Marco Susani

Biography

Marco Susani is an award-winning designer, founding partner of design studio Koz Susani Design, based in Chicago.

His main interest is in combining technological innovation with emotional design, and to use his design vision to drive toward a more human future.

In the past 6 years he consulted Enel, the largest European energy provider, designing the integrated user experience for the ‘e-mobility revolution’, designing public chargers for electric vehicles, user interfaces to access the charging service, and envisioning the architecture of future charging stations. This project was awarded the Compasso D’Oro, the most important international design award.

He developed design projects for, among others, Apple, 3M, Enel, Fontana Arte, Logitech, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Nestle’, Nissan, Panasonic, Philips, Pirelli, Seiko.

He is currently leading research initiatives about the Future of Health, Sustainable Mobility, and the Future of Work.

His original combination of consultant and corporate experience gives him a valuable insight on how to best design in both contexts, and his engagement with both professional practice and academic research allows him to bring a real-life perspective to his teaching activities.

His academic activity involved teaching Design-Driven Innovation at UIC (University of Illinois at Chicago), founding the Interaction Design course at Domus Academy, and lecturing in international design universities and conferences.

In 2023 he co-led the workgroup focused on Product-Service Design curriculum in the “Future of Design Education” initiative, led by Don Norman.

From 2000 to 2010, as a vice-president of Motorola Consumer Experience Design, he led design-driven innovation, working on the first generation of smart phones, on the integration of mobile and TV streaming, and on innovative form factors, including wearables.

He started his career in the legendary Olivetti Design studio in Milan, Italy, later became an associate partner in the studio of Italian Design guru Ettore Sottsass, and was Director of Domus Academy Research Center, where he extended the culture of Italian Design to innovation fields like hi-tech Product Design, Interaction Design and Strategic Design.

He graduated in Architecture at Politecnico di Milano, and has a Master in Industrial Design from Domus Academy, Milano.