R A
   

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3. Z E T A L A B
   

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4. Zetalab is a design communication studio
   based in Milan. Their core business is
   graphic design but they also enjoy explor-
   ing different fields like exhibition and
   product design, film and occasionally art.
   Zetalab believes in design that mixes and
   recombines different elements, styles,
   media and ideas.
   Z E T A L A B
   

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5. G R A P H I C D E S I G N
   “ W E H A V E A K E Y W O R D F O R C O N T E M P O R A R Y G R A P H I C D E S I G N : F L E X I B I L I T Y .
   Z E T A L A B I S P R E P A R E D T O D E S I G N V I S I O N S Y S T E M S T H A T C A N D E V E L O P O V E R
   T I M E , T O A D A P T T O D I F F E R E N T M E D I A , T O B E A B L E T O R U N O N D I F F E R E N T
   M E D I A , I N A N E F F E C T I V E A N D A P P R O P R I A T E T O T H E M E D I U M . O N T H E O N E H A N D
   T H E T E C H N I C A L A N D T E C H N O L O G I C A L E X P E R T I S E I S R E Q U I R E D A N D G R A N T E D ;
   B U T , A B O V E A L L , T H E R E M U S T B E A 3 6 0 - D E G R E E V I E W T H A T A L L O W S Y O U T O
   D E S I G N F O R A L L M E D I A A T T H E S A M E T I M E , P R O V I D I N G T H E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C
   E L E M E N T S O F E A C H .
   

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6. B R A N D I D E N T I T Y
   “ A N I D E N T I T Y C A N B E N A R R A T I V E , I T C A N B E S Y M B O L I C , I T
   C A N B E S I M P LY V I S U A L LY M E M O R A B L E , I T C A N C R E A T E A
   M O O D , O R I T C A N B E M I N I M A L . ” T H E P R O C E S S T O R E A C H
   T H I S S O L U T I O N B E G I N S W I T H Z E T A L A B I D E N T I F Y I N G A N D
   U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E R E A L N E E D O F T H E C L I E N T .
   

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7. Q U E S T I O N S
   • A C C O R D I N G T O Y O U R W E B S I T E , “ Z E T A L A B D E S I G N S B R A N D I D E N T I T Y
   A N D V I S U A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N S T R A T E G I E S ” . W H A T I S T H E S I G N I F I C A N C E
   O F D E S I G N I N G A S T R A T E G Y R A T H E R T H A N D E S I G N I N G A P R O D U C T O R
   S O M E T H I N G T A N G I B L E ?
   • I S T H E R E A N Y T H I N G A B O U T T H E C U L T U R E , C O N T E X T A N D C I T Y O F
   M I L A N T H A T I N F L U E N C E S Y O U R D E S I G N S ( F O R B R A N D S T R A T E G I E S )
   A N D / O R D E S I G N P R O C E S S ?
   • H O W D O E S Z E T A L A B M A I N T A I N / E V O L V E B R A N D I D E N T I T I E S A C R O S S
   M U L T I P L E M E D I U M S ? / W H A T K I N D O F C H A L L E N G E S D O Y O U F A C E W H E N
   D E S I G N I N G B R A N D S Y S T E M A C R O S S M U L T I P L E P L A T F O R M S ?
   • H O W E V E R , Y O U A L S O M E N T I O N T H A T T E C H N O L O G Y A N D M E D I A A R E
   “ M E R G I N G I N T O A S I N G L E I N S T R U M E N T . ” H O W D O Y O U E N V I S I O N
   D E S I G N I N G S T R A T E G I E S / S Y S T E M S F O R T H I S M E R G E ?
   

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8. View Slide

9. M I L A N O R O M A
   

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10. Q U E S T I O N S ğ
    C O U L D Y O U U S E T H E M O L E S K I N E M I L A N O / R O M E S T O R E A S A N E X A M P L E T O S H O W
    H O W Z E T A L A B S T I T C H E S T H E S P A C E D E S I G N , P R O D U C T ( D I S P L A Y S H E L V E S )
    D E S I G N A N D G R A P H I C D E S I G N , E T C . T O A U N I F I E D B R A N D E X P E R I E N C E ?
    

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12. H A I K U I S A F O R M O F P O E T R Y F R O M J A P A N :
    3 V E R S E S W I T H 5 , 7 , A N D 5 S Y L L A B L E S .
    W I T H N O T I T L E .
    A G R E A T S Y N T H E S I S O F I D E A A N D I M A G E .
    

