The multifaceted creative talent and founder of Joe Doucet x Partners, known for his solution-oriented design approach, spoke to students at the University of Pennsylvania’s Stuart Weitzman School of Design as part of the Surface Summer School lecture series. The class is currently in the midst of a competition to design a mobile testing unit for COVID-19.

Doucet honed in on two qualities that he considers paramount to meaningful and effective design: empathy and optimism. “You start off with the understanding that you have the ability to make life better for people, to make the world a better place,” Doucet said. The second pillar of his philosophy is familiar, yet his context is more challenging.

“Empathy is a very soft-sounding, cuddly word but I don’t mean empathy in just caring about others because that should be a given,” Doucet said. “I mean it in a Daniel Day-Lewis kind of way—really looking and relating and becoming the people you are designing for. You have to inhabit them and think about everything they are thinking, every stress they may have, and solve for that.” Watch the lecture and see the full schedule for the series.

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Known for fanciful interiors that blend styles and eras, the Rome-based designer Achille Salvagni riffs on his deeply personal design process and the restorative power of his favorite artists. He brings us inside his own home, an early-1900s apartment in Quartiere Coppedè, which serves as a veritable showcase of his visions.

“In designing a home, I always start by getting to know the owners, and then analyzing their personality and needs. I think of myself as a therapist, delving deep into their lives, habits, and quirks, as their individual tastes and interests must always inform the outcome. Then, I paint a portrait of the client through the interiors—a deeply personal experience that calls for great introspection on their end. Only through understanding a client on this level do I feel comfortable making decisions.”

A leader in today’s global design culture, Reddymade was founded by Suchi Reddy in 2002. The firm has been lauded for its formal experimentation, its imaginative use of color, and passion for innovative materials. The firm’s projects extend from New York and L.A. to Miami and India, and include collaborations with Ai Weiwei and Karl Lagerfeld.

Surface Says: Suchi Reddy’s projects, which include lush residences to a modern mobile retailer in an Airstream trailer, are each distinct, poetic experiences. Reddy approaches detail as an art form, composing each room like a painting: harmonious palettes, a balance of textures, and eye-catching points of interest throughout.

The artist Barbara Iweins photographs all 10,532 objects in her home.

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Nicolas Abdelkader reimagines transit as a series of giant green planters.