Some encounters lead to a very specific outcome. Others, along the way, end up changing the way we look at what we do. 2026 gave us one of those opportunities.
Kriladesign joined forces with Poliarte, Ancona’s Academy of Design, for a special project involving the third-year Graphic & Web Design class. It was a project work dedicated to us: rethinking Kriladesign’s communication and image, online and beyond; stepping into our world and trying to see it through fresh eyes.
Collaborating with schools and universities is part of the way we work. Over the years, we have welcomed students during their studies, creating opportunities for direct exchange with the business world.
With Poliarte, we took this a step further, building a more immersive journey: getting to know each other, stepping into our world, and then seeing it reflected back to us through a new perspective.
Before telling our story, we let them get to know us
The class visited our company and had the opportunity to see our spaces and our work up close. They met our team and our founder, Giuliano Filipponi, observed how our activities take shape and evolve, gathered information and asked questions.
It was an encounter between generations, skills and different ways of communicating.
On one side, a company that has built its story over almost fifty years through experience, technical expertise and everyday work. On the other, a generation that experiences digital as a natural language, approaching communication through its own tools, references and perspectives.
Two different ways of looking at the same subject. And it was precisely this encounter that sparked the most interesting part of the conversation.
One project, three directions
The project was led by Professor Sergio Giantomassi, lecturer in Editorial Graphics, Basic Design, Digital Drawing, and Visual Communication Tools and Techniques. Beatrice Filipponi, co-founder of Kriladesign, followed the work closely, bringing into the project the perspective of someone who knows the brand and lives it every day.
The work explored several areas: from market and competitor analysis to the positioning of our two divisions, from brand architecture to the development of a coherent narrative, all the way through to digital communication.
We also brought into the project some of the themes that are an integral part of Kriladesign’s identity: sustainability, modularity, durability and technical expertise.
The goal was to arrive at concrete proposals: an applicable visual identity, content, guidelines and a digital plan capable of supporting both B2B customer acquisition and the perceived value of our lighting products.
The three working groups developed three proposals, each offering a different interpretation of Kriladesign, with its own logic, personality and original reading of the brand.
After discussion, evaluation and our feedback, the projects reached their final stage and the students presented their completed outputs.
Now the choice is ours: to understand which direction feels closest to us and represents Kriladesign most naturally. It won’t be easy. They are all genuinely strong proposals!
Seeing ourselves through someone else’s eyes
This is probably what stayed with us the most. To work on the project, we first had to tell our story: explain who we are, what we do and why we do things the way we do. Put our strengths on the table, but also our challenges. Then we took a step back and let other people look at us. It is a valuable exercise for any company: stepping outside your own perspective, even just for a moment.
The students’ proposals gave us back a Kriladesign we recognized and, at the same time, had never quite seen this way before. They showed us new possibilities, languages and approaches. They brought energy, curiosity and the natural familiarity with the digital world that belongs to their generation.
And they reminded us of something simple: learning can move in both directions.
We can share experience, knowledge and the perspective of people who work inside a company every day. But meeting people from another generation, with a different background and a different way of looking at things, can open up perspectives we might never have explored on our own. A real recharge of energy!
And the thread keeps weaving
What began with Poliarte over these past few months has created a connection we want to keep nurturing and exploring.
Soon, two of the students involved in the project will join us at Kriladesign for an internship.
We will have more time to get to know each other, exchange ideas and share our everyday work.
And perhaps that is the most valuable part of collaborating with the world of education: when a project becomes a relationship, and that relationship has room to keep growing.
Thanks to Poliarte, to Diego Giacchetti for coordinating the project, to Professor Sergio Giantomassi, and to all the students who embraced the opportunity with curiosity, energy and ideas.
We wish them a future full of projects, discoveries and paths to illuminate… and who knows? Maybe some of those paths will lead back here.
Until the next update…
Kriladesign Team & Family