What would indeed interest me in the light of the upcoming Design Management Institute (http://www.dmi.org) conference that takes place in Milan is:

According to Prof. Roberto Verganti who will also speak in Milan the 'success' of Italian Design is also/mostly due to the 'cluster effect' the design centered companies are benefiting from in Northern Italy. Is this cluster really (or still) that strong and in which way does Alessi consider his company as part of this 'performance cluster'?

... and thanks Helen for your great work! ;-)

My question for Mr. Alessi:

Given worldwide economic disaster, how DO design companies such as Alessi break through to a downtrodden consumer? How do you make your products relevant to people (and particularly Americans) who have tightened their belts?

How do you maintain the original philosophy of a company committed to design, and has sustained a few economic downturns in history, during a time of such economic challenge?

Do designers get a cut of sales? Are you committed to green (sustainable) design (and how)? And what are you doing to support young designers & emerging talent? With the rise of Scandinavian design talent in recent years, what's the next hotbed for design talent? Thank you.

Of all the products you've produced, what's your fave and why? Also, what's your dream project?

Given the economy, one might argue that the everyday American consumer has reverted back to the basics and become less materialistic. What is your plan for sustaining this current climate and keeping your product/design front of mind to the “new” consumer?

Maybe it's me, maybe it's you- but, I seem to have not heard or seen as much from Alessi in a while.
Good design doesn't have to be expensive- I think Michael Graves proved that with Target.

For a company that makes such beautiful and functional products, why is the alessi.com online experience so poor?

Since Alessi products are mainly for use with food and eating, and food preparation and serving is so intertwined with cultural habits, what are some ways that Alessi solves the problem of designing relevant objects for multiple cultures?

i don't think Michael Graves proved anything other than Architects cant design consumer product that function on different levels. have you ever used any of that poorly thought out crap! The Toaster...twice as large as it needed to be and for what STYLE... masturbation.

Alessi..what is your present production expectation for next quarter? Do people who buy your product actually cook or are they props?

When do you see modernism dying? is creating the perfect edge just too easy and predictable nowadays?

With companies scrambling to become more "green", "sustainable", and "efficient" than the next--as is the trend these days to call out that they are tuned into consumer's needs, how will Alessi NOT become a trend-follower but still maintain relevance and its unique vision? Also: I adore the Orientales series of recent years that are inspired by (mostly) Chinese history/themes, but they weren't designed by a Chinese designer nor has there been a major Chinese product designer of the same caliber as Starck or Stefano in your lineup. Anyone that you're interested in who can bring a unique 'Chinese design language' like Graves or Castiglioni does for their respective cultures?

Mr. Alessi, further to Dave's comment: as someone of Chinese descent, I found the Orientales line stereotypical and rather offensive. Rationale? Response?

check this blog for lots of Alessi designs:
http://1designperday.wordpress.com/

Actually--with all due respect to Andrew--I find the Orientales a fresh, light-hearted reflection of a particular culture. The care that Alessi and Giovannoni took in the details reflect a deep level of respect for history and culture, not of stereotype. We can't deny that ethnic differences are part of what makes us unique; our efforts to 'equalize' everyone often go overboard and instead diminishes our understanding of others. For the record, I'm Chinese-American and have several items from the Qin family and orientales collection. A great article on this issue in ID magazine: http://preview.id-mag.com/article/The_Squint_and_the_Wail/

Thanks, all, for the questions and the fascinating discussion. Alberto Alessi has now left the building. You can see him take on some of these topics here: http://is.gd/lKlL