Denis Guidone is an Italian architect, product designer, and visual communications expert based in Milan and Tokyo. He studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano and at FAUP in Oporto.
“I subscribe to the view that design is a process of subtraction, but I admit that I am often fascinated by the idea of progressively adding in order to achieve a final balance, ” Denis explains. “I think simplicity is a solved complexity. ”
Denis has worked with a diverse range of companies including Roche Bobois, Nava Design, Ichendorf, Serax, Projects Watches, Shuji Nakagawa, and Arita Risogama. In collaboration with FontanaArte, he designed the Kanji series, “a family of lighting elements that reinterprets traditional Oriental portable lanterns in a contemporary key. Available in tabletop and ceiling models, it draws inspiration from Chinese porcelain from the Ming dynasty. ”
He is also known for his watch designs, which he describes as “provocative and paradoxical essays in object-making. ” He explains: “I’m increasingly convinced watches have lost their original function and acquired a new one. They are foremost markers of taste and self-expression.
Denis has won numerous international awards, including the IDA Design Award in Los Angeles. He was also given the Bruno Munari Prize by Gillo Dorfles in 2009 at the Triennale di Milano, was selected for the ADI index 2010, and received an honorable mention at Young & Design 2012.