Serving as the first step towards the ADI Compasso d’Oro Award 2026, the ADI Index 2025 selection this year comprises 344 projects, chosen from over 1000 submissions and organized into 14 categories. This cross-sectional overview of the industry highlights the widespread vitality of Italian design, with a strong concentration in the North and a growing presence in other areas of the country. «Throughout the 70-year history of the Compasso d’Oro Award», states ADI President Luciano Galimberti, «design has consistently broadened its scope into new territories, confronting the shifts of an increasingly complex and globalized society».
The selection was curated by the ADI Permanent Design Observatory, under the supervision of a Steering Committee composed of Makio Hasuike, Domenico Sturabotti, Laura Traldi, and Francesco Zurlo. These are influential figures who represent diverse experiences and perspectives within the design world. Francesco Zurlo explains that the aim is to present «a comprehensive and nuanced portrait of Italian design, illustrating the variety and excellence of our productive and cultural system». Galimberti further stresses that the Observatory’s work is «a journey whose objective is to provide us with an expanded view of what we call design today, but above all, what it will be called tomorrow».
Design for living
Sixty-nine projects are dedicated to domestic spaces and new ways of experiencing daily environments. These range from innovations for bathrooms to material solutions for coverings, such as Paola Paronetto’s Home Paper Clay for Industrie Ceramiche Piemme or Saviola’s Mood Texture on Ecological Panel®. Also featured are the pleated texture of the Lana radiators by ADML CIRCLE studio, designed by Michele De Lucchi for Antrax, inspired by textile yarns. Seating is prominently featured, including the Continuum D.163.7, reissued by Molteni&C by Bonacina1889, originally designed by Gio Ponti, often called the “father” of the Compasso d’Oro. Sofa designs are also present, such as Array by Snøhetta for MDF Italia, and Nendo’s Hana-Arachi collection for Paola Lenti, whose pieces are crafted from fabric remnants salvaged from previous productions. The inclusive Pinch project, a continuous, curvilinear bench that eliminates all barriers, allowing free and autonomous use, is particularly interesting. In lighting, two products from Artemide stand out: Helgoland by Carlotta de Bevilacqua and Crisfera by Giulia Foscari – Una / Unless, alongside Davide Groppi’s Ribbon, to mention just a few.
Mobility design, Workplace design, Personal design
Sanlorenzo, Bluegame, Repower, Persico Marine, Azimut, Wally Ferretti are among the shipyards selected in the Yacht category, presented alongside innovative products ranging from tires and motorcycle helmets to bicycles and automobiles. The Cosmo modular sofa system, designed by Philippe Tabet for ET AL., interprets the contemporary demands of fluid living, where the lines between home and work are increasingly blurred. Concurrently, Norman Foster’s Cosmos project for Tecno, a furniture system comprising tables, bookshelves, and accessories, explores the boundary between aerospace engineering and furniture design.
Multifunctionality is a key area of exploration for Sello by Las Mobili, a combined chair and stool designed by Antonio Lanzillo & Partners, and for the Zucca chair by Favaretto & Partners for Dogus Education Furnitures, which, thanks to its three different sizes, adapts to every educational stage, from kindergarten to middle school. As for personal design, a total of 27 projects are focused on individual well-being. Technological innovation is a common thread in inclusive micro-mobility projects, such as the Genny Zero wheelchair by Enrico Pagano for Genny Factory GMI, and the Genufeel OA device by Orthoservice, designed to alleviate pain and improve the quality of life for inoperable patients. Other examples include the Technogym Checkup body assessment station, Luxottica’s eyewear projects that integrate hearing aids (Nuance) and smart functions (Ray-Ban Meta Collection), and the Vibram Lock System shoe, which introduces a new concept of sustainable and modular footwear.
Eight solutions related to food design address the connection between design and food culture. Ample space is also dedicated to materials design, prominently featuring the Catifa Carta chair in PaperShell by Lievore Altherr Molina for Arper. The other categories include service design, social design, research for business, communication design, exhibition design, and editorial projects. Finally, the Targa Giovani (Youth Award) brings together 28 projects by students and young designers who have distinguished themselves with works addressing themes such as pedestrian crossing safety, orthopedic braces, rehabilitation, inclusive cooking units, as well as alternatives to synthetic colors, digital manipulation exploring the subtle boundary between authenticity and fiction, and a wall clock that combines time measurement with the visualization of the user’s emotional states.
The exhibitions: Milan and Agrigento Italian Capital of Culture 2025
Starting this year, the ADI Design Index’s journey will intertwine with that of the Italian Capitals of Culture. The ADI Index 2025 selection will be on display at the ADI Design Museum in Milan until October 30, 2025. It will then travel to Agrigento – Italian Capital of Culture 2025, with an inauguration on November 11 at the Palacongressi and public access from November 12 to 28, 2025.