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13. In these events, the haiku is used by artists to create silk-
    screen decorations for Moleskine notebooks. The partici-
    pants can choose from different frames, colors to create
    their own personal design.
    Silk screen printing is one of the main techniques used by
    Moleskine to customize notebooks.
    

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14. M O L E S K I N E W O R D S
    Zetalab designed and produced a small literature
    event for Moleskine, asking people inside stores
    to express their feelings and ideas writing and
    sharing short poems and stories on Moleskine
    Cahiers using a selection of rubber stamps.
    This event has taken place in all over Europe.
    

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15. “At Zetalab there is a team that takes care of the project permanently in synergy
    with Smemoranda, almost in symbiosis. At the beginning of our collaboration,
    three years ago, we did an extensive analysis of historical production of the
    visual world of reference of their audience, the areas to develop and improve on
    the agendas, and we started to 'run' with them.”
    S M E M O R A N D A
    

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17. Q U E S T I O N S
    • W H A T G U I D E S A N D I N S P I R E S Y O U R P R O C E S S W H E N Y O U
    C H O O S E T Y P E F A C E S , L A Y O U T S A N D C O L O U R S F O R Y O U R
    S M E M O R A N D A D E S I G N S ?
    • T H E D E S I G N E R S W H O W O R K Z E T A L A B A R E C H O S E N F O R
    T H E I R P A S S I O N A N D V I S I O N O F T H E W O R L D , R A T H E R T H A N
    S P E C I F I C T E C H N I C A L S K I L L S . H O W D O E S Z E T A L A B S E E
    P A S S I O N I N T H E I R O W N [ G R A P H I C ] D E S I G N ?
    

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18. The Milano FilmFestival consists of a format containing
    elements, which are common to both Esterni and Festival.
    Namely, the importance of culture as a meeting moment,
    the film world, the international nature, and visual experi-
    mentation.
    Each year since 2001 Zetalab designs a new visual identity
    for the running edition, a whole new format that is ap-
    plied to the whole communication materials.
    

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19. View Slide

20. View Slide

21. Q U E S T I O N S ğ
    Z E T A L A B H A S B E E N P R O D U C I N G I D E N T I T Y P R O J E C T S F O R M F F S I N C E 2 0 0 1 , E A C H
    R U N N I N G E D I T I O N H A S A N E W I D E N T I T Y . W H A T R O L E D O E S G R A P H I C D E S I G N
    P L A Y I N C R E A T I N G N E W I D E N T I T Y W I T H I N A C O N S I S T E N T B R A N D S Y S T E M ?
    I N 2 0 0 9 , Z E T A L A B U S E D A V E R Y D I F F E R E N T A P P R O A C H ( P H O T O G R A P H I N G 3 D
    O B J E C T S ) T O C R E A T E T H E I D E N T I T Y F O R T H E M F F . C O U L D Y O U T A L K A B O U T T H E
    P R O C E S S B E H I N D T H I S D E S I G N D E C I S I O N ? W H A T W E R E T H E I N S P I R A T I O N S F O R
    T R Y I N G O U T N E W A P P R O A C H E S ?
    F O R T H E M F F , I T ’ S M E N T I O N E D T H E S I G N I F I C A N C E O F “ C U L T U R E A S A M E E T I N G
    M O M E N T ” . C A N Y O U E L A B O R A T E O N T H I S ? P E R H A P S H O W W O U L D T H I S P E R T A I N
    T O T H E C U L T U R E O F M I L A N ?
    Y O U D E S C R I B E C O N T E M P O R A R Y G R A P H I C D E S I G N T O B E “ F L E X I B L E ” , H O W I S
    T H I S A C H I E V E D I N A L L T H E S Y S T E M E L E M E N T S N E E D E D F O R , S A Y , T H E M I L A N O
    F I L M F E S T I V A L ?
    

