The Trolley. A mobile retail unit from Tecnografica

When it comes to innovation in the design world, today, it is manufacturers that are in the spotlight. One of the areas that is seeing increased development is the ‘user experience’. Increasingly, manufacturers are designing new tools for designers to make the process of presenting to clients, choosing between products, refining finishes and customising sizes as creative and seamless as possible. Many of these tools are digital, but Tecnografica , international leader in wallpaper and technical wall coverings, has come up with an offering that takes the ‘physical’ to the extreme.

The "Piquadro x Tecnografica" Special Edition Trolley is a suitcase of design assets including large-sized samples and wallpaper books presenting all the possible variations of Tecnografica's new Dècora Glass series. It is a portable showroom that responds to a design world back on the move: ‘As a company, we have always put a lot of emphasis on digital and will continue to do so for our products to be available and easily accessible. However, especially after this year of lockdown, we believe it is necessary for customers to go back to touching and seeing the materials for themselves. Our products stand out thanks to their eclectic style and high quality, which often requires direct experience to be appreciated and understood to the fullest,' says Stefano Lamberti, Sales & Marketing Director at Tecnografica.

Experiencing materials on a screen is incomparable to experiencing them up close and in-person. Specially when it comes to unique products, such as Tecnografica's Dècora Glass laminated panel for example, which has a luminosity that just doesn’t translate digitally. Inside the suitcase, the ‘Dècora Glass Case’ includes a full range of samples in A3-format with a booklet for quick reference. The Dècora LED, supplied with remote, shows how the panel can be transformed when it is backlit, and a range of finishes including Smart Panel Glossy, Smart Panel Matt and Smart Panel Double Face can be compared and contrasted alongside the high quality ‘Wallpaper Book’ which offers 30 of Tecnografica’s most popular graphics.

With access to a breadth of finishes, textures and styles at their fingertips, clients can truly visualise the effect that the panels will have scenographically in space, on counter-tops, walls, tables and furniture – making a designer’s life much easier when it comes to confident decision-making. 'We noticed, especially in this recovery period after the heavier Covid-19 restrictions, how it is increasingly necessary to be present. Being able to visit potential customers in person to present the complete range of Tecnografica products, and for design studios that work frequently with our products, the Trolley is a practical and functional communication tool that encourages touch,’ says Lamberti.

The "Piquadro x Tecnografica" Special Edition Trolley plays into the art of performative display which we are slowly rediscovering. The elegant suitcase design by Italian suitcase brand Piquadro, from the PQ-Light collection, selected as one of the best-selling travel trolleys of 2021, has a sleek hard case with four wheels and a coded lock. The high-tech interior is engineered bespoke for the organisation of Tecnografica products. It neatly stores the samples so they can be creatively unpacked, revealed and shared in a smooth experience for retailers, designers and client. 'The collaboration with Piquadro stems from the desire to create a special edition of The Trolley, which could be aesthetically appealing yet also functional. We therefore immediately turned to Piquadro as a synonym of ‘Made in Italy’ excellence, and for the same propensity for quality and product design that Tecnografica also shares,’ says Lamberti.

In true, eclectic Tecnografica style, young emerging artist Francesco Carrasso was commissioned to bring an artistic touch to the Trolley with a handmade design composed of graffiti and lettering. 'We wanted to create more than just a limited edition; a series of unique pieces,' says Lamberti, 'As is evident among our Art Collections , which bring unique artworks to our high quality wallpaper products, Tecnografica has always been close to both emerging artists, as well as nationally and internationally renowned artists.'

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