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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

: I decided to develop an item whose function is linked to my homeland, since it is a region whose cultural value is often underestimated even by its inhabitants. Moreover, I chose the “Malocchio” tradition because it’s a ritual that I feel familiar with, since my grandmother explained it to me when I was a child.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

: Finally, this work’s aim is to promote – in a creative and modern way – traditions from the past often unknown by the youngsters and risk to be forgotten.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

: it would be nice ti see this project produced

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

: The project started in September 2013 in Florence and Campobasso and finished in April 2014.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

: I decided to pursuit the inspiration of Malocchio. Malocchio it’s an ancestral popular tradition widespread in different cultural areas. This superstition is strongly believed end deeply rooted in my birthplace: Molise. As a little girl, I used to see my grandmother performing the ritual against the “Malocchio”, I grew in contact with it and it was the source of inspiration to develop such a project.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

: As a little girl, I used to see my grandmother performing the ritual against the “Malocchio”, I grew in contact with it and it was the source of inspiration to develop such a project.

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

: I am the only designer of this work

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

: It is for everyone, for the people who are able to perform the rite and for those who simply want to have a gadget in memory of the old traditions.

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

: One of the things that pushed me to design this kit is that there isn't already a kit to perform the rite. People perform it with the objects that they have in the kitchen. Definitely the study of the graphic is a very chacarterustic element

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

: I have decided to call it Occhiataccia because, as the word Malocchio, it literally means "an eye throwing evil” or “a bad eye”

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

: The project was entirely realized on 3d model and graphic softwares

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

: The chacarterustic element is the equation-looking illustration explains how to perform the talismanic ritual

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

: With my grandmother!

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

: After a research on the varied intangible heritage of rituals and traditional festivals I decided to develop the nearest to me

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

: The biggest challenge has been to represent intangible cultures and customs, with materials and usable objects trying to catch the interest or curiosity of everyone.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

: I decided to introduce my project in an international competition because the design world is nowadays dominated by materialism and I think that is important to give visibility to something cultural and intangible.