Unleashing creativity for the next generation

Design, in its purest meaning, is about moving forward, thinking beyond, outlining, and projecting ahead—with the support of both technical and creative skills.
Following this approach, together with Alkemy BX — Alkemy‘s  division dedicated to production, creativity, and design— we presented a creative and collaborative project for Milan Design Week 2025.
Thanks to our relationship with Zona Sarpi, we connected with Panzini Middle School and the GPP Association (an organization composed of parents, teachers, and school staff from the Giusti Palermo Panzini Comprehensive Institute).

From this, a simple yet powerful idea emerged:

Why not work directly with middle school students to introduce them to the worlds of design and creativity?
Why not give them the opportunity to experience these professions firsthand and begin to understand how useful and stimulating they can be?

The Project

This led to the initiative “Design or Be Designed. Creativity for New Generations,” enthusiastically received by Panzini Middle School—a school  where subjects like art and technology become opportunities for learning, exploration, communication, and dialogue.

Four hands-on workshops were conducted in March 2025 by six professionals, including service designers, product designers, copywriters, and creative directors, alongside the school’s art and technology teachers.

The goal was to directly involve a second-year middle school class, encouraging students to rethink Via Verga—the area next to the school, recently pedestrianized and revitalized by the Municipality of Milan with interventions such as street art, benches, and ping-pong tables—and make it an even more welcoming space.

Through a program designed for 12-year-olds, students first listened to the needs, problems, desires, and perspectives of their peers and community members.
Then, they identified challenges and opportunities to address through creative solutions.
Whether feasible or not was not the focus; the real value laid in experiencing how dialogue and listening can shape a design process where future users can see themselves reflected.

Exploring the constraints and opportunities that characterize design and creative professions was a direct, hands-on experience.
Sketches, three-dimensional models, prototypes made from paper and cardboard, along with Canva presentations, PowerPoint slides, photos, and videos helped bring ideas to life.
The challenge was to generate viable ideas that would make Via Verga an even more attractive gathering place—where young people, especially those of a digitally native generation, could meet, socialize, and spend time together.

The Outcome

The solutions developed and the results of this collaboration were displayed in Via Giovanni Verga, next to Panzini Middle School.

From April 7 to 13, 2025, three narrative panels installed in the public space told the story of the design journey shared by students, teachers, designers, and creatives.

Texts, drawings, images, and, above all, the ideas developed during the workshops illustrated how creativity and design form the foundation for acquiring specialized skills. The panels highlighted how collaboration and multiple perspectives can generate unexpected yet practical solutions that, through systematic teamwork, become useful and achievable.

Rather than being a large, temporary installation, these panels aimed to clearly and directly communicate the collaboration and its results. They showcased the skills developed during the workshops and the potential of design and creativity as tools that can be learned and mastered to improve everyday life.

An alchemy of professionalism and human connection outlining new learning paths.

To reinforce this project, Class IID from Panzini Middle School, together with designers and creatives from Design Group Italia and Alkemy BX, have been invited to present their journey at the Council Chamber of Municipality 1 in Milan.
A special moment to celebrate creativity—a skill increasingly sought after by companies and, combined with the tools of design, one that can shape a conscious professional future. A career path we were thrilled to introduce to the next generation!