Designing Dreams: Ferrari Design Team
Red Dot Award: Product Design
Fatto a mano – made by hand
The designs and luxurious sports cars on show in the Red Dot Design Museum are the work of none other than Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari’s Chief Design Officer. The harmonious proportions and elegant shapes of the Ferrari 488 GTB and the Ferrari SF90 Stradale reflect the passion shared by millions of ferraristi around the world – even those who have never sat behind the wheel of one of these high-end sports cars.
The foundations for the legend surrounding the Ferrari brand were laid by one man in particular: Enzo Ferrari. In 1947, he founded a small factory in Maranello and with the help of legendary race victories created a brand that is synonymous with innovation and tradition, passion and elegance, perfection and exclusivity.
Disegno – drawing
“Every designer should first try to understand the brand”, says Flavio Manzoni, Senior Vice President of Design at Ferrari, explaining that “every sketch already sets out a certain idea on paper”. This interplay between the idea and the sculpture and between imagination and innovation is captured in the exhibition by comparing Flavio Manzoni’s sketches with the iconic sports cars. The narrative created by this visual aid guides the visitors through the exhibition.
There are times during the design process when Flavio Manzoni and his team work more like artists: “The empty page is the place where ideas first take on a physical form”, explains Manzoni. They then use a model to connect surfaces with each other and gauge the proportions in order to refine the models step by step. In this way, designers and engineers combine artisan design and innovative technology to create a “moving sculpture”, says Manzoni, constantly reinventing the legend of Ferrari for the future.
Visitors can catch the studio exhibition “Passione Ferrari” in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen until the end of March.
Red Dot Design Museum – Opening hours and entrance fees
Tuesdays – Sundays & public holidays: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last admittance: 5 p.m.)
Mondays: closed (except on public holidays and during school holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia)
Entrance fee Museum including special exhibitions: EUR 9 (reduced rate: EUR 4)
Children under the age of 12: free
Fridays: pay what you want
Note on the pandemic: All visitors must currently provide proof either of vaccination or of recovery from coronavirus. Schoolgoers aged 16 or under need only present a valid school ID. Medical-grade face masks must also be worn. For more information and up-to-date notices, see www.red-dot-design-museum.de
