Carlo Ratti wraps up his summer column on everyday Italian design objects
Architect Carlo Ratti has concluded his Wallpaper* summer series 'Objectify,' which examined 14 ordinary Italian objects and their design histories. The column covered items ranging from mosquito coils and garden gnomes to Mutti tins, using them to discuss how design shapes daily life. Ratti reflects on reader responses and the role of writing in design as the series ends for the season.
Carlo Ratti's Wallpaper* column Objectify ran for fourteen Sundays, each installment focused on one everyday Italian item. Subjects included mosquito coils, garden gnomes, Mutti tins, the Microlino, and even the condom and condominium. The series traced origins and drew broader lessons about design and daily life.
After the series ended, Ratti reflected on online reposts and comments, noting that objects continue to evolve through users' responses. A friend's WhatsApp question about why he writes prompted five reasons, including public intellectual engagement, Umberto Eco's open-work idea, self-fulfilling prophecies, vanity, and life as conversation.
The column may prompt readers to notice ordinary objects as design artifacts, potentially deepening public appreciation for everyday Italian material culture. Designers and design writers could see user commentary as useful feedback, while readers may find a model for accessible, conversational criticism. Its impact is likely modest but cumulative: by linking objects to lived experience, it may encourage broader participation in debates about how things are made, used, and adapted.