DAE at Milan Design Week 2025
Are We Going in Circles? at Alcova Milano
Exploring the complexities of design discourse for a sustainable and symbiotic future
Are we designing the future or repeating the past? Are we truly innovating or trapped in cycles of unsustainable production, outdated methodologies, and superficial change? Design Academy Eindhoven will confront design’s most pressing questions with “Are We Going in Circles?”, a series of public talks by the DAE Master programme in collaboration with Kaldewei at Alcova Milano during Milan Design Week 2025 (7–10 April).
In a world of finite resources, how can designers rethink material use, tackle sustainability challenges, and embrace long-term thinking in their creative processes? These questions will be at the heart of the free, public discussions, presented by DAE’s MA department in collaboration with KALDEWEI—a company redefining sustainability in material production. Hosted at Alcova Milano, the premier independent design platform of Milan Design Week, the talks will bring together leading voices from design, academia, and industry to explore the forces shaping the future of design.
At the heart of this programme is the unique educational philosophy of the DAE Master’s department, which encourages students to think freely and critically about design within a global, multicultural context. “Are We Going in Circles?” will explore four key themes through interdisciplinary panel discussions:
- Material culture
- Cultural Ecosystem
- Planetary
- Political bodies
By inviting an external audience into these discussions, DAE and KALDEWEI aim to bridge academia and industry, demonstrating how collaboration can lead to innovative, long-term solutions for global challenges.
Read more about the Programme
Graphics by Susanna Tomassini
NEW CRAFTSMANSHIP: A NEW WORLD at SaloneSatellite
We see designers not merely as problem-solvers but as critical thinkers capable of imagining and manifesting alternative futures. By combining creativity with ethical responsibility, our education nurtures a radical yet grounded vision for a more sustainable and just society. Craftsmanship, in this context, becomes a tool for innovation, bridging speculation and implementation, critical thinking and real-world impact.
In this spirit, DAE accepted the invitation to participate in SaloneSatellite 2025 – the exhibition at Salone del Mobile dedicated to assist young designers from all over the world starting their career. An opportunity for mutual creative confrontation among Schools and with the international audience of the event. SaloneSatellite’s theme will be NEW CRAFTSMANSHIP: A NEW WORLD, an important topic to safeguard this profession which is the basis of creativity.
The showcased works include:
- Ralf Gloudemans – Transcending: Mesh to Matter
- Pierre Salaün – H.B.M.S.
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Yufei Gao – Gaia, how are you today?
DAE Community in Milan Design Week 2025
Throughout Milan Design Week 2025, Design Academy Eindhoven students and alumni appear across exhibitions, talks, and experimental spaces throughout the city. Their work brings critical reflection, material exploration, and bold new ideas to the international stage. Visit this page and learn where to find them.
Featuring the following works from DAE alumni:
