7 Reasons why you should choose to study design in Italy

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” Steve Jobs

Why do students from across the globe flock in their thousands each year to study design in Italy? Below, The Italian Academy has come up with a list of 7 Reasons why you should choose to study design in Italy.

• ‘Made in Italy’

When we think of fashion and arts, design and culture, our minds automatically turn to Italy, and for good reason too. ‘Made in Italy’ has become a symbol the world over for sophistication, style, glamour, and products of the highest quality. So, it’s no small wonder that Italy is the go-to place for anyone interested in studying design, fashion, architecture, and all related industries. Italy is the world’s leading producer of luxury leather goods, accounting for an astonishing 65% of all leather production in Europe! 

• Milan Fashion Week

Milan Fashion week, established in 1958, is the world’s premier event of its kind; a showpiece for brands as familiar to global audiences as Armani, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, Max Mara, Prada, Pucci, Versace and many others. Fashion Houses, all proudly carrying the ‘Made in Italy’ brand. The fashion industry in Italy accounts for 1.3% of the nation’s GDP, making it one of Italy’s strongest flourishing industries. The ‘Made in Italy’ label was worth $2.1 billion in a 2019 annual report by Brand Finance. 

• Design Schools in Italy are among the best in the world

With Italy’s unique tradition and heritage as the go-to country to study design, it comes as no surprise that there are 44 Academies of Fine Arts in Italy alone, which will be music to the ears of anyone wishing to study design in Italy. The broad range of course in design at these specialist Academies and many of Italy’s 90 universities, are as diverse as degrees in Fine Arts, Fashion, Architecture, Interior Design, Product Design, Design and Arts, Graphic Design and Art Direction, Media Design and Multimedia Arts, Visual Arts Design etc; offering an incredibly broad and enriching tapestry of options for everyone who chooses to study design in Italy. In Sicily, The Made Program offers fantastic value for money degree programs in Design and Visual Arts; the first of its kind in Italy, mixing design, art, traditional crafts, and local culture.   

• Employability in Italy and abroad

Design provides a perfect springboard for careers throughout industry. For example, Architecture is closely allied to other disciplines such as Art and Design, and is tied to other subjects such as Engineering, Construction and Graphic Design. Architects will have an eye for aesthetic beauty as well as utility and design. Fashion Design is the perfect choice for creative people who are seeking careers in fashion, retail buyer, textile design and so on. Graphic Design is an ideal choice for imaginative people who enjoy using colours, forms, and images to create visual content to communicate messages. Product Design may lead to careers in industrial manufacturing, car manufacturing, point of sale design and many other areas. A qualification in any area of design is practically a guarantee of a well-paid career and guaranteed employment in one of many creative industries both in Italy and abroad. 

• Follow in the footsteps of….

Carlo Palazzi, Donatella Versace, Gianni Versace, Emilio Pucci, Giorgio Armani, Miuccia Prada, Roberto Carvalli, Sergio Rossi, Stefano Pilati…just a few Italian names to conjure with from the arena of Fashion Design. Piero Lissoni, Mario Ballini, Cino Zucchi, Andrea Branzi (world-renowned Italian architects). If you lean towards engineering design, take a moment to reflect on the fabulous automobile manufacturers to have emerged from Italy; cars designed by Italians. Such illustrious names as Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo. Literally the most famous cars manufacturers in the world.   

• There is no better place to study design than Italy

The Renaissance started in Florence in the 14 Century. Among its foremost ground -breaking genius’s, were the original ‘Renaissance man’ Leonardo Da Vinci (painter, artist, inventor, designer), Galileo (Italian astronomer and engineer), Michelangelo (artist, sculptor, architect). Art, architecture, and science is inextricably linked to the Renaissance period, as Brunelleschi, the father of Renaissance architecture studied mathematics to accurately design and engineer wonders such as the dome of Florence cathedral. With its unparalleled architectural history, cultural importance, strong industrial base, and well- earned reputation as leader of the world of fashion, making the decision to study design in Italy is pretty much a no brainer for students interested in design!

• What makes Italy the best for design? 

“Quite simply, we are the best” claimed Italian architect Luigi Caccia, who designed and built many architectural wonders in Milan, notably the internal restructuring of the historic Biblioteca and the Pinacoteca Ambrosian art museum. According to Caccia, “Italians have more imagination, more culture, and are better mediators between the past and the future.” Whatever the merits of his boast, making the decision to study design in Italy is irresistible.