event: Felicia Ferrone, an internationally renowned designer based in Chicago, will speak in the Center’s series on “What Is Design?”  In an interview led by a moderator, Ferrone will give her perspective on design and the design process, from idea to production.

bio: Felicia Ferrone’s work is deeply informed by her early experience as an architect in Milan, where she was first taught to “blur boundaries.” While working alongside some of Italy’s most notable architects, Felicia solidified her belief in the interdependence of all aspects of design and of the relationship of design and context. In 2010, she founded fferrone, her international namesake brand. Produced in close collaboration with master artisans, fferrone’s handcrafted furniture and products continue to blur boundaries, challenge archetypes, and blend typologies with whimsy, mastery of proportions, and innovative production techniques.

Felicia’s work has been exhibited, distributed, and published worldwide and her work is included in the Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent collection. In addition to her work with fferrone, Felicia has completed commissioned works for such notable clients as Boffi, The Macallan, Cool Hunting, and Audi. She is also is the Director of Graduate Studies in Industrial Design and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

She also holds a US and EU Design Patent and a US Utility Patent for a bottle of her design which reduces volume in store, shipping, and creates unlimited visual communication opportunities given it’s unique, asymmetrical design.