By DJ Schwend

With our project deadline nearing on Saturday, we’re done with Ancient Rome and our fabulous history lessons. We’ve now met several Italian designers who currently work in Rome.

Today we rode the bus to visit Marimo, a design studio in former pasta factory in the San Lorenzo neighborhood. I can safely say that we all felt at home here, and this was a place where we’d like to work. A graphic designer’s dream work space, the studio is a huge open room with bright white walls, high ceilings and windows with bookshelves full of design books and Post-it-Note art shared the walls with many framed design awards and Marimo’s own posters.

We congregated around the coffee bar to enjoy the pastries that our friend Gino brought for us this morning. Grazie Gino!

Paola Manfroni and her colleague, Giampiero Quaini, then showed us examples of their work including branding, book design, and some award-winning TV commercials. The commercials used Italian stereotypes to hilarious effect. Paola translated the jokes as we watched and then went on to explain about the process of her small multi-disciplinary team of designers, account mangers, editors and photographers.

While we were looking at the work, more designers filtered in to begin their days, even bringing their bikes to their desks just like we do in Seattle and New York. It felt like just another day. . .  then, another man arrived at the door.

Paola laughed and said, “This is our English teacher.” (He’s doing a great job!).