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22. A L L Q U E S T I O N S
    G E N E R A L
    • A C C O R D I N G T O Y O U R W E B S I T E , “ Z E T A L A B D E S I G N S
    B R A N D I D E N T I T Y A N D V I S U A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N
    S T R A T E G I E S ” . W H A T I S T H E S I G N I F I C A N C E O F D E S I G N I N G
    A S T R A T E G Y R A T H E R T H A N D E S I G N I N G A P R O D U C T O R
    S O M E T H I N G T A N G I B L E ?
    • I S T H E R E A N Y T H I N G A B O U T T H E C U L T U R E , C O N T E X T A N D
    C I T Y O F M I L A N T H A T I N F L U E N C E S Y O U R D E S I G N S ( F O R
    B R A N D S T R A T E G I E S ) A N D / O R D E S I G N P R O C E S S ?
    • H O W D O E S Z E T A L A B M A I N T A I N / E V O L V E B R A N D
    I D E N T I T I E S A C R O S S M U L T I P L E M E D I U M S ? / W H A T K I N D O F
    C H A L L E N G E S D O Y O U F A C E W H E N D E S I G N I N G B R A N D
    S Y S T E M A C R O S S M U L T I P L E P L A T F O R M S ?
    • H O W E V E R , Y O U A L S O M E N T I O N T H A T T E C H N O L O G Y A N D
    M E D I A A R E “ M E R G I N G I N T O A S I N G L E I N S T R U M E N T . ” H O W
    D O Y O U E N V I S I O N D E S I G N I N G S T R A T E G I E S / S Y S T E M S F O R
    T H I S M E R G E ?
    M O L E S K I N E
    • C O U L D Y O U U S E T H E M O L E S K I N E M I L A N O / R O M E S T O R E
    A S A N E X A M P L E T O S H O W H O W Z E T A L A B S T I T C H E S T H E
    S P A C E D E S I G N , P R O D U C T ( D I S P L A Y S H E L V E S ) D E S I G N
    A N D G R A P H I C D E S I G N , E T C . T O A U N I F I E D B R A N D
    E X P E R I E N C E ?
    S M E M O R A N D A
    • W H A T G U I D E S A N D I N S P I R E S Y O U R P R O C E S S W H E N Y O U
    C H O O S E T Y P E F A C E S , L A Y O U T S A N D C O L O U R S F O R Y O U R
    S M E M O R A N D A D E S I G N S ?
    • T H E D E S I G N E R S W H O W O R K Z E T A L A B A R E C H O S E N F O R
    T H E I R P A S S I O N A N D V I S I O N O F T H E W O R L D , R A T H E R
    T H A N S P E C I F I C T E C H N I C A L S K I L L S . H O W D O E S Z E T A L A B
    S E E P A S S I O N I N T H E I R O W N [ G R A P H I C ] D E S I G N ?
    M I L A N O F I L M F E S T I V A L
    • Z E T A L A B H A S B E E N P R O D U C I N G I D E N T I T Y P R O J E C T S
    F O R M F F S I N C E 2 0 0 1 , E A C H R U N N I N G E D I T I O N H A S A
    N E W I D E N T I T Y . W H A T R O L E D O E S G R A P H I C D E S I G N P L A Y
    I N C R E A T I N G N E W I D E N T I T Y W I T H I N A C O N S I S T E N T
    B R A N D S Y S T E M ?
    • I N 2 0 0 9 , Z E T A L A B U S E D A V E R Y D I F F E R E N T A P P R O A C H
    ( P H O T O G R A P H I N G 3 D O B J E C T S ) T O C R E A T E T H E I D E N T I T Y
    F O R T H E M F F . C O U L D Y O U T A L K A B O U T T H E P R O C E S S
    B E H I N D T H I S D E S I G N D E C I S I O N ? W H A T W E R E T H E
    I N S P I R A T I O N S F O R T R Y I N G O U T N E W A P P R O A C H E S ?
    • F O R T H E M F F , I T ’ S M E N T I O N E D T H E S I G N I F I C A N C E O F
    “ C U L T U R E A S A M E E T I N G M O M E N T ” . C A N Y O U E L A B O R A T E
    O N T H I S ? P E R H A P S H O W W O U L D T H I S P E R T A I N T O T H E
    C U L T U R E O F M I L A N ?
    • Y O U D E S C R I B E C O N T E M P O R A R Y G R A P H I C D E S I G N T O B E
    “ F L E X I B L E ” , H O W I S T H I S A C H I E V E D I N A L L T H E S Y S T E M
    E L E M E N T S N E E D E D F O R , S A Y , T H E M I L A N O F I L M
    F E S T I V A L ?
    

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