Designing Wellness: An Exclusive Interview with Laura Invidia of Gessi
As part of our lead-up to the IED Career Fair on 4-5 October, we sat down with Laura Invidia, HR Manager at Gessi, a global leader in high-end wellness and bathroom design. In this exclusive interview, Laura shares valuable insights into the evolving landscape of luxury design, the skills Gessi looks for in design professionals, and how the company addresses essential issues like work-life balance and diversity & inclusion.
How has the high-end product design sector evolved in recent years, especially in a global market? Are there emerging trends that those in the industry should be aware of?
The high-end design sector has undergone several evolutions recently, influenced by cultural, technological, and economic changes. The industry must now balance sustainability, utility, rarity, and novelty. Design brands have expanded their international presence, adapting strategies to meet customers' needs worldwide. They have shifted their focus to emerging markets like China and other Asian countries with growing demand. Moreover, the luxury design sector has embraced digitization.
Key trends include:
- Exploration of new online channels: The luxury industry must also extend its excellence to new consumer experiences, which means advancing innovation and investment, as well as the exploration of new media channels to increase brand visibility.
- Craftsmanship: The success of the high-end market also stems from its connection with craftsmanship.
- Sustainability and ESG: Attention to the environment, animals, societies, people, and the care of the planet. Consumers and companies have started to consider the environmental impact of their products. They are looking for more sustainable materials and production processes.
- Experience and personalization: Companies offer customers the opportunity to personalise their products, creating a more unique and engaging experience. They increasingly invest in customer experience, offering high-level services, exclusive events, and personalised attention. This helps to create a stronger bond between the customer and the brand.
- An agile approach and innovation
- Technology and design: Integrating technology into luxury design has become increasingly common. For example, numerous high-quality products with smart features have been developed.
What skills and qualifications does Gessi look for when hiring design professionals?
Gessi values creativity and the ability to think innovatively to propose and develop original and cutting-edge ideas when choosing designers and planners. Technical skills in using design and modelling software are also required, as well as the ability to research market characteristics and target audiences to offer design proposals aligned with the specific customer's taste and needs. Gessi also appreciates relational skills and a propensity for teamwork and collaboration. The reference profile has a charismatic and proactive personality, refined and elegant taste, social intelligence and empathy.
As far as required skills, what are the most significant differences (if any) among different countries?
The main differences regarding the skills required are the flexibility to travel and an agile mindset ready to support the strategic evolutions defined by HQ. Another critical difference is language; knowledge of English is often required, in addition to the local language of the reference country. Another crucial element is adaptation to culture and the ability to respond to specific requests and needs arising from a cultural background different from the Italian one.
How does Gessi address the issues of work-life balance and D&I policies in the company?
Gessi, adopting a results-oriented approach, empowers its employees to manage their work time effectively so that they can organise their personal lives. It promotes a culture where people are measured on the objectives achieved, not on the extra hours worked. Gessi has also invested in the quality of time spent during lunch breaks, equipped with everything needed to heat meals and eat outdoors. During the lunch break, it is also possible to go jogging or take a simple walk in the shade of the trees that border our headquarters. Even in Casa Gessi Milano, despite being in the centre of Milan, there is an elegant outdoor garden.
Gessi has created an inclusive environment over time that, starting from selection, makes every one of every ethnicity, gender, political and religious orientation feel part of a modernly inclusive reality. In Gessi, career developments occur only thanks to the results obtained by the individual; the theme of D&I, given its importance, is constantly deepened and transmitted during the onboarding of all newcomers.
Currently, the percentage of women is about 45% compared to 55% of men in a country where the metalworking sector sees female employment of 19.4% compared to the total number of workers, with plans that encourage hiring young people. At this time, the average age is 38 years.