The creative world today between connections and multidisciplinarity

How did Collater.al come to life, and what was its original purpose? Has it become what you initially envisioned?

Collater.al started almost as a game, initially as a research archive created by a group of communication enthusiasts. The idea was to collect the very best from street culture, advertising, and visual arts, and turn it into a constantly updated source of inspiration. A place to save projects, links, artworks, and campaigns we stumbled upon by chance and didn’t want to lose. And we loved to write: short critical reviews that were direct, conversational, and raw.

Collater.al is not just a magazine, but also an art direction studio. How do you manage these two dimensions? In what ways do they influence one another, and where do you keep them separate?

When we decided to leave our agency jobs and found Collater.al Studio, our model of reference was media companies like Vice, Hypebeast, and Highsnobiety. The magazine was always our calling card, the way we differentiated ourselves from similar realities that were more focused on fashion or music. We showcased our connections with creatives, street artists, illustrators, photographers, and designers, figures we often involved to enrich commissioned projects. Our strength was (and still is) creative variety, the ability to interpret in multiple ways, thanks to dialogue and contamination with artists. In many cases, the magazine also served as an amplifier for our projects, the platform that showcased what we were capable of.

Over time, your communication style has evolved considerably, while maintaining a strong identity and a consistent tone of voice. Were these changes driven more by the need to adapt to new languages and platforms, or by a desire for greater creative freedom?

I’d say both. Our language has changed because it followed the evolution of digital communication, of which we were not just spectators but active participants. For example, when we started, Instagram didn’t exist yet, and we worked mostly on Facebook and Twitter. We studied and tried to understand the risks and opportunities of each medium. At the same time, while staying true to our editorial line, we always embraced the hybridization of languages, integration, enrichment. This came not only from our closeness to the art world, both Italian and international, but also from the people who joined our team over time, bringing diverse and valuable perspectives.

If you could carry out any project — with no budget constraints and no client limitations — what would it be?

We have always loved rich, in-depth, multifaceted editorial content, something original and capable of moving people emotionally. If we could choose, we would probably work on a major film project, or on an endless documentary series that highlights the evolution of language and the different visions of contemporary artists and creatives.

You work in the field of creative dissemination, spanning art, design, and architecture. Beyond artificial intelligence, is there a recent trend or shift you find particularly meaningful or perhaps overlooked?

We have always believed that art has an important political and social role, and we’ve been fascinated by the subversive power of street art, for example. We’d love to see greater attention paid to trends such as Low-Tech and Post-Digital, as a counterpoint to digital perfection, which increasingly risks flattening aesthetic taste. And also the “culture of repair”: recovery, reuse, restoration, and regeneration as creative and political acts.

How do you view design education in Italy today?

There are historic institutions like ISIA, and schools such as IED, Politecnico di Milano, and IUAV in Venice, offering prestigious programs with a strong connection between practice, experimentation, and international collaboration. Perhaps what should be cultivated more is cultural depth: understanding the “why” behind evolutions, the cultural and aesthetic connections between cinema, design, literature, and advertising. The more you know, the more you see. Today, perhaps, we look too much at the future and the “how,” and not enough at the “why.”

How do you see the role of young graphic designers in Italy?

Today, everything is design. But it’s no longer just about “making something look good.” It’s about building meaning, connections, and awareness in a saturated, unstable, hyper-fragmented visual landscape.

What advice would you give to a young graphic designer entering the job market in Italy today?

Don’t stop at “how it’s done,” always ask yourself “why it’s done that way.” Study cinema, art, advertising, literature. Look at what’s happening outside of design, because that’s where your eyes truly develop. And always question everything: that may be the most valuable piece of advice we can give to someone entering the world of design.