“From Brief to Box”, one of the workshops featured during the Workshop Week 2026 organized by the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano, has come to an end. This intensive experience brought together students, companies, and professionals in a design journey focused on the world of packaging.
Once again, Ghelfi Ondulati renewed its collaboration with Barilla, bringing real-world design challenges into the classroom related to the development of paper and corrugated cardboard packaging solutions. Over the course of five days, students had the opportunity to engage with actual market needs, working on corporate briefs and directly experimenting with materials, production processes, and technical constraints.
When Design Meets Industrial Reality
The aim of the workshop was not only to develop new ideas, but also to explore the process that transforms a concept into a concrete and feasible solution.
Through collaboration and discussion with companies and industry professionals, students gained a deeper understanding of how packaging is created through a balance of creativity, sustainability, functionality, and industrial feasibility. This approach helps bridge the gap between academia and the realities of the manufacturing supply chain, providing students with a highly valuable learning experience.
It is precisely at this intersection of design and production that design changes perspective, becoming a tool capable of generating innovative and practical solutions.
A Project Built on Collaboration
The workshop was made possible through the collaboration between Politecnico di Milano, Barilla, and Ghelfi Ondulati, with the involvement of professors, tutors, and professionals who guided the students throughout the entire experience.
Special thanks go to Professor Enrico Bassi and Martina Comola for coordinating the activities, to the Barilla team composed of Clara Giardina, Elena Della Maggiora, Carola Nicosia, Sofia Badiali, and Giacomo Canali, and to the entire Ghelfi Ondulati team for contributing to the success of the workshop week.
We would also like to thank the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano and the organizers of Workshop Week, Venanzio Arquilla and Carlo Emilio Standoli, for making this experience possible.
A Valuable Exchange for the Future of Packaging
For Ghelfi Ondulati, initiatives such as this represent an important opportunity to engage with the next generation of designers. Sharing expertise and experience contributes to students’ professional growth while also providing fresh perspectives and new interpretations of a material and an industry that are constantly evolving.
Workshop Week once again proved to be a valuable meeting point between academia and industry, where education, innovation, and design culture come together to imagine the future of packaging.
