On November 14, Elisava hosted the presentation of the book When Design Became a Profession: The Early Days of Industrial Design in Spain. This collaborative work by industrial designer and former Elisava professor Josep Puig Cabeza, and Dr. Pilar Mellado Lluch, an expert in Design, Manufacturing, and Project Management from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The book offers a comprehensive analysis of the origins and evolution of industrial design in Spain. Published by Experimenta Libros, it stands as a seminal reference for the field.
Josep Puig Cabeza presents the book “When Design Became a Profession.”
The presentation gathered prominent professionals and Alumni, such as Juli Capella, Maria Visa, Pol Fantoba, Cristina Taverner, and Josep Puig Cabeza himself. During the event, participants discussed key milestones and challenges of industrial design in Spain during its early decade. This reflects those who fought for its recognition as a legitimate profession on par with countries like the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
According to the authors, the book features a compelling collection of testimonies that “directly or indirectly address the origins and evolution of a new profession and the determination of individuals to pursue it.” While the interviewees were only sometimes connected, they shared a common goal: advancing industrial design as a professional activity.
This publication, featuring a foreword by fellow Alumni and President of the Board of Trustees of the ELISAVA Private Foundation, Ramón Benedito, is not only a tribute to the origins of industrial design in Spain but also a recognition of the collective effort that enabled its development.